Description

Students will be focused on finding the main idea and supporting details of non-fiction articles all while investigating the disaster in Haiti to deepen their knowledge of the topic. *This lesson is the 3rd lesson out of an 8 lesson unit on non-fiction and Haiti. Where this one lesson, could be taught in isolation, it is highly suggested that it be completed within the entire unit in order for students to grasp the full content.

Content

Learning Targets and Criteria for Success

I will determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details.

I will continue to build background knowledge about the hardships that the people of Haiti endured.

Supplies/Resources

anchor chart, Disaster in Haiti- scholastic news article for small groups, http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3753355

students reading notebooks, paragraph on Galapogos Island to use as a model in mini lesson

Learning Tasks and Practice

Mini Lesson:

The teacher will begin the class period with a mini lesson to the whole group. The teaher will I will begin by asking students to recall what the main idea of a text is. He/She will allow for students to share some responses and record those on chart paper under the title "Main Idea". The teacher will then give her instruction on main idea by saying,

"When authors are trying to teach you something new, it’s common that they will have big topics/ideas and then give you more information by giving you details that fit with those big topics/ideas. Many times the main idea comes first followed by the details and other times you have to read all the details before coming to the main idea in the conclusion of the text. Sometimes the main idea is stuck in the middle of all the details. As you read it helps your understanding if you can organize the information, figuring out which of the sentences are “bullets”- or supporting details and which of the sentences are “boxes”- or the main idea of the texts."

 The teacher will then model the boxes and bullets method by reading a short text on South America (Galapagos Island) that is displayed on chart paper. The teacher will read the short article aloud for the class. Below the article will be a box that the teacher will write in the main ideas of the text followed by three bullets that will list supporting details. Once the teacher has modled this method, he/she will remind their students that they will be practicing this in their small reading groups today. 

Since this is the start of a new unit with small reading groups being pulled, the other students in the class will need to complete different rotations when it is not their time to be with the teahcer. Students will have computer time to work in the program iReady on reading skills and vocabulary on their level, they will also have Independent Reading (IR) time as well as a Word Work rotation where they will need to complete their vocabulary practice. Students will also be completing a Problem Based Learning (PBL) project during this unit. It is described in extended learning opportunities.
 

*It is important to note that these rotations are personal to my school and classroom. This may look different for different schools who implement different components of reading workshop or daily five.*

Small Group:

The teacher will meet with the different small reading groups to read the article, Disaster in Haiti and work together to fill in boxes and bullets in their reading notebooks. The teacher will explain to students that sometimes articles have more than one main idea depending on the topics that it covers. The article that they will read together will have different sub-topics which will require more than one main idea and supoorting details. As a group, the students and teacher will take turns reading the article, stopping after each sub-topic to discuss what is going on and also to work on completing a boxes and bullets in their reading notebooks. The teacher will guide the students at first and lead them to write the last main idea and supporting deails on their own.

The second part of their reading group will be to start a mini poster for the group. This poster will be kept with the group during this unit to record concers, issues, and problems that the students learn about Haiti. It will be used at the end of the unit to help them complete their take action project.

In my block A small group we will read the article Disaster in Haiti and work together to fill in boxes and bullets in their reading notebooks. I will also introduce our groups Haiti Poster, where we will be adding information we learn about and issues/problems that are affecting the island.

Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Learning

The teacher will be able to use the student's reading notebooks to collect evidence of learning on main idea using boxes and bullets.

The teacher will be able to use the final product in the PBL (problem based learning) activity as documentation of learning.

Extended Learning Opportunities

PBL (PROBLEM BASED LEARNING): During my reading classes, students complete Problem Based Learning activities/projects. They will be starting a new PBL on Boosting Tourism in Haiti. Please see the attached PowerPoint. It contains all instructions that are needed to present to the students and for the students to complete.
 

*Kate Quigley authored/created these materials, December 2016.