Strategy Lesson on Determining Important Ideas Using Text Features

Nancy García

Observation Lesson #2

Small group within Reading Workshop

1/23/14

Strategy Lesson On Determining Important Ideas Using Text Features

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

Materials: Los conejos, strategy cards with question starters and summarizing frames

Students: Odeth (N), Keyla (N), Richard (N), Febe (O), Pilar (O) and Jamie (O)

Connection (to previous learning): The teacher will use a small group format to support students at instructional reading levels N and O to determine important ideas using text features. The teacher will point out to students that they have been learning that nonfiction books give us information. We can determine the important ideas by using the text features such as title, table of contents, information pages, diagrams, glossary, etc.

Teaching Point (teach strategy): The teacher will reintroduce the book, Los Conejos by Patricia Almada. The teacher will review that the text is nonfiction that offers an overview of rabbits. The teacher will model how she uses the table of contents to preview the most important ideas of the book. She will use the sentence frames to prompt and support student responses.

Active Involvement (guided practice of strategy): The teacher will have students preview the first chapter and have students look at the text features. Using the text feature, they will share what information the author is sharing with them. After they

read the chapter, they will use the text feature and the text to share the most important ideas of the chapter.

Link (to independent practice of strategy): The teacher will tell students to continue through the book, encouraging them to use the text features to help them determine the most important ideas the author is sharing with them.

Independent: As the students read independently in the small group, the teacher will listen to each student read a page or two and ask them to show her how they use the text features and the text to determine the most important ideas in the book. The teacher will coach students as they share with her.

Share (validate, troubleshoot or review strategy) After listening to all students read, the teacher will validate their ideas, troubleshoot any misconceptions and review the strategies.