Lessons & Units :: Main Idea 3rd Grade Unit

Lesson 3: Identifying a Title for a Passage Based on the Main Idea

Lesson Plan

Learning Goal
Use the main idea of a passage to create a title for the passage.
Duration
Approximately 50 minutes.
Necessary Materials
Provided: Direct Teaching Passage- “Kids Get Healthy;” Guided Practice- Untitled Weekly Reader Passage; Independent Practice Passage and Worksheet
Not Provided: N/A

  • Teacher Modeling

    will review the main idea of each paragraph in “Kids Get Healthy” by Rachelle Kreisman and discuss the main idea of the entire passage. (Direct Teaching Worksheet is provided in Teacher and Student Materials below.) I will explain that the title should reflect the main idea of the passage and why this title is appropriate for the passage. I will model identifying another title that would be appropriate based on the main idea of the passage. For example, “Schools Fight Obesity” would also be a good title for this passage, based on the main idea.

  • Think Check

    Ask: How did I create a title for the passage? Students should respond that you used the main idea of the passage and thought about a title that would best represent the main idea.

  • Guided Practice

    will continue using the strategy of reading the first or last sentence of a paragraph to identify the main idea in a passage. (Guided Practice Worksheet is provided below.) We will identify the main idea of each paragraph and use these to identify the main idea of the passage. We will then identify an appropriate title for the passage based on the main idea. We will discuss how we identified the main idea of each paragraph and underline the sentence that helps us.

  • Independent Practice

    will read “Will Manatees Survive After Removal from Florida’s Endangered Species List?” (passage is provided) and identify the main idea of each paragraph. You will use that information to identify the main idea of the entire passage and explain how you know it is the main idea. You will then write a better title for the passage and explain why your title is a good title. (Student Independent Practice is provided below.)

Build Student Vocabulary illness

Tier 2 Word: illness
Contextualize the word as it is used in the story “Asthma is an illness that makes breathing difficult.”
Explain the meaning student-friendly definition) An illness is a sickness or a disease. In the passage, the author stated that asthma is an illness that makes it hard for a person to breathe. This means that asthma is a sickness that makes it hard for a person with asthma to breathe.
Students repeat the word Say the word illness with me: illness.
Teacher gives examples of the word in other contexts She missed a day of school because of an illness. When my husband had an illness, he was grumpy.
Students provide examples Have you ever had an illness? How did you feel? Start by saying, “I had an illness when ___________________. I felt _________________ when I had an illness.”
Students repeat the word again. What word are we talking about? illness
Additional Vocabulary Words pollution, asthma

Build Student Background Knowledge

Introduce the Independent Practice by explaining to students that they are going to read a passage about manatees. Manatees are aquatic mammals, which mean that they are mammals that live in the water (like whales or dolphins). Even though they are called "sea cows," manatees' closest animal relative is the elephant. Manatees can be found in shallow sea beds, bays, and canals, often near humans. Manatees are migratory animals, which mean that they travel from home to home. In winter, manatees in the U.S. can be found in Florida's warm waters.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

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