Main Idea Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 1
What is the Main Idea? The central thought that an author writes about is known as the main idea. The main idea is what a selection or portion of a selection (paragraph or paragraphs) is mostly about. Sometimes referred to as the gist of a passage, a main idea statement may be explicit or implied and usually is the point an author is making about a topic. The main idea helps provide focus for the reader and, as such, sets the direction of the paragraph or article. The way main idea is tested on TAKS is as follows: In narrative selections main idea items will focus on either a single paragraph or a series of paragraphs. However expository or mixed selections may also include items that focus on the main idea of the entire selection. Another note: In the new ELAR and SLAR standards, the Student Expectation for main idea is included under the Reading Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text only and not included under Fiction. Until the TAKS test is revised for the 2012 administration, main idea may still be tested on text that is narrative/fiction.. Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 2
Teaching Main Idea Learning Intentions: o To increase comprehension of texts by focusing on the main idea/gist so that students clearly understand that they are focusing on broad or central ideas. o To recognize that in fiction selections main idea items will focus on either a single paragraph or a series of paragraphs. o To recognize that in expository or mixed selections, the focus may be on the main idea of the entire selection, as well as, a paragraph or paragraphs. o To use visual structures to organize information for the use of improving comprehension. Lesson Overview for Expository Text: 1. Teacher selects a nonfiction piece of text and makes multiple copies, so that all students have visual access to it. 2. Teacher models processing the text to determine whether fiction or nonfiction. Teacher then reads the text through one time. 3. Teacher re-reads the selection and pauses at places in which s/he has determined to be the stopping points. (If the intention is to determine the main idea of a paragraph or two in expository text, then a carefully chosen stop has been calculated ahead of time.) 4. Teacher then models on the overhead or on chart paper how to use the graphic organizer below: Who or What: (is this selection about) What is important about: 5. Teacher then composes a main idea statement using the above information. 6. Teacher then provides an additional opportunity within the same piece of text or an additional text within which students can practice in pairs. Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 3
7. Reconvene group and discuss the main idea statements that students have written. 8. Teacher provides feedback and checks for understanding to determine if additional small group instruction is warranted. 9. Remember that in nonfiction text, we are sometimes asked to locate the main idea about the entire selection, as well as, a paragraph or paragraphs. Create a Topic/Detail Response Chart Stephanie Harvey suggests creating a Topic/Detail Response Chart as a way for readers to sift through and combine supporting details and constructing main ideas. The chart provides a means to organize students thinking, especially when reading content-oriented material such as texts containing science or social studies topics. The chart has three columns, with the third being a place for the students to record their own thinking. Topic (Big Ideas) Detail Responses (My Thinking) Introduce a piece of nonfiction text to students and let them know that it is sometimes hard to pick out the bigger ideas when reading nonfiction. Harvey says, Sometimes the details lie in interesting but isolated facts that actually distract us from the understanding. So we need to separate those interesting, isolated details from the supporting ones, which build our knowledge about a topic. As readers, we can think about and combine the supporting details to grasp a better understanding of the larger topic. Introduce the Topic/Detail Response Chart and explain that students will observe as you model reading an article and sift the topic from the supporting details. Students may each have a copy of the chart, too, and as you model your thinking and write down the topic, details and responses on the overhead or a chart tablet, students can do the same on their chart. Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 4
Be sure to have planned stop points and questions that provide opportunities for students to share their thinking (Turn & Talk). Show students how to distinguish big ideas from the details and list them in the appropriate columns. Mark the fact that you are not writing complete sentences but just a few words in the Detail column. Next, guide the students to try this. Have students listen as you read the next couple paragraph or paragraphs and to listen for details that relate to the bigger idea and give them time to jot down responses. Have the students Turn & Talk about what the paragraph(s) was about. What was the main topic? What details did they notice that gave important information about the topic? What is the main idea? (Important subject and what is most important about the subject?) Have students work in foursomes and pick from one of two sections to read to discover the main idea. (Sometimes subheadings are inferential. Students must merge their thinking with background knowledge and subheading clues to infer what a section is about.) Students work together and jot down supporting details in the Detail column and personal responses in the Response column. (Listening and guide students as they discuss.) Have students continue reading the concluding paragraphs to see if they can determine the big ideas and provide supporting details as evidence for those ideas. At the end of the guided practice have student reflect about how the TDR chart was a helpful tool in organizing their thinking as they read nonfiction. The 3 rd Grade Benchmark selection, Bamboo Bears, is an example of a text written in a main idea/supporting detail format. Teachers can cover the subheadings and have students write main idea subheadings for each section. Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 5
Bamboo Bears 1 What animals are black and white and eat bamboo? If you guessed giant pandas, you are right! People once wondered if giant pandas were bears or raccoons. They learned that these black and white animals really are bears, but they are very different from other bears. 2 Perfect Paws Unlike other bears, pandas have special paws to help them eat bamboo. The paws look like they have six fingers. What looks like an extra finger is really a wrist bone. This bone bends and moves like a thumb to help pandas hold bamboo and strip off the leaves. 3 Munch a Bunch Giant pandas live high in the mountains of China in damp, misty bamboo forests. When they are about a year old, pandas begin eating solid food. Bamboo makes up about 99 percent of their diet. Every day, pandas spend 10 to 16 hours eating bamboo leaves, stems, and shoots. They can eat from 22 to 80 pounds of bamboo a day the weight of a small child! Pandas eat over 15 kinds of bamboo. They will also eat other plants, flowers, bugs, and some meat. When pandas are not eating, they are rather inactive, usually resting and hiding in the thick plants of the forest. GO ON Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 6
4 No Rest! Pandas do not sleep through the winter, or hibernate, like other bears. Most bears store up fat so that they can sleep the winter away. But it is hard for pandas to get enough fat from eating bamboo. When winter comes, giant pandas move slowly down to lower forests. 5 What's the Hurry? These bears do not walk on just their back legs or gallop like other bears. Sometimes, pandas may trot if they are in a hurry, but they are not in a hurry very often! For the most part, they live on the ground, but they can climb trees in times of danger. Pandas are also known to take shelter in hollow trees and caves. 6 Familiar Fur Giant pandas are well-known for their white fur that has black patches covering their chests, legs, feet, ears, and eyes. Their thick fur helps them stay warm during the cold winter. The fur feels oily because of a special coating that helps the pandas stay dry in the cool, damp forests. It is believed that the black and white coloring helps them blend into their surroundings. 7 Few and Far Between Sadly, giant pandas are endangered animals. This means they are in danger of not being around much longer. They were once found all throughout southern and eastern China and in neighboring countries. Today, however, GO ON Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 7
there are fewer than 1,000 of these beautiful bears living in the forests of China. Giant pandas are now on a list to protect them from harm. 8 The more we know about giant pandas, the more we will be able to make sure these bears will always wander through the misty mountains. Not only are giant pandas one of the world's favorite bears, but they might just be the most loved of all animals. Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 8
Lesson Overview for Fiction Text: 1. Teacher selects a short piece of text and provides multiple copies for students to refer to. 2. Teacher models processing the text to determine whether fiction or nonfiction. Teacher then reads the text through one time. pausing at predetermined stop points to ask questions such as, What do we know so far?, Now what do we know?, etc. 3. Teacher then models on the overhead or on chart paper how to use the graphic organizer below: Who or What: (is this selection about) What is important about: 4. Teacher then composes a main idea statement using the above information. Remember to remind students that when we locate the main idea of a piece of fiction, we are focusing on just a portion of the text like we have done with nonfiction text. 5. Teacher posts the main idea statement so that students can refer to it later if needed. 6. Provide students with an additional piece of text and allow them to follow the same procedure modeled in pairs. 7. Reconvene group and discuss the main idea statements that students have written. 8. Teacher provides feedback and checks for understanding to determine if additional small group instruction is warranted. Note: Students are encouraged to practice this skill often during independent reading. Students can write their statements on sticky notes following their reading or in their reading journals. Austin Independent School District Main Idea ORS Module January 8, 2010 9
Main Idea Stems Paragraph is mostly about This article is mainly/mostly about What is the main idea of section? Strategy Who or What (Is this selection about): What is important about: Austin Independent School District Strategy ORS Module January 8, 2010 10
TAKS Idea Principal De qué trata principalmente el párrafo 18? Este artículo trata principalmente de Los párrafos 13, 14, 15 y 16 tratan principalmente Estrategias Quién? o Qué?: Qué es importante sobre: Austin Independent School District Estrategias ORS Module January 8, 2010 11
Main Idea/Details Question Stems for the ELAR TEKS/SEs (Kilgo) 3.13(A) Identify the details or facts that support the main idea. What is _? What does _? Where is _? This article is mostly about Which detail listed below is important to the main idea? 4.11(A) Summarize the main idea and supporting details in text in ways that maintain meaning. This article is mostly about What are the four most important facts in this information? (Sorting important facts leads to an accurate summary.) Which of these is the most complete summary of this information? 5.11(A) Summarize the main idea and supporting details in text in ways that maintain meaning and logical order. This article is mostly about What is the main idea of this information? What are the four most important facts in this information? Which of these is the most complete summary with the accurate order of the information in the article? Austin Independent School District Estrategias ORS Module January 8, 2010 12
Questions that Evoke Conversation Main Idea What is the author s main message? What is the author trying to tell us in this paragraph? What is the author mostly talking about in this passage/paragraph? Which details does the author include to support his/her main message? Preguntas para promover la conversación Idea principal Cuál es el mensaje principal del autor? Qué trata de decirnos el autor en este párrafo? De qué habla principalmente el autor en este pasaje/ párrafo? Qué detalles incluye el autor para apoyar su mensaje principal? Austin Independent School District Estrategias ORS Module January 8, 2010 13
Main Idea Who: Did What: Why: Supporting Details Detail #1 Detail #2 Austin Independent School District Supporting Details ORS Module January 8, 2010 14
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Examples of Main Idea/Details Questions on TAKS 1. Paragraph 11 is mainly about what happens when Lucy tries to catch the chickens why the chickens don t understand Lucy why Lucy needs to save the chickens how far chickens can fly 2. Muir did not want Stickeen to follow him because he A B C D didn t like the little dog knew it would be a difficult hike wanted to camp on the glacier all night didn t want to share his bread 3. Paragraphs 2 through 4 are mainly about A B C D the tasks given to the brothers because of their talents the steps in making a sculpture the respect the brothers show their father the marble the sculptor wants his sons to use Austin Independent School District Supporting Details ORS Module January 8, 2010 17
Examples of Main Idea Questions on TAKS (Spanish) 1. El párrafo 12 trata principalmente de lo que pasa cuando Lucy trata de agarrar las gallinas por qué las gallinas no entienden qué quiere Lucy por qué Lucy necesita proteger a las gallinas qué tan lejos pueden volar las gallinas 2. Muir no quería que Stickeen lo siguiera porque A B C D no le gustaba el perrito sabía que sería una caminata difícil quería acampar en el glaciar toda la noche no quería compartir su pan 3. De qué trata principalmente esta lectura? A B C D De la vida de McJunkin en Texas y Nuevo México Del interés de Carl Schwachheim en McJunkin Del descubrimiento de McJunkin y cómo éste ayudó a entender mejor el pasado Del trabajo que hacía McJunkin en los ranchos donde trabajaba Austin Independent School District El párrafo 12 trata principalmente de ORS Module January 8, 2010 18