Digest This

What’s the big idea?

Objectives: The students will be able to decipher text and determine the main idea and theme.

The students will be able to identify and connect similar thematic texts.

Materials:

Direction sheets for each station

Station complete with prompts and materials

Procedure:

1 minute: Announcements

5 minutes: Teacher introduces each station and reminds the students of station etitiqute.

25 minutes: Each group of students completes the station and after time allotted, the group of students moves to the next station.

5 minutes: Teacher brings the class back together and asks the students to share the answers from the worksheet.

3 minutes: Hand out the passports and have the students write the main idea of the day.

2 minutes: Go over student responses and the teacher’s main point.

Total time: 41 minutes

Hey, What’s the Big Idea? Name: Per:

Each group will have 5 minutes at each station. When you switch to another station. Read the directions silently and answer the questions. Do not keep any of the materials.

Fried Funnies

Directions: Each group member picks a comic strip. Read the comic and then answer the questions below. After you have finished with one comic, rotate comics with your group members.

1. What lesson do you learn from the comic?

2. Write one sentence stating the BIG idea.

1. What lesson do you learn from the comic?

2. Write one sentence stating the BIG idea.

Bodacious Burgers

Directions: Each group member picks a movie picture. Look at the picture and then answer the questions below. After you have finished with one movie, rotate with your group members.

1. What is the biggest feeling you have throughout the movie?

2. Write one sentence stating the BIG idea of the movie.

1. What is the biggest feeling you have throughout the movie?

2. Write one sentence stating the BIG idea of the movie.

Silver Slurpies

Directions: Each group member picks a cube. Look at the cube and pick a word on one of the sides. Then brainstorm 2 books, movies or tv shows that has that BIG idea in it. Repeat these steps with every word on the cube.

1. What is the word?

2. Write 2 examples of books, movies or shows with that BIG idea in it.

1. What is the word?

2. Write 2 examples of books, movies or shows with that BIG idea in it.

1. What is the word?

2. Write 2 examples of books, movies or shows with that BIG idea in it.

1. What is the word?

2. Write 2 examples of books, movies or shows with that BIG idea in it.

1. What is the word?

2. Write 2 examples of books, movies or shows with that BIG idea in it.

1. What is the word?

2. Write 2 examples of books, movies or shows with that BIG idea in it.

Carry-out Poems

Directions: Each group member picks a poem. Read the poem and then answer the questions below. After you have finished with one poem, rotate poems with your group members.

1. How did you feel when you read the poem?

2. Write one sentence stating the BIG idea.

1. How did you feel when you read the poem?

2. Write one sentence stating the BIG idea.

Main Idea (passport)

The main thing that I learned about today was that everything that I read and see has a point to it. A movie, a comic, a poem or a story all have a main point, lesson, theme that I get when I read it.