Friday, September 11 - How to Analyze and Find Main Idea

Objective: By the end of class, students will learn how to analyze and find main idea in different genres in order to improve reading comprehension skills.

DO NOW

Take out soft holt reader and complete the "MAIN IDEA" and supporting details on page 49 (NOT page 48). While you are doing this I will check to see if you completed sidebars for homework.

Direct Instruction

Review sidebars and answers to DO NOW.

SHORT QUIZ ON FINDING MAIN IDEA. 6 multiple choice questions - 5 points each (total of 30 points).

When finished, write the following definition and steps in your notebooks:

TO ANALYZE - to break down information, pick it apart and determine why the parts are important to the whole.

Steps to ANALYZE and write a Constructed Response:

1. Restate the prompt/question to create opening sentence.
2. Discuss / explain in your own words.
3. Provide detailed evidence (A QUOTE!!) to support your idea.
4. Conclude by restating to ensure that you have correctly answered the prompt / question. and add any final thought or explanation.

Direct / Guided Instruction - we will review the following examples together before you try to do it on your own.

PROMPT / EXAMPLE #1:
Analyze how Jane Goodall's observations of chimpanzees resulted in National Geographic agreeing to further fund her research.

1. Jane Goodall's observations of chimpanzees resulted in National Geographic agreeing to further fund her research. 

2. Goodall observed chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve in Tanzania and discovered that they ate meat and could actually make tools!  

3. Goodall observed "the female pick up a piece of the pink flesh and put it in her mouth:" She also saw one another chimp eating termites and using a grass stem. "It as obvious that he was actually using the grass stem as a tool."

4. These observations were new and very exciting. Maybe there was more to learn about these intelligent animals. Jane Goodall's observations resulted in National Geographic providing funds so that Goodall could continue her work to find out more.


PROMPT / EXAMPLE # 2

ANALYZE the uncle's positive attitude in "My First Baseball Game" and explain its effect on the narrator and Felicia.

1. The uncle in "My First Baseball Game" has a positive attitude that affects the narrator an Felicia.  

2. Even though the cubs lost 7-0, he was very positive and hopeful that the next game they would win. 

3. The uncle said, "..every game we hope, and we don't abandon hope, that's loyalty. It's about supporting your team no matter what." 

4. His positive attitude about the losing baseball team makes the kids realize how important being loyal and sticking together is no matter what.

Now you try on your own: Write on the back of the graphic organizer you just used.

Analyze how, according to Felicia's comments,  the baseball team is very much like a big family.

Closure

Review all Keystone terminology introduced to date and review how to find main idea. Emphasize difference between analyzing and summarizing.

Exit Pass