Teacher Resources
In this module, students will learn how to identify the central idea of a text by examining key details. They will examine online articles and trace the progression of key ideas to determine the overall central idea of the text. They will then use the central ideas and key details to develop a summary of the text. This self-paced module is aligned to Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects Frameworks.
This module contains several interactive features. Watch the Learn How to Use this Module tutorial to familiarize yourself with these features.
Module Information
- Grade Band: 9 - 10
- Readability Level: Lexile Level 1140*
- Focus Standard: RST.9-10.2 (Central Idea)
- Topic: Life Science
- Completion Time: 10 - 20 minutes
- Vocabulary: Visit the Glossary page for definitions of key vocabulary in this module.
*The Lexile range for some sections of this text is above the range (1050-1200) designated for intervention for grades 9-10. To accommodate students, instruction has been scaffolded for easy understanding and difficult words are defined in the Glossary.
Please review the Accessibility page for all of your students.
Student Resources for this Module
In this module, students are provided with links to external websites. The sites have been chosen for their content and grade-level appropriateness. Efforts are made to minimize linking to websites that contain advertisements or comments, but some of these websites may contain these features. Teachers should preview all websites before introducing the activities to students and adhere to their school system's policy for Internet use. In addition, multimedia on these externally linked sites may not be accessible to all users, such as those individuals requiring a screen reader or using a tablet.
The following website is linked to from this module:
Using This Site
This lesson is built for use on classroom computers and tablets. If you have access to a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or an interactive whiteboard in your classroom, you may complete the lesson in your classroom. Otherwise, you will need to schedule time to use your school's computer lab. For technical specifications, see below.
Some activities on this site may include videos and narration, so you may want to have headphones available for students working at individual stations. For best results in viewing the videos and interactives, you should have a high-speed, stable Internet connection.
This lesson may contain PDFs for students to complete. They can print the PDFs and fill them out by hand, or download the files and fill them out on the computer. Most or all portions can be filled out online. Please check with your Instructional Technology Specialist for instructions on downloading the PDF. (Note that to complete the PDFs on the computer, you will need a viewer, such as Adobe Reader, that supports forms.)
Technology
This site is an Internet-based activity, and it was built to run on the following computer operating systems and browsers:
- Windows 7 or Newer: IE 8, 9, 10, 11; Current version of Chrome; Current version of Firefox
- Mac OS 10.7 or Newer: Current version of Safari
- iPad2/iOS6 or Newer: Current version of Safari
- Android 4.0 or Newer: Current version of Android browser
- Chromebook: Current version of Chrome
Users running Internet Explorer 8 will not be able to use the highlighter tool. Instead, teachers should consider partnering students for a brief discussion.
Visit the Accessibility page for detailed information on the site's accessibility features.
