Common Core Standard Focus: Identifying the Central Idea

Common Core Standard Focus:

Identifying the Central Idea

Lesson Plan by Gail Sherman

Literacy Specialist

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Gail Sherman – Literacy Specialist 2014


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The student will identify the central idea in a piece of nonfiction text.

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p 1. As students enter the classroom, the teacher will give each student a copy of

the warm-up activity titled, Warm-up: Report This Story! (Student responses to the warm-up activity will vary.)

2. The teacher will review the student responses with the class as part of a whole-class activity.

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3. The teacher will review each of the words below with the students using the graphic organizer titled: Word Collection. (*A vocabulary quiz is included in this lesson plan: page 11.) 1. defector- a person who to deserts a cause, country, etc., especially in order to adopt another 2. smallpox- a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and marked by high fever and the formation

of scar-producing pustules 3. biological weapon- a device that delivers harmful biological agents 4. moral- relating to issues of right and wrong and to how individual people should behave 5. abhorrent- hateful; disgusting 6. seminal- influential; important 7. adversaries- an opponent in a conflict, contest, or debate 8. allies- a person, group, or state that is joined in an association with another or others for a common

purpose 9. contrived- manufactured; false; made-up 10. disaffected- discontented and disloyal, as toward the government or toward authority 11. stratagem- a military tactic or maneuver that is designed to deceive an enemy 12. immunity- a body’s ability to resist a disease; exemption or protection from something unpleasant- 13. inoculate- to inject or introduce a serum, antigen, or a weakened form of a disease-producing

pathogen into the body of a person or animal in order to create immunity to the disease 14. decimate- to kill off or remove a large proportion of a group of people, animals, or things

I Do…

4. The teacher will explain today’s goal to students: for example, the teacher might state, today you are going to learn how to identify the central idea of a piece of nonfiction text.

5. The teacher will model how to find the central idea in a passage: 1) Review the Anchor Chart with students (page 4 of the handouts). 2) Give each student a copy of the article titled: Bouquet’s Blankets. 3) Preview the text with the students by looking at the title, visuals,

and allowing students to make predictions about the passage. 4) Give each student a copy of the the graphic organizer titled:

Identifying the Central Idea. 5) Use the paragraphs 1 and 2 of the passage, Bouquet’s Blankets to

model how to identify the main idea.

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6. The teacher will allow students to work with a reading partner to read paragraph 3 of the passage, Bouquet’s Blankets and complete the next part of the Identifying the Central Idea graphic organizer.

You

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7. The teacher will allow students to work individually to read paragraph 4 of the passage, Bouquet’s Blankets and complete the final sections of the Identifying the Central Idea graphic organizer (assignment includes writing a summary of the passage).

Wra

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p 8. The teacher will review the student summaries of the passage as part of a

whole-class activity. 9. If time remains, the teacher will give each student a copy of the Exit Slip titled:

Exit Slip: What do you now know about this topic? to complete working independently.

Ext

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*As an extended activity for this lesson, the teacher may have students create a Mind Map related to the main events in the passage.

Mind Map Directions:

1. Take a blank piece of paper.

2. Use the paper in landscape orientation.

3. Start in the center.

4. Make a central image that represents the topic.

5. Use at least three colors.

6. Use single words or simple phrases in order to summarize key details and

information. Use symbols and images.

7. Use shapes, circles, and boundaries to connect information.

8. Use arrows to show cause and effect relationships.

9. The completed Mind Map should help explain the key details of the passage you read

through the use of pictures and words.

Mind Map Student Example:

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.

When you read an article, you must ask yourself…

What is it they really want me to learn or

know about this person, place, thing, or idea? After you've read an

article, you should be able to summarize it in one sentence. (This is called your

CENTRAL IDEA.) This sentence should include the gist of every idea from

each paragraph. A good way to do this is to imagine you have just 20 words to

tell someone what the passage was about. You'd have to think about the most

important details you have collected from each paragraph, and how these

details come together to help you understand the BIG PICTURE.

The central idea of an article is the main point

or points that the author is trying to tell the

reader about a topic.

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Warm-up: Report This Story!

Imagine that you are a reporter and you have been given the assignment to describe the above scene. Include as many of the important elements of a news story as you can (Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?).

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Word Formal Definition Synonym or Antonym for

this word:

Visual reminder of this word:

1) defector a person who to deserts a cause, country, etc., especially in order to adopt another

2) smallpox a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and marked by high fever and the formation of scar-producing pustules

3) biological weapon

a device that delivers harmful biological agents

4) moral relating to issues of right and wrong and to how individual people should behave

5) abhorrent hateful; disgusting

6) seminal Influential; important

7) adversaries an opponent in a conflict, contest, or debate

8) allies a person, group, or state that is joined in an association with another or others for a common purpose

9) contrived manufactured; false; made-up

10) disaffected discontented and disloyal, as toward the government or toward authority

11) stratagem a military tactic or maneuver that is designed to deceive an enemy

12) immunity a body's ability to resist a disease; exemption or protection from something unpleasant

13) inoculate to inject or introduce a serum, antigen, or a weakened form of a disease-producing pathogen into the body of a person or animal in order to create immunity to the disease

14) decimate to kill off or remove a large proportion of a group of people, animals, or things

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Bouquet's Blankets By Colette Flight

In 1992, a Soviet defector revealed to Western intelligence that he had overseen an extensive,

illegal program to develop smallpox into a highly effective biological weapon.

Britain and the United States were shocked by the revelations. Russia's intent to use biological

weapons, they claimed, was morally abhorrent. But a closer look at the history of biological

weapons shows that Britain and America both played seminal roles in turning lethal diseases

into weapons of war. In fact, Britain was probably the first nation to come up with the idea of

using smallpox to kill its adversaries.

Britain was probably the first nation to come up with the idea of using smallpox to kill its

adversaries.

In the 18th century, the British fought France and its Indian allies for possession of what was to

become Canada during the French and Indian Wars (1754-63). At the time of the Pontiac

rebellion in 1763, Sir Jeffrey Amherst, the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in North

America, wrote to Colonel Henry Bouquet: 'Could it not be contrived to send smallpox among

these disaffected tribes of Indians? We must use every stratagem in our power to reduce

them.' The colonel replied: 'I will try to inoculate the [Native American tribe] with some

blankets that may fall in their hands, and take care not to get the disease myself.' Smallpox

decimated the Native Americans, who had never been exposed to the disease before and had

no immunity.

It has been alleged that smallpox was also used as a weapon during the American Revolutionary

War (1775-83). During the winter of 1775-76, American forces were attempting to free Quebec

from British control. After capturing Montreal, it looked as if they might succeed. But in

December 1775, the British fort commander reportedly had civilians immunized against the

disease and then deliberately sent out to infect the American troops. A few weeks later a major

smallpox epidemic broke out in the American ranks, affecting about half of the 10,000 soldiers.

They retreated in chaos after burying their dead in mass graves.

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Name: __________________________________ Date: ___________________ Per. _______

Topic:

Details: (Who or what is the topic of this paragraph?)

(What about this who or what?)







Based on these details, the author wants me to know that (20 words or less)…

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Exit Slip: What do you now know about this topic?

Imagine that you are a reporter and you have been given the assignment to describe the above scene. Include as many of the important elements of a news story as you can (Who? What? When? Where? How? Why?).

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Vocabulary Quiz: Bouquet’s Blankets

Directions: Complete each sentence below by selecting the correct word from the word bank.

1. Steve and Kim became _________________________________ after discovering that if they

worked together they could both get the results they wanted.

2. Everyone on the team thought that he was a ____________________________ because he left

our team to go and play on theirs.

3. The scientists worried that the building project would _____________________________ the

fragile wetland wilderness.

4. Did she actually care about the book club book, or was it simply a

________________________________ way to get to come along on the monthly fieldtrips?

5. The yearly science project was a _______________________________ requirement for passing

the class; therefore I spent several months working to complete it.

6. Their _____________________________ was really just a clever trick intended to deceive us all.

7. The vaccination would aid almost everyone by helping them develop

________________________________ against the deadly disease.

8. I find it totally ___________________________ when I hear about the cruelty and neglect

inflicted on some animals.

9. Although they were normally __________________________________, they put their differences

aside and performed together at the fundraiser.

10. He set off to the western region of the land to help contain the thousands of

__________________________ tribes who had become displeased with their government.

11. It isn't violating any _______________________ code if you ask a person’s permission

before using their belongings.

12. Believe it or not, viruses such as smallpox were once used as ___________________ to

help countries destroy their enemies.

13. If you ________________________ someone, you try to make him immune to a disease by

injecting a little dose of it, so his body can make antibodies to fight it off.

14. ________________________ is a disease caused by a major virus.

defector smallpox biological weapons moral abhorrent seminal adversaries allies contrived disaffected stratagem immunity inoculate decimate

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Teacher Key: Identifying the Central Idea

Note: Student answers may vary, but should include these general ideas from the passage.

Topic: Bouquet’s Blankets

Details: (Who or what is the topic of this paragraph?) Soviet defector

(What about this who or what?) A Soviet defector revealed that he had overseen the development of a biological weapon, smallpox.

Details: (Who or what is the topic of this paragraph?) Britain and the United States

(What about this who or what?) They were shocked, but they themselves had used biological weapons against their enemies.

Details: (Who or what is the topic of this paragraph?) Sir Jeffrey Amherst and Colonel Henry Bouquet

(What about this who or what?) Planned to infect the disaffected Native American tribes with smallpox by using infected blankets.

Details: (Who or what is the topic of this paragraph?) American forces and British fort commander

(What about this who or what?) Deliberately infected American troops with smallpox in order to prevent the American forces from freeing Quebec from British Control.

Based on these details, the author wants me to know that (20 words or less)…

Britain and the U.S. were shocked by Russia’s plan to use biological weapons,

however, both did so in the past.

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Key -Vocabulary Quiz: Bouquet’s Blankets

1. Steve and Kim became allies after discovering that if they worked together they

could both get the results they wanted.

2. Everyone on the team thought that he was a defector because he left our team

to go and play on theirs.

3. The scientists worried that the building project would decimate the fragile

wetland wilderness.

4. Did she actually care about the book club book, or was it a contrived way to get

to come along on the monthly fieldtrips? 5. The yearly science project was a seminal requirement for passing the class;

therefore I spent several months working to complete it.

6. Their stratagem was really just a clever trick intended to deceive us all.

7. The vaccination would aid almost everyone by helping them develop immunity

against the deadly disease.

8. I find it totally abhorrent when I hear about the cruelty and neglect inflicted on

some animals.

9. Although they were normally adversaries, they put their differences aside and

performed together at the fundraiser.

10. He set off to the western region of the land to help contain the thousands of

disaffected tribes who had become displeased with their government.

11. It isn't violating any moral code if you ask a person’s permission before using their

belongings.

12. Believe it or not, viruses such as smallpox were once used as biological weapons to

help countries destroy their enemies.

13. If you inoculate someone, you try to make him immune to a disease by injecting a

little dose of it, so his body can make antibodies to fight it off.

14. Smallpox is a disease caused by a major virus.

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Common Core Standard Focus: Identifying the Central Idea