Curriculum › English Language Arts ›Grade 6

Grade 6 English Language Arts · Level 1, Read for Evidence and Meaning

Track How an Informational Idea Develops

Analyze how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated through examples, explanations, anecdotes, or details.

How the lesson starts: Track How an Informational Idea Develops

1. Nadia builds with ideas

   Meet Nadia, a beaver who builds lodges and writes for the Pond Gazette. She says articles are built like lodges. A big idea is the frame, and examples are the branches that hold it up. Let's see which branch holds up which idea.

2. Nadia's winter article

   Here's Nadia's article. Animals in icy places have clever ways to stay warm. An arctic fox wraps its thick tail around its nose. Emperor penguins huddle in a crowd. A black bear sleeps through the coldest months. Each example shows a different trick.

3. Worked example: match them

   Each example shows a smaller idea. The fox's thick tail shows trapping heat with a warm coat. The penguin huddle shows sharing body heat. The sleeping bear shows saving energy. Careful: penguins have thick feathers too, but the huddle shows sharing heat, not coats.