Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Finding Key Ideas and Details in Short Stories
Content Area/Grade Level(s): 3rd Grade/ English Language Arts
Content Standard Addressed: Students will be able to recount stories, including fables, folktales,
and myths from diverse cultures and determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain
how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

Technology Standard Addressed: Students will communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively
by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models, or simulations.

Guiding Question(s): What is the central message or lesson of the text and how can I support this
through using the key details of the story?

Selected Technology Tool: Popplet- Students will use this web-based tool to create a concept map
demonstrating the main idea and key details of a short story.

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):

https://www.popplet.com/
https://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/conceptmapping/

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒

Creating

Levels of Technology Integration:

☐ Infusion Level: Students may work at a higher Bloom’s Level, but they do not have any “Voice or
Choice” during the activity and most of the decisions are made by the teacher.

☒ Integration Level: We would like to see ALL lessons/activities reach this level. The project is
student-driven and student-led. Students should have “Voice and Choice” in the activities,
selecting the topic of study and determining the technology tool to demonstrate mastery of the
standard. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator.

☐ Expansion Level: The projects created are shared outside of the classroom, publishing student
work and promoting authorship. This could be reached by showcasing the project on the school’s
morning newscast, posting the project to the classroom blog, or publishing via an outside source.
Your student’s projects must be shared locally or globally to meet this level.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

This lesson is designed to meet the needs of all students through differentiation, a choice of options
for the story that students want to focus on, and creative control of how they would like to make
and design their concept map. When teaching the material and reviewing how to find the central
idea of a story, I will present the information in multiple ways to support the different types of
TFrazier, 2021
 Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)

learners. For example, I would use videos that explain the concepts, presentations that include
written descriptions, and activities where students get to learn on their own. There will be closed
captions on all videos and presentations in Spanish to support ELLs and ensure that all students learn
the information. For the activity, students will get to choose which fable or short story they would
like to read and complete their concept map on from a choice of ten different books that I have
chosen. This gives students a choice to pick a book that interests them which will help them be more
engaged. Through integrating technology, students are able to break up instruction with a fun and
creative activity that allows them to be more focused and engaged with the material. When working
on their concept maps, students will have the choice of working with a partner of their choosing so
that they can collaborate and help each other come up with information to include. This also gives
them a chance to get feedback from others. Students can work independently if that is what they
want. Students have free control to create their concept maps and decide on their own what is the
best way to demonstrate their knowledge. This lesson was designed with UDL guidelines in mind.
Lesson idea implementation:
To begin the lesson, I will review the standards of what students are expected to learn in the lesson
by asking a few students to read them off of the board. Then, I would a PowerPoint presentation
that I made about finding the main idea or lesson of a story and how to find key details that support
the main idea which features a lot of new vocabulary words and concepts. With each new concept,
there is a picture to go along with it to ensure that all students understand the meaning. I would
relate the new concepts about finding the main idea to the book that we read as a class since all
students will have knowledge about it, and it will allow students to connect new concepts to
previous knowledge. As we go over the PowerPoint, I would ask students to write the new terms and
take notes in their reading journal. After the presentation, I will show the BrainPOP video, “Concept
Mapping” to give students an idea of what concept maps are used for and how they can show
relationships between multiple concepts or ideas. There will be closed captions on the video for
students who need them. Then, I will ask students to find a partner that they want to work with for
this activity and choose a book from the ten short stories that I have displayed at the front of the
class. Each of these stories qualify as a fable, folktale, or myth. Then, I will explain the directions to
the class. They will be asked to read their short story and determine the main idea or lesson as well
as find at least four key details or events to support the main idea. After they have their information,
they will go to Popplet on a computer and make a concept map showing the relationship between
their main idea and key details. They can create their Popplet using whatever design or layout that
they choose as long as they have all of the information needed as shown in a rubric. I would show
my example of the Popplet that I made to help students get an idea of what they should do as well
as show a quick overview of how to work the website.
This lesson will take about an hour to complete. While students are working, I would walk around to
answer any questions about the software or the material and make sure students are on the right
track. I would encourage students to find good, strong details to support their main idea which
would help them answer the guiding question. Students will turn their concept map in through a
screenshot of the computer, and I would assess them based on a rubric. If students do well on this
activity, I will move onto the next topic but if they don’t do as well, I will go over the concept again
the next day. I will extend the student learning by asking students to look over another group’s
concept map to determine if they agree with what that group has written as well as offer some
constructive criticism. This would encourage students to think more deeply. I would conclude the

TFrazier, 2021
 Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)

lesson by asking students to share with the class what the main idea of each story was so that
everyone can hear about the different stories that other groups read.
Reflective Practice:
I think that the lesson and activity that I have planned will impact student learning because students
will have to use higher-order thinking and technology to evaluate information from a story and
create a product that shows this information. This helps students learn the information on a deeper
level and show what they know in a way that they want. By giving students choice, they will be more
engaged in the activity and feel more empowered in what they are creating. To extend the learning,
I could allow students to share these concept maps of the blog that parents are a part of which will
allow parents to look over their child’s work. It would also reach higher LoTi levels because their
work is being shared with people outside of the classroom. I used BrainPOP and PowerPoint in this
lesson which is another tool that we have learned to bring more technology into the classroom and
the lesson. I could use Edpuzzle instead of the BrainPOP so that I could personalize a video to match
the needs of my students more.

TFrazier, 2021