Getting the main idea is a concept that is easily integrated into newspaper use.
When teaching the skill of "getting the main idea," it's best to begin with a K-W-L activity:
Determine which story you will use to teach this lesson. Ask students what they know about the topic.
- Then ask what they want to know about the topic.
- After reading the story, ask what they learned about the topic.
- Another terrific lesson that teaches students how to extract main idea is to have them write headlines for comic strips:
- Allow 5-10 minutes for students to read the strips.
- Ask students to write a headline for one of the strips they read.
- Without telling which strip they chose, allow them to read their headlines aloud.
- The other students should guess what strip the headline matches.
- This lesson meets the following standards: getting the main idea, following directions, summarizing, writing with a purpose, listening, and reasoning.
 Try This...3.3.1 3.3a TRY THIS: Click here to view an activity sheet that helps students learn how to take notes. |