1. Summarizing Main Idea
and Inferring

2. Objective
Students will read a passage and identify the main idea and supporting details.
Students will also be able to identify “distracters” or sentences that don’t belong.

3. Shel Silverstein’s “Sick”

4. Memorial Day is a holiday that began as a day for remembering the soldiers and sailors of the Civil War. Today we honor all soldiers who died in wars. There are parades and special ceremonies on Memorial Day. It is the only federal holiday in May.

5. The Main Idea is:
Memorial Day is like any other day.
Memorial Day honors all soldiers who died.
There are several federal holidays in May.

6. About 75 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth
About 75 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. The dinosaur is in the reptile family. No scientist ever saw a dinosaur. We know about dinosaurs through fossils. Dinosaurs were probably small to begin with, but they grew larger and larger over many millions of years.

7. The Main Idea is:
Dinosaurs were alive millions of years ago.
Seeing a dinosaur was scary for the scientists.
Dinosaurs were nasty animals.

8. Small Group Practice Divide students into groups of 3.
Give students a stack of Main Idea cards.
Read the passages and answer the questions.
Record your answers on the answer sheet.
Turn it into the reading bin.
When finished, grab independent practice worksheet on the front table.