Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 4th

Central Focus: identify the main idea of a text
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by
key details; summarize the text.

Date submitted:
taught: 3/20/15

Date

Daily Lesson Objective: After using the book Meerkats- by Robyn Weaver, a wiki on Meerkat, and completing a
worksheet, SWBAT identify the main idea and at least two supporting details
21st Century Skills: 21st Century Skills: Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
Students will be scaffolded in navigating
Vocabulary):
and reading a wiki website (http://a-zAcademic Language Demand (Language Function and Vocabulary):
animals.com/animals/meerkat/) to gather Language Function: Analyzing the main idea and supporting details o
a particular passage.
facts about meerkats. Students will be
scaffolded in using the tab links, sidebars, Additional Language Demands:
Vocabulary: meerkat, mammal, habitat, support, stated, unstated
and illustrations to gather information.
Oral: students will orally explain the information they gathered from
the passage and what the main idea was.
Written: students will independently fill out a post it note and
complete a main idea worksheet.
Prior Knowledge: Prior Knowledge: skill of focusing on key details and being able to distinguish them, using
context clues to figure out the meaning of questionable information, being able to gather inferred information to
find the unstated main idea of a passage or a story, general knowledge of website on the Internet for finding
information, including the navigation of hyperlinks; knowledge that illustrations and graphic aids provide
additional information to supplement that found in the printed text.
Activity

1. Focus and Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student

Description of Activities and Setting

Ask students: Have you ever read a book and then told your
friend what happened in that particular book? Allow students
to respond and 2-3 to share. Provide additional prompting by
sharing about a time when I had to read stories out of my
college course textbooks and I had to summarize it for my
classmates and present it. Ask: Have any of you had a similar
experience? Allow a few more students to share. Did the
details or information from the text help you explain what the
story was about? (Allow general response) I know details
always help me summarize and explain what a story is about!
Today, you will learn that supporting details and information
on a particular topic can contribute to understanding the main
idea of a text. In fact you will learn to point out details of a
passage and show how they support the main idea. You will
learn the importance of the main idea and also understand
that it is not the same as the summary. You will also learn that
there can be a stated main idea or an unstated main idea, you
will also learn the difference. In addition, you will learn that

Time

3. Teacher Input

the main idea constitutes the central focus of any text. You
will write down one fact, from a text or website, on your own
post it note. Next, you will complete the main idea worksheet
that will be presented to each of you. Being able to identify
the main idea is very important when it comes to reading
comprehension.
Define concept: Before opening up the storybook Meerkats
by Robyn Weaver discuss to the class what a MI is. When
reading a story or a text, by the time you finish you should be
able to identify the MI. The main idea is what the text is
about. Even if you have to read through it more than once,
the point is to be able realize what the MI is and be able to
state it. However, that can be difficult correct? Because
sometimes main ideas can be stated or unstated. Therefore it
has to be inferred at times, and so we have to use the details
throughout the story to form our main ideas. Other times, if it
is stated, it is just a matter of finding/knowing where it is
already identified throughout the text. Today we will be
working on identifying unstated MIs. As I read the storybook,
Meerkats by Robyn Weaver, out loud to the class focus on
the details of the text. Pay attention and carefully think about
what you think the main idea of the story is. Point out specific
supporting details, in your head, as you follow along with me
as I read the story. Like what type of descriptions are they
presenting in the book that describes a meerkat. Think about
the details that tells what exactly is a meerkat. When the
reading of the story is over, ask the students, What would
the story be like without all these supporting details? Let 2-3
students answer. These are the details that were throughout
the entire story describing the meerkats and helping us learn
what they are. These details also lead us to creating our MI It
would be hard to understand what a Meerkat is without those
supporting details. The details create the foundation of the
story and the details also continue creating the story
throughout the book. This helps us develop the main idea and
know what the story is exactly about.

Model strategy: I am going to show you how to point out

specific details in passages or a text. This is a way for you to

4. Guided Practice

5. Independent
Practice

see what details stands out to you and how we all can find
different supporting details while all reading the same text.
This will show you how even with the different supporting
details that we all point out; we all can still come to the same
agreement of what the main idea is. These details create a
platform for stories, passages, poems, and etc. It also allows
the main idea to be formed and keeps the story interesting. I
am going to write the words Main Idea across a large piece of
construction paper. I am going to take a couple of post it
notes and on each one I am going to write down a fact/detail
that I learned from the story. I choose to do 3, and on my first
post it note I wrote down that a Meerkat is a type of
Mongoose. On my second post it note I wrote down that
Meerkats stick together in groups and they protect each other.
On my last post it note I decided to write down that Meerkats
can and will interact with humans. These post it notes show
what I gained from the story and a few details that I believed
created the MI. Can you all point out some supporting details
that I didnt write down. Allow a couple of students to answer.
Finally, I am able to identify the MI of this story. The MI of this
story was to inform the readers what a Meerkat is and what its
lifestyle is like. Now using the Smart Board, and your own
post it notes, you all will do the same so lets get started!
You are all going to receive one post it note and on the white
board I am going to display the wiki website (read the title of
the webpage to the students). With this webpage, that also
contains an unstated MI, we are going to read through it and
each one of you will write down a few supporting details from
the website passage (ask them to explain what supporting
details are again). Students will use their mini laptops to pull
up the wiki website page. You can choose any supporting
details of your choice from the passage on the website. After
writing down the details on your post it note, get up and post
your note on the large poster sheet that is hanging up. Once
all of them are posted, pick a few to read off to the class.
Explain how all the different key details that the class wrote
down make up this entire passage on this website.
Just like with stories, we have learned that the main idea
sums up all the supporting details. Now we will take what we
have learned and use it to complete a main idea worksheet.
With this worksheet you will read the passage and identify the
main idea, which is unstated, as well as identifying two
supporting ideas. As students are working on the worksheet I
will walk around looking at their work closely reminding them

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:

7. Closure

Make sure you all are paying attention to the details in the
passage. Also, telling them It may be harder to identify the
MI since it is unstated, but everything you need is right there
in the passage, just take your time and read carefully. Lastly,
make sure they know that this is an independent activity and
to work on it independently.
Collect main idea worksheets completed during independent practice
and
Assess for accuracy. The worksheet consists of 3 parts; one being the MI
Identification, and the other 2 parts are identifying the 2 supporting
details.
Answering 2 out of 3 questions correctly constitutes mastery (1 of the 2
must
be the MI Identification); answering 1 question correctly out of 3
constitutes partial mastery; anything less indicates The need for
reteaching.
Exceeding expectations will be, answering all 3 of the Questions
correctly.
Ask students to tell what they learned today, prompting and
redirecting as necessary, to elicit main points about
identifying the main idea of a text, and examples of
supporting details.

8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:
Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations:
Struggling readers with IEPs will be
given extra time/ have their worksheet
read aloud to them as per their IEP
modifications.

Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Gifted students (assuming they mastered
the assignment) will possibly be asked to
read their answers to the class, from the
Meerkat worksheet, that way the students
who didnt do as well can see another
students perspective of answers. They will
be expected to write full detailed and
complete answers for their questions.
ELL students will be grouped together and
given pre-printed, illustrated cards with the
definitions of terms used throughout this
lesson in order to help them with the work
(Terms: main idea, supportive details,
passages). These cards can be used on their

worksheet to help guide them while

answering questions. They will also be
assisted with all the reading portions of this
lesson.
Materials/Technology:
Mini laptops/ white board/ Internet, large poster sheet, post- it notes, Meerkat book by Robyn
Weaver (used in Teacher Input section), main idea worksheet
References: http://www.k12reader.com/worksheet/find-the-main-idea-the-meerkat/, http://a-zanimals.com/animals/meerkat/
Reflection on lesson: