Mini-Lesson

Main Idea

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Objective: Students will determine the main idea of a section in a news story.

1. Remind students of what has happened so far in the 2008 presidential-election process: In March, it became clear that Senator John McCain would be the Republican candidate. But Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continued to compete for the Democratic nomination. On Tuesday, Barack Obama gained enough delegates to become the Democratic candidate.

2. Pass out the timeforkids.com story, Obama's Historic Win. Point out the headline and the subhead. Explain that a subhead provides clues about the story's main idea. Read aloud the first two paragraphs. Next, draw students' attention to the second subhead, "Another Battle Begins." Explain that while the paragraphs that follow contain many details, the subhead tells the reader that the main point of this section of the article is that Obama and McCain will now compete for the presidency. Encourage students to use the subhead "History in the Making" to determine the main idea of the last section.

3. Discuss students' findings. Ask: Why was the Republican candidate chosen so much earlier than the Democratic candidate? What makes this presidential race historic?