3.6.G
The Standard
evaluate details read to determine key ideas
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students decide which details carry the most meaning in a text. They use those details to identify and explain the key idea.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students state a key idea in their own words. They select the details that best support it and explain why unrelated details matter less.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat any interesting fact as a key idea. They may choose one small detail instead of identifying the idea supported by several related details.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short paragraph and ask, “What is the key idea, and which two details best support it?”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups detail cards from one paragraph, then have them sort the cards by which possible key idea each supports.
Ask students to write one sentence explaining why an interesting detail may not be a supporting detail.
Play Key Idea Detective by reading four details aloud and having teams choose the best key idea from three options.
Use a school lunch menu and nutrition notes to decide the key idea supported by the listed facts.
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