Finding the main idea and the details that support it

By the end of the lesson, students can state the main idea of a short expository paragraph in their own words and identify at least two details from the paragraph that support it.

Before this lesson: Students can read a five-sentence paragraph aloud and can tell the difference between a topic (what it is about) and a sentence that tells us something about the topic.

• One printed paragraph and question sheet per student
• Three short paragraphs on manila paper for group work
• Chalkboard divided into 'main idea' and 'details' columns

40 minutes · printed activities

Model — Jeepneys The jeepney has been part of Manila streets since the years after the war. Drivers paint each one with bright colors and hang small decorations inside. Jeepneys carry passengers along familiar neighborhood routes. For many commuters, the jeepney is an important and familiar part of everyday life. Guided practice — The school garden Our school garden gives the class opportunities to learn and work together. On Mondays, one group waters the pechay while another checks the soil. On Thursdays, classmates measure the growing plants and record the height in centimeters. At harvest time, each group explains what helped its plants grow. Detail that does not belong — The garden Our school garden helps us learn how plants grow. We compare plants that receive different amounts of water. My cousin owns a red bicycle. We record leaf growth every Friday. Independent practice A — The barangay clean-up The barangay clean-up brought neighbors together to make the streets safer. On Saturday, 24 volunteers swept three streets and cleared leaves from the footpaths. Adults placed the collected waste in labeled sacks. Children stayed in the covered court and sorted clean, reusable materials with a supervising teacher. The volunteers agreed to meet again the following Saturday. Independent practice B — Mang Isko’s store Before school, Mang Isko opens his small store so families can buy bread and drinking water. He keeps pencils and notebooks for children who need supplies. When a neighbor runs out of salt while cooking, a small packet is available nearby. Mang Isko’s store is small, but it helps the neighborhood meet everyday needs. Exit paragraph Keeping a reading notebook helps a learner remember and discuss a story. After reading, the learner writes a two-sentence summary. One page records a new word and its meaning. Another page holds a question to ask a classmate. These short notes make the next discussion easier to prepare for. Group paragraph A — Caring for library books Careful habits keep library books useful for more readers. Clean, dry hands protect the pages. A paper bookmark marks a place without folding a corner. Returning a borrowed book on time lets another reader use it. Group paragraph B — Washing hands Washing hands properly helps remove dirt before eating. Wet both hands and use soap. Rub the palms, backs of the hands, and spaces between fingers. Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean towel. Group paragraph C — Collecting rainwater Our class collects rainwater for a few garden tasks. The teacher places a covered collection container beside the garden. A class group uses the water for plants. The stored rainwater is not used for drinking. Collecting it gives the class another source of water for the garden.

Write the words 'the whole paragraph is about' on the board and leave them there for the whole lesson. Read the model paragraph aloud while students follow with a finger, then read it a second time and ask only: what is every sentence in this paragraph helping us understand? Take three answers and write them without judging yet. Now show the umbrella drawing: the main idea is the umbrella and each supporting detail is a line going down from it. Test the umbrella: does this detail hold up the main idea, or is it a separate idea the writer dropped in. Show a detail that does not belong, and cross it out together. Then make the difference between the topic and the main idea concrete: the topic of our paragraph is 'the jeepney', but that is not the main idea, because a topic is one or two words and a main idea is a full sentence that tells us what about jeepneys. Give the class one paragraph where the main idea is stated first and one where it is stated last, and ask whether the main idea is always the first sentence. It is often, but not always, and students must be able to find it in either place.

1. 1Use the exact Jeepneys model paragraph above. Main idea: jeepneys are an important and familiar part of daily life. Supporting details include their long presence on Manila streets, their distinctive decorations, and the familiar neighborhood routes they serve. “The jeepney” alone names only the topic.
2. 2Use Independent practice B about Mang Isko below. Read all four sentences, then identify the final sentence as the stated main idea.
3. 3Use the school-garden paragraph below. Compare “One group waters the pechay” with “The garden provides opportunities to learn and work together.” The second covers every supporting detail; the first names one detail.

1. 1Together, read a four-sentence paragraph about the school garden and underline the sentence that names its main idea.
2. 2Together, write a main idea for a paragraph about the school garden in your own words, starting with the words 'The paragraph tells us that'.
3. 3Together, find one detail that does not support the main idea in a paragraph the teacher has deliberately spoiled, and explain why it does not belong.

1. 1Read the paragraph about the barangay clean-up. Write its main idea in one sentence of your own.
2. 2List two details from that paragraph that support the main idea.
3. 3Read the paragraph about Mang Isko's sari-sari store. Does it state the main idea in the first sentence, the last sentence, or not at all?
4. 4Write a main idea sentence for that paragraph.
5. 5Add one more supporting detail of your own that would fit the paragraph about the sari-sari store.

• Exit slip: use only the Exit paragraph above, which has not been used in the group activity. Write the main idea in your own words and one supporting detail.
• Show two sentences and ask which one is a topic and which one is a main idea.
• Ask one student to explain why a detail that is interesting can still be a detail that does not belong.

• Offering the topic as the main idea, e.g. 'The paragraph is about jeepneys.'

  What to do: Point to the sentence on the board: a main idea tells us what about jeepneys. Ask the student to finish the sentence 'Jeepneys are important because ___' and use their answer as the start of a main idea.

• Choosing the longest or most interesting sentence as the main idea.

  What to do: Use the umbrella test: read the chosen sentence, then ask whether the other sentences are explaining it or whether it is just one of the things hanging under it.

• Copying a whole sentence from the paragraph instead of putting the idea in their own words.

  What to do: Ask for the same idea with the sentence covered. If the student can say it aloud, have them write what they just said.