Remember from Grade 4
In Grade 4 you identified main ideas, sequenced a main plot and a subplot, and followed cause-and-effect chains.
In Grade 5 you will follow stories that switch back and forth between characters in different places, record relevant information in notes, and explain causes and effects in both stories and informational texts.
Hook: Two places at once
Some movies show one character in one place, then cut to another character somewhere else. You have to keep track of both. Books do this too! Read this story, written for this website. Watch for the switches.
The Ice Storm
(1) On Friday night, freezing rain coated Leo's street in Ottawa with ice. At 9 p.m., the lights flickered and went out. Leo and his dad lit candles and got out the camping lantern.
(2) Meanwhile, about 200 kilometres away, Leo's sister Ana was at a hockey tournament in Kingston. Her team won its game, but the coach had bad news: "The highway is closed because of ice. We're staying another night."
(3) Back in Ottawa, the house grew colder. Leo's dad remembered their neighbour, Mrs. Choi, who lived alone. Leo and his dad carefully walked over with their lantern. Her house was freezing, so they invited her to stay with them by their wood stove.
(4) In Kingston, Ana couldn't sleep. She worried about her family in the dark. Her coach let her call home. "We're fine," said Leo. "Mrs. Choi is teaching us a card game!"
(5) On Sunday morning, the power came back on in Leo's neighbourhood. Mrs. Choi made pancakes to say thank you.
(6) That afternoon, the highway reopened, and Ana's team bus pulled into the driveway just as the last pancakes came off the pan. The whole family, and Mrs. Choi, sat down to eat together.
Main and supporting ideas in an informational text
What Is Freezing Rain? (written for this website)
Freezing rain forms in a special kind of weather. Snow falls from a cloud into a layer of warm air, where it melts into rain. Then the rain falls through a thin layer of freezing air near the ground. The drops become super-cold but stay liquid. When they hit cold roads, trees and power lines, they freeze instantly into a coat of ice. Heavy ice can snap branches and bring down power lines. In January 1998, a huge ice storm hit eastern Ontario and southern Quebec, and some homes were without power for weeks.
Recording relevant information
Relevant means connected to my purpose. If your purpose is learn how freezing rain forms, the relevant facts are the layers of air and freezing on contact. The 1998 storm is interesting, but less relevant to that purpose.
Tips for good notes:
- Write key words, not whole sentences.
- Use your own words.
- Use arrows to show cause and effect or sequence.
- Choose an organizer that fits: a timeline for sequence, a T-chart for main idea and details, boxes and arrows for cause and effect, two timelines for two plots.