South Dakota ELA 3.RI.2

ELA3rd GradeReading Informational Text

The Standard

Determine the main idea of a text; identify the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

South Dakota English Language Arts Standards (2025)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students read a nonfiction passage and say what it is mostly teaching. They choose facts that support that idea and explain the connection in their own words.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student states a main idea that covers the whole passage, not just one fact. They point to two relevant details and explain how each supports the idea.
Common Misconceptions: Students may give the topic, such as “beavers,” instead of an idea about beavers. They may pick an interesting fact that does not support their main idea, or list details without explaining the connection.
How to Assess It: Put this on the board: “Beavers stack branches in streams; the branches slow the water and create ponds; the ponds help beavers hide from predators.” Ask students to write the main idea and explain how two details support it.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a short paragraph about ants and sticky notes; have them label its main idea and attach two notes naming supporting details.
After reading a paragraph about how bees make honey, ask: “Why is gathering nectar a detail, not the main idea?”
Play Detail Match: post three main idea cards about weather and have students place fact cards beneath the idea each fact supports.
Read a school notice about a new lunch pickup time; students identify its main message and the details that give the time and place.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.RI.2, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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