Unit Plan 7 (Grade 1 ELA): Main Topic and Key Details
Help first graders master main topics and supporting details with this interactive unit. Students learn to identify what a page is mostly about, choose fitting details, and deliver clear oral retells using RI.1.2 and SL.1.2 standards.
Focus: Naming main topic; picking supporting details; oral retell
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Informational • Speaking/Listening)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Informational readers figure out what a page is mostly about (the main topic) and choose key details that support it. This week students practice identifying the main topic on a page/short passage, selecting 2–3 supporting details, and giving a short oral retell that links topic and details. Questioning routines help students locate information and check that details truly fit the topic.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Identify the main topic of a page/short informational text and retell key details that tell about that topic (RI.1.2).
- Ask and answer questions about key details, pointing to where the information is found (RI.1.1).
- Orally recount key details from a read-aloud or shared page using complete sentences (SL.1.2).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 1
- RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
- RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
- SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or presented orally/through media.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can say the main topic as “This page is mostly about ___.”
- I can name 2–3 key details that tell about that topic.
- I can ask/answer a question and point to where I found the detail.
- I can give a short retell: Topic → Detail → Detail (→ Detail).