Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

Grades K-3Module #7

Goals for Module 7

• Teachers will deepen their understanding of the first three standards in Reading for Informational Text.

• Teachers will learn activities for teaching students necessary skills for meeting these standards.

Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details

Connect to the Standards:Read through your copy of the Common Core State Standards. Highlight the first three standards for Reading for Informational Text.

Main Topics and Key DetailsThe ability to organize information into main topics and key details is a critical comprehension skill. What does this look like?• Given a main topic, name the associated

key details.• Given key details, name the main topic.When we can perform these tasks, we are better able to summarize.

Ask and Answer (Teacher Asks)In this highly scaffolded activity, the teacher:• Articulates the main idea to guide the construction of text-

dependent questions.• Has prepared both literal and thinking questions that require

students to state answers and support their answers using the text.• Asks questions at critical junctures during reading.• Guides students into the text for answers.

Teacher knows critical main concept

Teacher directs students to details and evidence in the text

Ask and Answer (Teacher Asks) (cont)

Directions: Work with a small group. • Read the informational text that you brought with you. • Put the main topic of the passage into words. • Develop thinking questions related to the main topic • Decide where in the text you will stop and ask the questions.– What will you do when a student cannot or does

not answer the question? – How and when do we prompt and support?

Asking and Answering Question After Reading (Student Asks)

Asking questions is a valuable student skill. How do we teach students to ask questions?• Through lots of practice with many types of texts.• By modeling the process for students using vocabulary from the

text.• By providing question stems (if students need support):

• By assigning students to ask questions: “Ask your friends a question about the role the patriots had in naming the eagle as the national bird.”

– Why is the eagle…? – What does the eagle…?

– Who thought…?– Where do eagles…?

The second standard for Reading for Informational Text asks the student to identify the main topic and key details.• We reverse the process and ask students to identify

the main topic.

Students provide the main topic

Teacher provides access to the text and direction

Analyze the Standard

Student Activity:Stating a Main Topic (Pictures)

Pictures can help us teach students to name the main topic.• Show students a picture with a lot of detail and a theme

(e.g., “Unusual Animal Friends” or a farm, playground, or zoo)• Say, “Tell me what this picture is about.” • If students want to focus on details in the picture, redirect

them to the main topic of the picture: “Yes, I see a ferret and a hedgehog, but if we think of these animals as pets, how would you categorize them?”

Two-Column NotesDirections:• Choose an informational text.• Create a two-column notes graphic on the whiteboard or chart

paper.• Read the title with the students (For K-1 students, show the

cover and a few pictures in the text the illustrate the main topic).• Have students discuss possible main topics for the book by

asking, “What do you think this book will be about?” Model main topic answer, if needed. – “Yes, the book will talk about stars and stripes in the

American flag, but the big idea—what we will mostly read about—is the history of the American flag.”

Two-Column Notes (cont)

• Once the students name the main topic, write it at the top of the two-column notes.

• To fill in the two-column notes:– For grades 2-3, scaffold the process by providing

the topic for each paragraph on the left and having students decide what details in the paragraph should go on the right side.

– For grades K-1, write the main topic on the left side, and write key details on the right side.

Animals that live in Africa

Two-Column Notes (Grades K-1)

LionGiraffeZebraGorillaGazelle

Main Topic Key Details

Topic: History of the American FlagWhat the first flag in 1776 looked like

– 13 rows of red and white stripes

– Circle with 13 stars on blue in left corner

How the flag changed over time

– A star was added for each state

– 13 stripes stayed the same– Hawaii was the last star

added

Two-Column Notes (Grades 2-3)

The third standard for Reading for Informational Text asks students to make connections as they read a text.

Make a Connection!

Analyze the Standard

Student Activity (Grades K-1) Connection!Directions:• Choose an informational text.• Prepare for reading by looking for connections students can

make between people, events, or ideas.• Decide where to stop and say, “Connection!” to provide

prompting and support.– “Connection! I am thinking about a connection

between our school and the school we are reading about in Mexico. How are they the same?”

Student Activity (Grades 2-3) List and ConnectDirections:• Choose text that presents information along a timeline.• As students listen to or read the material themselves, have them write the

events of the main idea on separate cards.• Have students sequence the events and explain why each item fits into the

sequence where it is placed.• Ask questions that help students put into words the connections between

events.– What had to happen before the flag was raised on July 1, 1776? Why? – What had to happen before a star was added for each state?– What happened after the flag had fifteen stripes? Why?

Making ConnectionsWhat do we do if students cannot make a connection?• Model it. Show students how to think through it to

provide an answer.• Ask students to repeat the connection we make.• Ask for another connection: “I am thinking

of a connection between adding states and a flag with fifteen stripes. Can you guess what I am thinking?”

Summary

Informational texts can be difficult for our students to understand. We need to carefully plan instruction to include activities that help our students comprehend informational texts.