Best Practices in the Teaching of Writing - Brevard Public Schools

Main Ideas in Writing
Objective: Students will correctly identify the main
idea within a variety of stories.
Duration: 45 minutes
Anticipatory Set:
• Explain that you will be describing something and
students will need to listen carefully to figure out
what it is. Using the pizza example, describe a pizza
and call on students to tell you what the object is.
• Repeat the process using the dog example.
• Explain to students that in each example, there was
a main idea that connected the words. The first main
idea was a pizza, the second was a dog.
Modeling:
• Read aloud the book Weather by Bruce Buckly. Do not
show the title.
• Review the definition of main idea. (What all the
sentences are about)
• Have students repeat the definition.
• Have students tell the main idea of the book. (Weather)
• Model the thinking process of determining the main
idea for the book.
Guided Practice:
• Read aloud Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner. Do not show
the title.
• Have students tell the main idea of the book.
• Discuss how students determined the main idea.
Six Traits: Ideas
K-2
LA(grade level).1.7.3
Example:
Describe a pizza.
Say: I am
thinking of
something that
has a crust,
cheese, tomato
sauce, and
pepperoni.
Example:
Describe a dog.
Say: I am
thinking of
something that is
a mammal. It has
four legs and a
tail. It is furry
and it barks.
Independent Practice:
• Using simple picture books, have students determine the main idea of stories.
Adapted from Jill Lozano-www.flowing wells.2004
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