Finding the Main Idea in Nonfiction Texts | Secondary ELA

Even though I teach older students, they still struggle with "building block skills" such as finding the main idea in an article. I like to use this minilesson as an introduction to informational text or as a simple way to remediate finding the central idea. I've included an engaging activity for finding the main idea where students actually get to use song lyrics! These activities have helped my students break down the process and feel more confident as they not only find the main idea, but also support it and explain it. 

When you purchase this product, you'll receive:

- Main Idea/Central Idea presentation for note-taking

- 2 examples of songs for students to utilize in finding the main idea

- a graphic organizer for locating, tracing, and supporting the main idea

- 2 original articles for students to use in finding the main idea (Instagram Influencers and Blaming Violent Video Games for Violent Acts)

- Multiple Choice activity for one article

- Writing prompt for one article

- Detailed answer guides

- Instructions and Suggestions