What’s the Big Idea?

Identify the Main Topic and Details

Grade Level: K

Time Frame: Approximately one class period

Overview: This lesson uses an informational book, Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature, to
introduce and teach the concepts of main topic and details. You can use any short, simple
informational book that you have in your classroom.

Common Core State Standards:

 K: Reading, Informational Text, Standard 2: With prompting and support, identify the
main topic and retell key details of a text.   
 K: Reading, Informational Text, Standard 4: With prompting and support, ask and answer
questions about unknown words in a text.   
 K: Reading, Informational Text, Standard 5: Identify the front cover, back cover, and title
page of a book
 K: Speaking and Listening, Standard 2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions
about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.   
 K: Language, Standard 6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations,
reading and being read to, and responding to texts.

Objectives:
 Students will listen closely to an informational book read aloud.   
 With guidance, students will identify the book’s main topic.   
 With guidance, students will talk about key details that connect to the main topic.

Background Knowledge Required: No particular background knowledge is required for this

lesson.

Materials Needed: 
 A copy of Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature, by Joyce Sidman, to read aloud   
 Prepare a model art activity based on agenda item 5. Write a simple sentence about a spiral in
nature (based on Swirl by Swirl ), and draw a picture inspired by something in the book. For
example, draw a snail with a spiral shell and write, “This snail has a spiral shell.”

Agenda:
1.  Introduction: Introduce the book by saying something like, “I’m going to read a book to you.
Let’s look at the cover.” (Show cover.) “Here it says that the title of the book is Swirl by Swirl:
Spirals in Nature. Hmmm. Look at this picture clue on the cover.” (Trace the spiral of the snail shell
with your finger.). “What do you think a spiral is?”
2. Read Aloud: Read the book aloud. Pause at each page spread to help students identify spiral
shapes. As you read, give emphasis to the words spiral and swirl. If an idea seems challenging, pause
to think aloud: “It knows how to defend itself. Hmmm. What does it mean that a spiral can defend
itself? The picture shows a sheep with spiral-shaped horns. These two sheep are butting horns. I see!
These spiral-shaped horns must be very strong.”
3. Full-Class Discussion: Guide students to identify the main topic of the book. Here is a suggested
dialogue: “What an interesting book that was! Who can tell me what this book is mainly about?
Well, part of the book is about sheep with curly horns. The sheep are on just two pages of the book.
Let’s figure out what the whole book is mainly about. Look at the cover. Let’s read the title again.
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature. Well, that is a big clue right there.” (Write and say swirl and spiral
on the board or chart paper and draw a spiral shape.) “Yes, you are right! This whole book is about
swirls, or spirals. The book’s main topic is spirals. We know this because we read the title of the
book. We also know this because we can read the pages of the book and look at the pictures. All the
pages and all the pictures tell us something about spirals. The main topic is spirals.”
4. Full-Class Discussion: Guide students to retell key details of the book. Here are some
suggestions. “You know that the main topic of this book is spirals in nature.” Point to the spiral you
drew. “Who can tell me one thing about a spiral in nature? Listen to a few responses. To support
each speaker, flip to the corresponding page in the book. Reinforce the answer by pointing out how
the student has identified details in the book. “Sometimes we don’t remember everything we read in
a book. It’s OK to read the book again or flip through the pages to jog our memories. Let’s do that.”
Flip to a page spread that hasn’t been discussed yet. “Here’s a good page. What detail about spirals
do we learn on these two pages? Let’s read the words.” Read the text. “Let’s look at the picture
clues.” Point and think aloud or ask leading questions. “Good! That’s right. You have told me about
another detail in this book. This detail helps us understand the book’s main topic, spirals in nature.”
5. Art Activity: Show the model art activity that you prepared. Point out that you wrote a sentence
that uses a capital letter and a period. Have students work independently to write a sentence and
draw a picture about a spiral in nature. If it’s early in the year, have students dictate sentences to you.
Later in the year, ask students to do their best to sound out (tap out) the words and spell as best they
can.
6. Wrap-Up: Display the artwork in the classroom for a week. Each day use one or more examples
of student artwork to review the key concepts: “I’m looking at Ash-lee’s artwork here. What is this
shape that she drew?” or “Cody wrote, ‘The tornado is a spiral in nature.’ Does his sentence help you
remember the book that we read? What was the whole book mainly about?”

Extend the Lesson:

 Examine the book’s title page and back cover during the full-class discussion in agenda item
3, pointing out more word and picture clues to the book’s main topic.   
 Prepare an extended art activity in which each student makes a four-page book, with a cover,
about spirals in nature. The books can be small, such as 3 inches by 7 inches, and students
can cut out the pages on dotted lines that you arrange on larger sheets. Write a title on the
covers: “My Book About Spirals, by .” On each page, write a prompt for students to
illustrate: “This animal has a spiral shape. This animal is a .” “Here is the spiral shape that I
like best.” When they have completed their pages, staple them together as books. Review key
concepts by asking, “What is the main topic of your book? What is it mostly about? What
detail did you use to tell about the main topic? What does the cover of your book say? Who
is the author of your book?”
 Differentiation:
For students who need extra support   
 Pass out coloring sheets that are similar to the cover of Swirl by Swirl, showing a clear
spiral in nature, such as a shell or snail. During the reading of the book, pause to ask
students to trace the spiral on their coloring sheets with a finger. Ask them to say the
word aloud with you. (In an ideal world, each student would have a copy of the book to
hold, but this is not normally possible!)   
 Give students a turn to come up and hold the book. Ask them to point to the title and read
it aloud with you. Point to the word Swirl and say, “Swirl. This word is in the title. Do
you think it is a clue to the book’s main topic?” Read the title again. Ask, “What other
word in the title is important? Do you think it is also a clue to the book’s main topic?
What is the book’s main topic?”
For advanced students   
 After reading the book, ask a few questions that are more complex. “What kind of spiral
can happen in the weather?” (Answer: tornado) “Where can you find a spiral shape on a
monkey?” (Answer: when it curls its tail around a branch)

Assessment:
Use this rubric to evaluate the art activity. You can assign a grade based on points that a student
earns, with 4 being a top score.
Points to Earn Task
2 Writes a sentence about a spiral in nature.
0.5 Begins sentence with a capital letter.
0.5 Ends the sentence with an end mark (period, etc.)
1 Draws a spiral shape that is connected to nature in some way.
TOP SCORE: 4

Onsets and Rimes of Single-Syllable Words

Common Core State Standards: K: Reading, Foundational Skills, Standard 2: Demonstrate
understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). c. Blend and segment onsets and
rimes of single-syllable spoken words. e. Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple,
one-syllable words to make new words.
Planning and Preparation: Prepare a work sheet for students, as shown below. You can use the
words listed (the first word in each row is drawn from or inspired by Swirl by Swirl) or choose your
own single-syllable words. Make copies for students and yourself.

fit _it s
for f_r a
web we_ t
red _ed b
sun _un f

Agenda:
1. In a list, write five single-syllable words on the board in large letters. If using the work sheet
above, write fit, for, web, sun, and red.
2. Tell students, “Here is a list of words that we will read today. Listen to me read them to you.”
Point to the onset (initial consonant sound) in fit and say eff. Pause briefly, point to the rime (the
vowel and the rest of the syllable), and say it. Pause briefly and then say the whole word: fit.
Repeat the process of segmenting and then blending the onset and rime of each word in the list.
3. Tell students, “You know a lot about the alphabet. You know the sounds that letters make. You
can read these words (point to list on board) by saying the sounds that the letters make. Let’s
practice reading these words together.” Go through the list, repeating the process of segmenting
and then blending the onset and rime of each word, pointing as you say each sound or word.
Students should read aloud with you. Note: You could break the mini-lesson here and finish it on
another day.
4. Distribute the work sheet. Tell students, “Look at the first row on this page (hold up work sheet
and run finger across first row). Let’s read the first word in this row.” Read the onset and rime of
fit, and then read the word as a whole. Tell students, “We can take out one letter of fit and put
another letter in its place. This will make a new word. Let’s do it together.” Hold up the work
sheet and point to _it. “We have a blank and then it. Let’s take the s from over here at the side
and write the s in the blank here. Do that on your own paper. Write the s in the blank. Now let’s
say the new word together.” Read the onset and rime of sit, and then read the word as a whole.
5. Repeat the process of making a new word out of each initial word. Depending on your students’
familiarity with this process, you could choose to guide the class through the whole activity or
ask them to work in small groups to complete the remaining four words.

Assessment:
Meet one-on-one with students and have them read aloud the two words in each row of the work
sheet. Use the opportunity to clarify sounds of letters or the concept of seg-menting and then
blending sounds to read a word. ¦

Notes:
After implementing the lesson, make notes on what worked and what you would change next time.