Teaching Inferences and Main Idea Using Magazines

To create this main idea/inference lesson, you will need some kids' magazines that you can cut up (or any magazines, but kids' magazines were easiest to use,) quart sized zipper baggies, scissors, tape, a document camera to show the items to the class, and the page I'm giving away at the end of the post.  If you don't have a document camera, you could set this up as stations around the room.  I searched for pictures that were related in some way. I cut them out and taped them inside the baggie like a collage so that they all showed.    Please forgive the blurriness of these baggies, they just didn't photograph well because they have been handled and are kinda worn looking to start with, and then there is the glare of the plastic!! 

The inference/main idea here is:
"ways to stay dry"

This inference is "spring"

This inference is harder because they wanted to say "Valentines", but Lincoln is in there.  They then discussed writing "Holidays in February", but there are generic snow pictures.  Finally, they figured out it is just "February."  That one  was HARD!! 

Inference/Main Idea:
"Transportation"

It was a little time-consuming to look for things that are connected by idea, but if you get started with one good picture, you can usually find some that are related to it.  For example, one of my baggies contains picture of vehicles - all kinds, even a ship.  That one is pretty easy, so the main idea is transportation.  I also made one set that is "Spring."  It was tricky for my students because I put pictures of Easter eggs and flowers along with kids playing outside, etc...  The students who "guessed" too quickly said, "Easter," but that showed them they need to talk about it longer before they decide.  When we did the activity in class, I put the kids in pairs.  They had to fill in the sheet together, talking about the pictures as I showed them and writing down what they believed the main idea to be.  It was great fun, and hopefully a reinforcement of inference skills/main idea.  I saw this idea on Pinterest posted by The ESOL Odyssey. 

I am planning a writing extension lesson with the pictures now that we have identified the main idea.  We will write a topic sentence about the main idea.  Then will then talk about the pictures as supporting details.

Here's a free page  I've created for your students to use with your picture sets.

Freebie
www.lovesthirdgrade.blogspot.com