How to do it?
Box the main idea and bullet the detail can be done after a paragraph, section or page of reading. After the section of text has been read and discussed, students choose the main idea. (Usually only one or two sentences.) and write it in the box that says "Main Idea" or "Box the main idea."
Students are then to choose 1, 2, or 3 three ( however many you want) supporting details to write in bullet points ( Dot points) in the box below, that says "Supporting ideas" or "Bullet the details". (Whatever you choose to use.)
It can look like this:
Or this:
How did it go?
This was used in a Geography class on Reading Maps. After each section we boxed the main idea and from each subheading we chose one detail to write in the box beneath.
This meant that the class , after reading each section had to explain and understand what they had read before finsing the main idea.
There are many ways to do this activity. It is about monitoring what we have read and summarising effectively.
Materials
Box the main idea handouts
