Part A: Teaching Plan

EDLA: 369
Emily Mack: S00117116

1


Lesson Topic: Enhancing reading comprehension: Finding the main idea
AusVELS Domain(s): English: Reading and viewing
Grade(s)/Year Level(s): Grade 4
AusVELS Substrands Dimension(s): Duration of Lesson: 60 minutes
Literacy: Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning to expand
content knowledge, integrating and linking ideas and analysing and evaluating texts
(ACELY1692)
Literacy Learning Intention: The students will understand, comprehend and make meaning
from screen-based, non-fiction texts more effectively by developing a skill to find the main
idea in texts.
Assessment:
- Small Group Activity: Teacher takes anecdotal
notes/observation when each group is discussing
their findings during closure time.
- Teaching focused group: Anecdotal observations
taken.
Lesson Resources:
Kanyini Documentary: Film Trailer, following
link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvoAE27I9gg
Documentary based on the childrens book: Nyuntu Ninti by Bob Randall and Melanie
Hogan
Butcher paper and marker
Content of Lesson:
A. Whole Class Activity:
Instructional strategy: Think Aloud
Before text:
Assemble students onto the floor.
Introduce topic of the lesson:
We are going to learn a skill called finding the main idea to allow you to make meaning
from screen-based non- fiction texts.
Engage students, ask the following open-ended questions and write their responses on a
piece of butcher paper: Prompt students to discuss their thinking and allow for discussion.
- What is a main idea? A statement that tells the authors main point about the topic.
Part A: Teaching Plan
EDLA: 369
Emily Mack: S00117116

2


- Whos idea are we reading about? (Initiate the authors).
Explain to children: when we are thinking about the main idea, we are thinking about the
authors idea and what they are informing us about (their topic).
- Ensure students there are four questions that will allow you to find the main idea; these
questions will be explored during the viewing of a documentary trailer, called Kanyini.
- Explain: Kanyini means what you should know based on the book, Nyuntu Ninti.
10 mins
During text:
- Ask children to think about the questions posed (teacher thinking out loud) whilst watching
the screen-based text, write all responses on butcher paper.
- Stop & prompt thinking after 1 min: What is the topic about? Turn to neighbour and discuss
your thinking/thoughts.
- Stop & prompt thinking after 2 min: What does he have to say about the way his
people/family lived? Turn to another person and discuss your thinking/thoughts.
- Stop & prompt thinking after 3 min: Why is the author informing us about his way of living
and why does he believe we need to know this? Ask children to express their thinking by
raising their hand.
- Stop & prompt thinking after 4 min: Does the main idea make sense? Ask children to
express their thinking by raising their hand.
- Continue to watch screen-based text until finished.
15 mins
After text:
- Elaborate on how such questions explored enabled students to find the main idea in the text.
- Separate students into groups of four (list of ability groups attached)
Small group Activity:
- Children are separated into their ability groups to have discussion groups.
- Each discussion group needs to discuss with each other the questions raised during and
write in their literacy workbooks their answers to the questions.
Teaching Focus Activity:
- Students in the lowest literacy group will work with the teacher.
- As a group, the students will view the film and the teacher is to ask prompting questions
about the strategies we can use to find the main idea (refer to questions used previously).
- Teacher records student responses as anecdotal observation.
- Children write their points about how to find the main idea in their literacy workbook.
20 mins
C. Closure:
Bring the students back together onto the mat in a circle. Each group is to discuss their groups
discussion and strategies used to find the main idea.
15 mins