Lesson 2: The Storm
Day 2
Activity 2: Main Idea
Explain that the main idea of a story or paragraph is a brief description of what the story or paragraph is about.
- The main idea is often found at the beginning of a story or passage. The first sentence often explains the subject discussed in the passage.
- The main idea can often be found in the concluding sentences of a paragraph of passage.
Give your child the page called "Main Idea." On this page she will read four paragraphs. For the first two, she will decide which description best summarizes the main idea of each paragraph. For the third and fourth paragraphs, she will write a sentence that describes the main idea of the paragraph.
Answer Key: 1) B, 2) A
Answer Key: 1) B, 2) A
Student Activity Page
Activity 3: Time Transition Words
Read the following paragraph to your child:
I am having a bad week. I was walking down the sidewalk, and a bird flew right into me! I thought it was hurt, but it got up and flew away. I tripped over my brother's toy truck and hurt my toe. I sprained my ankle playing basketball. I can't play in the big game next week. I will be happy when this week is over.
Ask her what she thinks might be wrong with the story or how it could be improved. She might note that the sentences are choppy. Now read the following version to her. Be sure to emphasize the underlined words:
I am having a bad week. Yesterday, I was walking down the sidewalk, and suddenly a bird flew right into me! At first, I thought it was hurt, but it eventually got up and flew away. Later that day, I tripped over my brother's toy truck and hurt my toe. Then I sprained my ankle playing basketball. As a result, I can't play in the big game next week. I will be happy when this week is finally over.
Ask her what was different about the new paragraph. You may want to repeat or show her to underlined words and ask her what she thinks they have in common. Tell her that these are transition words and phrases. These types of words or phrases help us smoothly link one thought to another. They also tell readers when things happened and in what order they happened.
The "Time Transition Words" activity page lists some common words and phrases that tell when and what order things happened. Review this list with your child. She can then use the words to fill in the blanks of the short paragraph. Encourage your child to read the paragraph aloud (or read it aloud to her) to make sure it makes sense. Answers may vary.
I am having a bad week. I was walking down the sidewalk, and a bird flew right into me! I thought it was hurt, but it got up and flew away. I tripped over my brother's toy truck and hurt my toe. I sprained my ankle playing basketball. I can't play in the big game next week. I will be happy when this week is over.
Ask her what she thinks might be wrong with the story or how it could be improved. She might note that the sentences are choppy. Now read the following version to her. Be sure to emphasize the underlined words:
I am having a bad week. Yesterday, I was walking down the sidewalk, and suddenly a bird flew right into me! At first, I thought it was hurt, but it eventually got up and flew away. Later that day, I tripped over my brother's toy truck and hurt my toe. Then I sprained my ankle playing basketball. As a result, I can't play in the big game next week. I will be happy when this week is finally over.
Ask her what was different about the new paragraph. You may want to repeat or show her to underlined words and ask her what she thinks they have in common. Tell her that these are transition words and phrases. These types of words or phrases help us smoothly link one thought to another. They also tell readers when things happened and in what order they happened.
The "Time Transition Words" activity page lists some common words and phrases that tell when and what order things happened. Review this list with your child. She can then use the words to fill in the blanks of the short paragraph. Encourage your child to read the paragraph aloud (or read it aloud to her) to make sure it makes sense. Answers may vary.
Student Activity Page
Activity 4: Chapter Summary
Materials: journal
Explain to your child that you want her to keep a daily journal as she reads Tornado. At the end of each chapter, ask her to write three or four sentences that explain the main idea or the main events in the chapter. Explain that a summary will describe only the main events or ideas in the chapter. It does not need to give all the details.
Ask her to write a summary for Chapter 1 and then let her read her summary. Remind her to use transitions in her summary to help show when things happened in the chapter. She can refer to the words on the activity page from Activity 3 as needed. After she summarizes the chapter, ask her to illustrate a major event from the chapter. Finally, share the following chapter summary and compare it to her summary:
"First, the family took cover in a cellar because a tornado was coming. The father was outside during the tornado and the family was worried. After that, Pete began to tell a story about a dog named Tornado."
Your child will continue to use her journal to summarize and illustrate each chapter in the book.
"First, the family took cover in a cellar because a tornado was coming. The father was outside during the tornado and the family was worried. After that, Pete began to tell a story about a dog named Tornado."
Your child will continue to use her journal to summarize and illustrate each chapter in the book.