Lessons & Units

Main Idea 3rd Grade Unit

Lessons

Lesson 1 First and Last Sentences (Individual Paragraph) Identify the main idea of a paragraph using the first or last sentence.
Lesson 2 First and Last Sentences (Passage) Identify the main idea of a passage using the first or last sentence of each paragraph.
Lesson 3 Identifying a Title for a Passage Based on the Main Idea Use the main idea of a passage to create a title for the passage.

Unit Extension Ideas

  • Have students identify the main idea of a fiction chapter using the title.
  • Have students create a new title for a chapter, based on the main idea of the paragraphs.
  • Copy paragraphs or sections from a book and have students identify their main idea and create a title or heading for each paragraph or section.
  • Provide students with a short story or passage. Have students work in groups. Each student can determine the main idea of one paragraph. Then, each group member can work together to determine the main idea of the passage.
  • Have students complete a Main Idea graphic organizer. They should provide details of a paragraph or passage that supports the main idea. They can use the details to determine the main idea. (See Additional Activity: A.)
  • Have students create titles for their stories that reflect the main idea of the story.
  • Have students share their writing with a partner and have the partner identify the main idea of each paragraph (using the first and last sentence), the main idea of the story, and a title for the story.
  • In nonfiction writing, have students create headings for sections that reflect the main idea of that section. Have students explain how they created the title for the entire piece of writing based on the headings.
  • Challenge students to vary main idea sentences between the first and the last of sentences of their paragraphs.     
  • Have students read a Concepts of Comprehension Passage and write a paragraph explaining whether they think the title is appropriate. Students should provide evidence to support their idea.
  • Copy part of a science or social studies textbook. Have students write the title or main idea of a paragraph or section of a chapter. Have them record  the sentences in the paragraph that help them identify the main idea.
  • Continue to have students read Concepts of Comprehension Passages. They may determine the main idea of each paragraph and highlight details that support that main idea. Cover the title of the passage and have students create a title for the passage based on the main idea.

Teacher and Student Materials

More Books for Teaching Main Idea

The Discovery of the Americas

The Discovery of the Americas

Fountas and Pinnell
S
Lexile
1110L

Copy sections of the book for students to read. After students read the section, have them identify the main idea and create a heading for the section.

What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?

What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?

Fountas and Pinnell
O
Lexile
830L

Have students create a new title of the book based on the main idea.

Wild Weather: Blizzards!

Wild Weather: Blizzards!

Fountas and Pinnell
M
Lexile
610L

Copy a chapter of the book for students to read. Then have them write a paragraph explaining whether they think the title of the chapter is appropriate. They should provide text evidence to support their opinion.

Bugs and Other Insects

Bugs and Other Insects

Fountas and Pinnell
O
Lexile
580L

Copy a section of the book for students to read. Then have them add details to the section that support the main idea.

Volcanoes and Other Natural Disasters

Volcanoes and Other Natural Disasters

Fountas and Pinnell
R
Lexile
830L

Have students create a new title for a chapter based on the main idea.

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman

Fountas and Pinnell
Q

Have students identify the main idea and discuss how this relates to the title.

Can Do, Jenny Archer

Can Do, Jenny Archer

Fountas and Pinnell
M
Lexile
440L

Have students create chapter titles based on the main idea of each chapter.

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Monkey House

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Monkey House

Fountas and Pinnell
L
Lexile
530L

Have students read a paragraph and determine the main idea. Then have them change the topic sentence from the first sentence of the paragraph to the last sentence of the paragraph or vice versa making sure that it still supports the main idea.

Addy Learns a Lesson

Addy Learns a Lesson

Fountas and Pinnell
Q
Lexile
660L

Have students create a new title for a chapter based on the main idea of the paragraphs.

Meet Kaya

Meet Kaya

Fountas and Pinnell
Q
Lexile
650L

Copy paragraphs from a chapter in the book and have students identify the main idea.

User Comments

Love these lessons and to think I just discovered them. LOL I always came for the passages but these lessons are great!

Submitted by zcaron on 2/7/17

Where are the answer keys for the "Unit Reading Passages"???

Submitted by pakre001 on 1/9/17
You can find the answer keys by searching for those specific passages on our site: www.readworks.org/books/passages
Submitted by ReadWorks on 3/14/17

God bless to he or she and the staffs that put this site together, it is a great help for parent and teachers with children with learning disability. You are thinking for the future of our love-ones, don't ever stop thinking, God bless you and your family (at work and home) all the way for the rest of your live.

Submitted by Kedare on 10/17/16

I can't wait to use this with my special education students!

Submitted by brittany.lapoint_2255811 on 9/19/16

Good

Submitted by mstaggs101_1170086 on 10/24/15

Thank you, this was very helpful.

Submitted by bkayeallison_1636584 on 10/17/15

This is great

Submitted by solis_lulu_1600801 on 10/1/15

Your site is of great help to me in both preparation and performance.THANKS A LOT.

Submitted by salihabelhacene25_1427674 on 5/15/15

Thanks for helping me

Submitted by aman azeem on 2/19/15

These lessons work great with my Level 2 Reading ELL students, thank you.

Submitted by tasha.childs on 11/6/14

Love the passages and the tips for teachers.

Submitted by Ms. Lee on 9/2/13

Thanks ReadWork for this wonderful website!!!

Submitted by mmnaidu on 4/1/13

so glad to have found this! I will be using many of these passages to help ESL students with testing strategies. THANKS READWORK!

Submitted by Holly Woodard on 12/4/12

Love how rigorous the text is. We use this for all lessons.

Submitted by Misty on 10/15/12