Common Core Aligned Lesson Plan: Determining the Main Idea

Subject(s): __PA Core: English Language Arts____________________________________________ Grade: _____3_________

Teacher(s): ___________Mrs. Farnsworth____________________ School: ____BHES Library Media Center________
LESSON ELEMENT
1. Common Core Learning Standard(s) Addressed:
CC.1.2.3.A Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

2. Learning Target(s): (What will students know & be able to do as a result of this lesson?)
The students will be able to determine the main idea and supporting details of a text.

3. Relevance/Rationale: (Why are the outcomes of this lesson important in the real world? Why are these outcomes essential for future
learning?)
Recognizing the main idea is the most important key to good comprehension. The author wants readers to understand what is important and
valued in the text.

4. Formative Assessment Criteria for Success: (How will you & your students know if they have successfully met the outcomes? What
specific criteria will be met in a successful product/process? What does success on this lessons outcomes look like?)
The students will complete three activities independently prior to the final online assessment with Socrative. The student will receive at least 4
out of 5 questions correct (80% or better).

5. Activities/Tasks: (What learning experiences will students engage in? How will you use these learning experiences or their student
products as assessment opportunities (AO)?)
a) Anticipatory Set-Tell story and leave out the main idea. Explain to the students that the main idea is very important because that is what the
author wants you to understand the most.
b) Define the main idea using the Weebly page on the projector and share the basic example of Snow White using the images and tape or

magnets.

c) Read A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. Hand out the envelopes containing sentence strips and have students decide which
sentence is the main idea. Then, they will verify that the remaining sentences are supporting details of the main idea. While students are
working independently, I will be sharing the answers with the entire group using my sentence strips. AO-Check for understanding by
monitoring the students progress.
d) AO-To determine if students feel comfortable or need to ask more questions, ask Please give me a thumbs up if you feel that finding the
main idea is a little bit challenging, but you think you can do it. Please give me a thumbs down if you need extra support and have
questions for me about finding the main idea.
e) Open Weebly page (http://librarymainidea.weebly.com) and teach the first two pages to the students. Allow students time to navigate through
the Links and Blog page. AO-Check for understanding via e-mailed test results on Socrative and blog entries.
f)

Optional activity for centers in the third grade classroom Students will select an envelope with a story glued on it. Inside, the main idea
and supporting sentence strips will be cut up. Students will need to arrange the strips to resemble a table, with the main idea at the top and
the supporting details below as the table legs.

g) Optional activity for centers in the third grade classroom Students will read a story and trace their hand on a piece of paper. They will write
the main idea of the story on the palm and write the supporting details on the fingers. (When topic sentence is introduced, students can
write the topic sentence on the thumb.)

6. Resources/Materials: (What texts, digital resources, & materials will be used in this lesson?)
Tape, computer projector and computers, Weebly page (http://librarymainidea.weebly.com), Snow White characters, Book: A Chair for My Mother,
sentence strips from the story.

7. Access for All: (How will you ensure that all students have access to and are able to engage appropriately in this lesson? Consider
aspects of student diversity.)

Low-achieving students Provide visual representation of the main idea and supporting sentences. Students will manipulate sentence strips or
pictures to show understanding. Assist with navigating through the Weebly page.

High-achieving students Work independently by reading a story and blogging about the main idea. The student will also provide feedback
about the book.
Students, Parents, and Teachers continued use Students will have unlimited access to the Weebly page with correlating links to utilize at home
or in school. It is also my goal to share my lessons with the teachers using an online plan book, such as CommonCurriculum.com .

Common Core Aligned Lesson: Reflection

1. How did this lesson support 21st Century Skills?

2. How did this lesson reflect academic rigor?

3. How did this lesson cognitively engage students?

4. How did this lesson engage students in collaborative learning and enhance their collaborative learning skills?