Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Texts
Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Texts Objective: Students will be able to identify the main topic of an informational text and explain how key details support that main topic.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the main topic of a given informational text.
- Locate key details that support the main topic.
- Explain how these details help understand the topic better.
Materials Needed
- Age-appropriate informational text (e.g., a short article about animals or weather)
- Paper and pencil
- Highlighters or colored pencils
Key Vocabulary
- Main Topic
- The main subject or idea that the text is mostly about.
- Key Details
- Important facts or information that help explain or support the main topic.
- Informational Text
- A type of writing that gives facts about a real topic.
Detailed Activities
Reading and Identifying Main Topic
- Read the selected informational text aloud together or have the student read it independently.
- Discuss what the text is mostly about and write down the main topic on paper.
- Use simple questions like ‘What is this text mostly about?’ to guide understanding.
Finding Key Details
- Reread the text and ask the student to highlight or underline important facts.
- Write down these key details on paper.
- Discuss how each detail helps explain or support the main topic.
Summarizing the Text
- Have the student use the main topic and key details to tell you what the text is about in their own words.
- Encourage complete sentences like ‘This text is about… because…’
- Praise effort and provide gentle guidance if needed.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on helping your child understand what an informational text is and how to find the main idea and supporting details.
- Take your time reading the text and encourage your child to ask questions if something is unclear.
- Use encouraging language and celebrate small successes to build confidence.
Assessment Questions
- What is the main topic of the text we read?
- Can you name two important details that tell us more about the main topic?
- How do these details help you understand the main topic better?
Extension Ideas
- Choose another short informational text on a different topic and repeat the activity.
- Create a simple poster with the main topic in the center and key details around it.
- Encourage your child to draw a picture that shows the main topic and some key details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try breaking the text into smaller parts and ask what each part is about before identifying the overall main topic.
Use colorful markers for highlighting and praise your child’s discoveries to keep them engaged.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may confuse the main topic with minor details or examples.
- Students may identify too many ideas as the ‘main topic’ instead of focusing on the central idea.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with clear and simple main ideas.
- Provide sentence starters like ‘The text is about…’.
For Advanced Students:
- Have them find more than two key details and explain how each supports the main topic.
- Encourage comparing two texts on similar topics to identify main ideas and details.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10-15 minutes reading and discussing the text.
- Allow 15 minutes for identifying key details and writing them down.
- Use last 10-15 minutes for summarizing and reviewing the concepts.
Standards
- 7.RI.2 — Determine two or more main ideas in a text and explain how they are supported by key details.
Printable Worksheet
Plan Your Own Lesson
Looking for a custom lesson plan? Try our Lesson Planning Generator — create standards-based plans for any topic, instantly!
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
Looking for another common core lesson? See all of the lesson plans here.
More Free Lesson Plans
We’re adding more every week! Check back soon or explore all our lesson plans here.
Leave a Reply