Main Idea & Supporting Details
Complete unit · Grades 3–5 · 44-page PDF
5 lessons · 8 leveled passages · pre- and post-assessment
Name what a passage is mostly about and find the details that support it.
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What's inside
- Teacher guide: unit at a glance, measured levels, grouping
- Pre- and post-assessment in parallel forms + class tracker
- Illustrated anchor chart: topic, main idea, detail
- 5 lesson plans in gradual release (I do, we do, you do)
- 8 original passages at Levels A, B and C, readability printed
- Match-up sort, Find It! chart, tricky sentences, organizer
- 24 task cards + an exit ticket for Lessons 1-4
- 3 small-group reteach cards and every answer key
Lessons at a glance
| When | Focus | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Pre-assessment, Form A (about 15 minutes) | 4-5 |
| Lesson 1 | What do MOST of the sentences tell about? I can tell a paragraph's main idea from its details by checking what most of the sentences tell about. | 7-13 |
| Lesson 2 | First, middle, or last? I can find a stated main idea wherever it sits in a paragraph: first, in the middle, or last. | 14-17 |
| Lesson 3 | Topic, main idea, or detail? I can tell a topic from a main idea from a detail, and check a clue phrase instead of trusting it. | 18-21 |
| Lesson 4 | Main ideas nobody wrote down I can find the main idea of each paragraph and of a whole letter, and say an unstated main idea in my own words. | 22-25 |
| Lesson 5 | Show what you know: one topic, three levels I can find stated main ideas and details on my own and say the main idea of a whole passage. | 26-30 |
| Review | 24 task cards + recording sheet (centers or small groups) | 31-34 |
| After | Post-assessment, Form B; compare on the tracker | 35-36 |
| Any day | Reteach cards for small groups | 37-38 |
Passages and levels
| Passage | Used in | Level | Grade (FK) | Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ants | Lesson 1 (guided) | Level A | 3.4 | 152 |
| Volcanoes | Lesson 1 (on your own) | Level B | 4.3 | 210 |
| The Sahara Desert | Lesson 2 | Level A | 3.3 | 164 |
| Sharks | Lesson 3 | Level B | 4.2 | 222 |
| Why Our Town Needs a New Library | Lesson 4 | Level C | 5.6 | 261 |
| Sea Turtles | Lesson 5 | Level A | 3.3 | 185 |
| Sea Turtles | Lesson 5 | Level B | 4.1 | 224 |
| Sea Turtles | Lesson 5 | Level C | 5.6 | 276 |
Standards
Common Core codes and wording as printed in the unit.
- RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
- RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
- RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
Ontario Language (2023): direct matches
- C2.6 (Grade 3, 4, 5). Grade 3 wording: identify the main idea in a simple text, and relate important details in sequence
- C3.3 (Grade 3, 4). Grade 3 wording: analyze various texts...by identifying main and supporting ideas, sequencing information