Melissa Callahan

Bret Harte Elementary

Second Grade
10:40-11:10, about 30 minutes
Reading: Identifying the Main Idea/Supporting Details

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the
focus of specific paragraphs within the text.

Learning Goal/Objective:
Students will be able to identify the main idea and supporting details of a text.

Materials:
Main Idea Paper
Pencil

Procedure:
1. *Read learning goal and standard*
2. Over the past few weeks we have been figuring out the different ways to find what the
main idea and supporting details are of a passage. Monday and yesterday, we went over
some slides to get more familiar with identifying the main idea. We learned that there is a
difference between main idea and topic. What is the difference?
3. *call on student to answer*
4. How many supporting details should we have?
5. *call on student to answer*
6. Today we are going to practice finding the main idea and supporting details in an article.
I'm going to give you a nonfiction text and I want you to read it two times, underline the
main idea and supporting details and then I want you to answer the questions on the side.
7. *Pass out papers*
8. Who can repeat my directions?
9. *call on students to ensure they are following along*
10. I would like to go over the answers with you when you are finished. If you get finished
what do you think you should do?
11. *call student to answer*
12. You should get a book and read.
13. You may begin.
14. *circulate the room*
 15. If students aren't finished by the time that reading is over, have them put their papers in
their desk folder to continue working on for Thursday.

Assessment/Classroom Management/ Transitions:

I plan on managing the class by using my class,class signal. They will be working
independently so I believe that students will be more focused. As I am walking around when
students are working, they will be less tempted to talk or become disruptive. I will assess
students informally as I walk around and look at what they will be underlining and how they will
answer the questions. Lastly, transitions into different areas of the room will be determined by
calling on students one table at a time to put books and papers away.
Melissa Callahan
EDU465
April 5, 2017
Reflection 5

Today during my lesson, I talked with students about the main idea and supporting
details. I was pleasantly surprised when I told students that sometimes main idea and supporting
details were sometimes referred to as a table and asked if they could tell me why. One of the
students I called on said that the main idea is similar to the table top and that the supporting
details were like the legs that supported the table. The students have been working on identifying
the main idea and supporting details, underlining them in the text, followed by the students
having to label what is the main idea by writing, MI, next to the sentence that has the main idea
and writing, D, next to the three supporting details. This lesson began by calling a student to read
the learning goal and standard. The students were at their seats for the duration of this activity.
When they were finished, they were allowed to get a book to read or work on some unfinished
classwork.
The learning goal, or objective, that I had for my students was that they would be able to
identify the main idea and supporting details of any given text. The text they were given was on
the topic of plant life cycles as I believe it is important to include that cross curricular piece as
often as possible. All of the students were capable of identifying the main idea and supporting
details and most of them finished before the period was over. I believe that overall, my learning
goal and objective was met by my students.
During my lesson, I believe there were a few things that went well. First, I realize that not
everyone learns the same. One of my students has difficulty reading and writing and another
student I have is an ELL student. When I realized that some of the words might be difficult for
them to read, I pulled them to my back table and worked with the two of them together so that
we could read the article and make sure we understood what it was asking. I modified for these
two students by giving them highlighters to highlight the main idea and supporting details. These
two students have an easier time comprehending information auditorily than if they were to be
writing and working on their own. One they identified the main idea and supporting details, I
gave them a new colored highlighter and allowed them to find the answers to the questions in the
text by underlining the answer and drawing a line to the question number. They worked very
well with this modification and I think that they got more out of the lesson than they would have
had I just allowed them to stay in their own seats and work alone. I believe I am getting better at
setting the expectations I have for my students as well. Before we started this independent
practice, I told students that I expect them to read the passage at least two times, that they would
underline the main idea and supporting details and that they would write the answers to the
questions in complete sentences. I asked the students to repeat my directions to me so I could
ensure that they were paying attention. Lastly, I think that I did well monitoring the room for
raised hands or misbehavior. By monitoring the students well, both at my table and not, I could
ensure that the students at my table were learning and that the students who worked more
independently could have their questions answered or behaviors addressed to prevent disruptions
during the time that the students were supposed to be working.
While I believe that my lesson went well, I think if I could do it again, I would change a
few things. The first thing that I would change would be that I would do a better job explaining
the questions to the students and telling them that the answers were in the article. I gave them the
paper and assumed that because we had done a similar activity before that they were capable of
figuring it out themselves. Numerous students had difficulty with the higher level thinking
questions that were posed to them in the last two questions and I believe that by going over them
before we started that they would have had more understanding of what the questions were
asking. I believe that for the students to get more from this article, I should have stopped a little
earlier and started discussing what they read about. I believe having this discussion would have
enhanced the comprehension of this article. I realized last minute that we were out of time and I
needed the students to put their reading materials away so that we could move on to the next
subject. I think the abrupt stop and quick start of another subject was not the best choice and I
would go back and do it differently if I had the opportunity.
I believe that the students were engaged in this practice. When I passed out the papers
and told them that they would be reading about the plant life cycle, they seemed to be interested
in it. I told the students that they could begin and most of them quickly got to work reading the
article two times. For the students who understood the last two questions, their answers were
thoughtful and genuine. All students worked as hard as possible to get their assignment
completed and there wasnt misbehavior that I noticed that would show that the students were
not paying attention.
I believe that this lesson will continue to allow me to grow as an educator. The more that
I reflect on what I have done during lessons, the more I can change the way I run them or the
smaller aspects I can do during a lesson to make it better than the lesson before. I am still
working on asking my students higher level thinking questions to bring out deeper, more
insightful thinking. I will continue to model and work on my patience with the students. I believe
that each day that I am teaching, that I am becoming a better educator for my students.