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PlayOwl

English · Grade 3

Informational Main Ideas and Details

Using an original article, How Beavers Change Their World, children find the main idea of the whole text and of each paragraph, pick out the key details that support it, describe how events and ideas are connected (time order, sequence and cause and effect), notice how sentences and paragraphs link logically, and write a short summary. A new article about recycling paper checks transfer.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 95 minutes
  • Main ideas check: 8 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, put in order and write a short answer
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Determine the main idea of an informational text and of its paragraphs, and identify the key details that support it.
  • Describe how events, ideas or steps are related using time, sequence and cause-and-effect language.
  • Describe the logical connections between sentences and paragraphs (comparison, cause and effect, first/second/third).
  • Summarise an informational text in a few sentences: the main idea and the most important details, in your own words.

Lessons

  1. Topic, main idea and details 5 steps3 practiceabout 24 min
  2. Sequence and cause and effect 4 steps2 practiceabout 24 min
  3. Connections between parts 4 steps2 practiceabout 22 min
  4. Summarise 4 steps2 practiceabout 25 min
  5. Main ideas check 8 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Memory LanternsFlip glowing lanterns to find pairs that belong together.
  • Word WorkshopBuild the word for each picture, one sound at a time.
  • Sentence TheatreYour words direct the show: change a word and the stage changes too.

More 3rd grade reading

Guides for grown-ups