I use a hands-on noodle metaphor to help the kids remember the entire process of determining importance while reading... since we have already learned about figurative language, this worked out well for discussion of what the noodles, water, combination, and strainer represent while we read.
Another way to help determine the main idea is to look at the evidence that the author is giving us. We have been working a lot on how readers need to justify their responses and the details they deem as important. I shared that it isn't some sort of guessing game between the author and reader. It is more of a treasure hunt to pick up the clues/support that the author "drops" for us as to what the Main Idea is.
We recognized that the most important details always support the main idea and that when these match, we are able to clearly understand the text.
We recognized that the most important details always support the main idea and that when these match, we are able to clearly understand the text.
I shared with the kids Dolly Parton's beautiful bio-song "Coat of Many Colors". We talked about how we can often find out the topic/main idea from the Title. We inferred that the topic was probably going to be A Coat. We also inferred that the Main Idea would have something to do with a coat, but would go much deeper.
Then, I gave them the mission of hunting for the evidence that our author, Dolly, left for us throughout the song that helps us find the Main Idea.
We listened to the song through once just reading the lyrics so we were familiar with the song. The second time, I challenged them to underline/circle the lines, stanzas, or phrases that they felt were IMPORTANT (noodles) to understanding the Main Idea.
Then, I gave them the mission of hunting for the evidence that our author, Dolly, left for us throughout the song that helps us find the Main Idea.
We listened to the song through once just reading the lyrics so we were familiar with the song. The second time, I challenged them to underline/circle the lines, stanzas, or phrases that they felt were IMPORTANT (noodles) to understanding the Main Idea.
They did SUCH an amazing job of being able to pick out what the main idea was based off of their text evidence. We agreed that, while to topic was A coat that her mother made her, the main idea was that Money does not buy happiness and that you don't have to have money to rich in life (especially those things that money just can't buy - love, family, comfort, security, etc.)
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I also shared different evidence sentence stems to help guide them in their response to the text.
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I also shared different evidence sentence stems to help guide them in their response to the text.
We talked about how it is very difficult to express your opinion and point of view about ANYTHING really without providing valid evidence to back it up. I think it is important to always remind students of those things that apply to things outside of the subject (this applies to math, science, social studies, etc) AND out side of the classroom (including conversations with others, proving a point, standing up for yourself or someone else, sharing an opinion, offering a suggestion, etc.)
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In writing, we are revising and editing our narrative stories. Using all of the information we have created including better hooks, good conclusions, dialogue paragraphs, figurative language description, setting paragraphs, etc. from our packets, we are performing "STORY SURGERY" and rearranging, drawing arrows, ear muffing our own or our peers, placing starts, circling, editing with pens, cutting and pasting to make our stories AWESOME! Some of us have moved on to peer editing while some have even begun the process of publishing their narrative in a unique way.
In writing, we are revising and editing our narrative stories. Using all of the information we have created including better hooks, good conclusions, dialogue paragraphs, figurative language description, setting paragraphs, etc. from our packets, we are performing "STORY SURGERY" and rearranging, drawing arrows, ear muffing our own or our peers, placing starts, circling, editing with pens, cutting and pasting to make our stories AWESOME! Some of us have moved on to peer editing while some have even begun the process of publishing their narrative in a unique way.