MID+RIT+Below+161


 * Skill: Determine Main Idea and Identify Details**


 * Title of Lesson: Choose a Title**


 * RIT Range: Below 161**

Examines informational text to identify a title representing the main idea
 * Objective:**


 * ISBE Standard:**

A non-fiction book in the EPB section of the school library. For this lesson, we have used //Birds// by Troll Laurence Santrey (EPB SAN).
 * Resources/Materials:**

//Teacher:// A picture or a story is about something. It has a subject. When we choose a book to read, we see its title on the cover. If I pick up this book, I see that the title is //Birds//. This tells me that this book will be about many different birds -- not just robins or blue jays, or hawks. The book may also be about many different things about birds -- where they, live, what they eat, how they build their nests.
 * Introduction:**

Now let's open the book and see what we find.

[Walk through the book and show that it includes a lot of information on birds.]

When we look at a paragraph inside a book, very often the main idea (or title) can be found in the very first sentence. Let's try reading a paragraph and creating a title for just that paragraph.
 * Lesson Activity:**

Read a paragraph from the book and model for students how you would determine a good title for this passage. The very first paragraph reads:


 * Birds are among the most interesting and beautiful creatures in our world. Some are small enough to hold in your hand. Some have feathers as glorious as a rainbow. Some sing wonderfully sweet songs. From the tiny, fragile hummingbird to the majestic eagle to the giant ostrich, the world of birds is a fascinating one.**

[Model for students how you would determine the title. Explain how the first sentence really is the umbrella for all the information that follows and the end wraps up the subject.]

Continue this exercise by reading at least two more paragraphs and asking for titles. Discuss why some titles tell the main idea and work for the passage and why some might not tell the main idea and be appropriate.

//Teacher//: As you can see by reading these passages and choosing titles, the title gives the reader the big picture about the passage -- the main idea.
 * Closure:**

Students can be assessed verbally at this range.
 * Method of Assessment/Data Collection:**