STRATEGY FOCUS
Central Idea/Detail Frame
PURPOSE
The Central Idea/Detail Frame is a during and after reading strategy that can be used in all content areas and helps students organize their thinking around topics, central ideas, and details from their reading. In addition, completing the Central Idea/Detail Frame graphic organizer increases comprehension and assists students in developing the skills to organize ideas and supporting information, both from source text and as they write informational text themselves.
PROCESS
- Pre-select a passage for use with the Central Idea/Detail Frame graphic organizer and provide students with access to the template or have them sketch it in their notebooks.
- Explain the purpose of the Central Idea/Detail Frame strategy as a tool to help students organize their thinking around topics, main ideas, and supporting details.
- Instruct students to use the graphic organizer template as they read to note the main ideas that are being conveyed by the text, as well as the essential supporting details that explain or support the main ideas. Students can use or create as many frames as needed for the portion of text they are reading; if a student believes the text conveys two main ideas, the student will create two frames to note these concepts and record essential supporting details for each.
- Engage students in small group discussions of their Central Idea/Detail Frames through the use of a purposeful Academic Dialogue strategy and use the cumulative results to create an outline of critical information from the text.
PROBING QUESTIONS
CONSIDERATIONS
- What is the relationship between the central idea and the supporting detail(s)?
- What conclusion(s) can you draw from the central idea and supporting detail(s)?
- What supporting detail most influenced your thinking?
- While students may begin with a teacher-provided photocopy of a Central Idea/Detail Frame, the frame should quickly become one that students create independently for use in and out of class.
- When compiled, Central Idea/Detail Frames are a resource for demonstrating student understanding and learning of the content.
- The Central Idea/Detail Frame can be modified to say Claim/Evidence Frame to reflect the language of argument.
- Consider pairing an Academic Dialogue strategy such as Pair-Share or Paired Verbal Fluency to engage students in sharing and discussing their Central Idea/Detail Frame.
CONTENT APPLICATIONS
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Students read a chapter from a novel and identify the central idea and supporting details for the chapter.
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
Students read a review of a local performance or art exhibit, identify the claim, and locate evidence that supports the claim.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Students read a primary document and identify the central idea and details.
WORLD LANGUAGES
In the target language, students read a review (of a restaurant, movie, song, etc.) and use the Central Idea/Detail Frame template to document the main idea plus some supporting details they find in the passage.
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION
Students read an article about a nursing procedure, such as taking blood pressure, and identify the main idea and supporting details.
HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Students read an article about advocating for personal health and identified the central idea and details.
SCIENCE
Students read an article about climate change, identify the claim, and locate evidence that supports the claim.
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