Central Idea and Summary Lesson: Main Idea and Supporting Details
Help students identify the central idea, distinguish supporting details, and summarize informational text with this hands-on reading comprehension lesson. Two original nonfiction passages about glowing mushrooms give students an engaging way to practice finding the main idea and writing a concise summary.
The lightly scripted Teacher’s Guide walks you through a colorful approach to teaching three types of information: important information, supporting details, and nice-to-know information. Students use colored pencils or highlighters to distinguish these details, determine the central idea, and select the information needed for a summary.
Students will practice:
Identifying the central idea or main idea of a paragraph
Distinguishing important information from supporting and nice-to-know details
Selecting key information to include in a summary
Using graphic organizers to organize their thinking
Writing a concise summary of an informational passage
Use this lesson in English language arts or science to build nonfiction reading comprehension and summarizing skills.
What’s Included:
Teacher’s Guide with lightly scripted instruction
Two original one-page informational passages about glowing mushrooms
Central Idea and Summary graphic organizers
Types of Details anchor chart
Answer keys
Highlighted versions of the passages showing the three types of information
Extension activities
Teaching Tips: “What Students Wish Their Teachers Knew About Teaching”
Terms of Use
Preparation and Materials:
The Teacher’s Guide is formatted for double-sided color printing or viewing on screen. Student activities are designed for handwritten responses and highlighting on printed copies. Students will need pencils and colored pencils or highlighters.
