Focus (1–2 min.)

Link to Previous Learning

Display the cover of Baby Animals: Three Personal Narratives.

Readers, in our last mini-lesson, we talked about clues we can use to figure out that a text is a personal narrative. A personal narrative is a text that tells about events that really happened in the writer’s life.

State the Mini-Lesson Focus and Purpose

Today we are going to practice finding the central idea, or main topic, of some personal narratives. We’ll also look for supporting evidence, or details that tell us more about the central idea (main topic). Finding the central idea (main topic) and supporting evidence helps us understand the most important information in a text. It can also make it easier to share information with others quickly and clearly. For example, if someone asks you about a book, you don’t have to retell everything you read—just the central idea (main topic) and supporting evidence.

Model (5–6 min.)

Model Recognizing Central Idea (Main Topic) and Supporting Evidence

Display pages 2–3 and discuss that the chapter title can be a clue about the central idea (main topic). Pose a question and model answering it.

What is the central idea (main topic) of this chapter?

To find the central idea, I ask myself, “What is this text mostly about?” I see the chapter title is “Sadie Had Puppies!” I think the central idea (main topic) is probably about Sadie or her puppies. Let’s read on and see if I can find evidence to support my idea.

Display and read aloud pages 4–7.

The text says that the puppies looked like Sadie, but smaller. It tells other details about what happened to the puppies after they were born. Their eyes were closed, and later they opened. Sadie fed them milk at first, and later Grace and her sister fed them. The puppies stayed with their mother until they were ready to play with the girls. I think the central idea (main topic) is that Sadies’ puppies changed as they grew.

Revisit the Anchor Chart

Refer to the Central Idea (Main Topic) and Supporting Evidence Anchor Chart from Mini-Lesson 4 of this unit. Invite students to describe the concepts of central idea (main topic) and supporting evidence in their own words.

Restate the Focus and Purpose

I just showed you how I look for a central idea (main topic) and supporting evidence to help me understand the most important ideas in a text. Now, you and a thinking partner will practice finding the central idea (main topic) and key details of another personal narrative.

Guide Practice (2–3 min.)

Display and read aloud pages 8–13.

Listen carefully as I read. Then work with your thinking partner to answer this question: What is the central idea (main topic) of this chapter, and what pieces of evidence can I find that support the central idea?

Turn, Talk, and Listen

Monitor and observe readers as they work to find the central idea (main topic) and supporting evidence. (See the Look Fors below.)

Check in with readers who seem confused about the task, and refer to the Central Idea (Main Topic) and Supporting Evidence Anchor Chart to support them. As needed, provide language stems to support English Learners.

Sample Answers

Bridge to Transfer (1 min.)

Whole-Group to Small-Group and Independent Reading

Transfer the lesson focus.

We spent some time today looking for the central idea (main topic) of a text, along with supporting evidence. Now I want you to try to identify the central idea (main topic) of the text that you are reading today. When you come to a piece of evidence that tells about the central idea, place a self-stick note near it. Be prepared to share the evidence with your thinking partner and explain how it supports the central idea (main topic).