LAFS.4.RI.1.2Archived Standard

loading spinner
Export Print
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
General Information
Subject Area: English Language Arts
Grade: 4
Strand: Reading Standards for Informational Text
Idea: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
Cluster: Key Ideas and Details
Date Adopted or Revised: 12/10
Content Complexity Rating: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts - More Information
Date of Last Rating: 02/14
Status: State Board Approved - Archived
Assessed: Yes
Test Item Specifications
  • Item Type(s): This benchmark may be assessed using: TM , EBSR , MS , ST , MC item(s)

  • Assessment Limits :
    Items may ask the student to determine the main idea and which details support the main idea. The main idea may be explicitly or implicitly stated. Items may ask the student to summarize the text.
  • Text Types :
    The items assessing this standard may be used with one or more grade-appropriate informational texts. Texts may vary in complexity.
  • Response Mechanisms :
    The Enhanced Item Descriptions section on page 3 provides a list of Response Mechanisms that may be used to assess this standard (excluding the Editing Task Choice item type). The Sample Response Mechanisms may include, but are not limited to, the examples below.
  • Task Demand and Sample Response Mechanisms :

    Task Demand

    Determine a main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details.

    Sample Response Mechanisms

    Selectable Text

    • Requires the student to select the main idea of the text and then to select details from the text that support the main idea. 
    EBSR
    • Requires the student to select a main idea and then to select a detail or details from the text to support the main idea.
    Task Demand

    Provide a summary of the text. 

    Sample Response Mechanisms

    Selectable Text

    • Requires the student to select details from the text that are necessary for a summary. 
    Multiple Choice
    • Requires the student to identify the correct summary of the text. 
    Multiselect 
    • Requires the student to select multiple details from the text that are necessary for a summary. 
    Table Match
    • Requires the student to complete a table that creates a summary of a text.

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
5010010: English for Speakers of Other Languages-Elementary (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022 (course terminated))
5010020: Basic Skills in Reading-K-2 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2021, 2021 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
5010030: Functional Basic Skills in Communications-Elementary (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
5021060: Social Studies Grade 4 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2023, 2023 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
5010045: Language Arts - Grade Four (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
7710015: Access Language Arts - Grade 4 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7721015: Access Social Studies - Grade 4 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2023, 2023 and beyond (current))
5011040: Library Skills/Information Literacy 4 (Specifically in versions: 2016 - 2022, 2022 - 2023, 2023 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
5010104: Introduction to Debate Grade 4 (Specifically in versions: 2020 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Lesson Plans

Railroads Change Florida: Henry Flagler in Florida:

Henry Flagler was the founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway. During the 1880s and 1890s, Henry Flagler expanded train lines through Jacksonville and down the East coast to Miami.

Henry Flagler began the Oversea Railway in 1906 to connect Miami to Key West. This ambitious and innovative project required money, earth-moving, man-hours, and miles of bridges. In this lesson students analyze a letter from Henry Flagler to learn about about Flagler and his contributions to Florida.

Type: Lesson Plan

Florida in the Civil War: Risking Their Lives for Salt:

With the seemingly limitless supply of salt available to us today, it is hard to imagine the hardship imposed by its lack. The Confederate army's meat supply was preserved with salt. With the Union blockade in place, the Confederate states turned to local sources for this important mineral. Salt production became a crucial endeavor for citizens of Florida. In this lesson students will compare Confederate and Union perspectives of the salt works using an illustration, a letter and an excerpt from a memoir.

Type: Lesson Plan

Shall We Rescue the Amazon?:

In this lesson, students will learn how humans are impacting the environment by reading various informational texts on the topic of saving the rain forests. Students will determine the meanings of unknown content-specific words and identify the main idea and supporting details within the text. They will write a summary of the text and respond to a prompt by writing an opinion essay.

Type: Lesson Plan

Finding the Central Idea and Relevant Details in Informational Texts:

Students will read an informational text, will identify the central idea and relevant details, and record their findings on a graphic organizer. They will use the informational text and their graphic organizer to create a summary based on the text. The students will also answer questions based on the text. As a summative assessment for the lesson, the students will repeat this activity using a different informational text and will conduct the work alone, rather than in a group.



Type: Lesson Plan

Holey Rusted Metal!:

Students will conduct a guided inquiry lab involving the chemical change that creates rust. This lab is meant to be set up in one day and then observed over the course of 3 weeks.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorial

Uncovering the Main Idea:

Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in a text

Sometimes the main idea likes to hide out in the texts that you read. Lenny Lizard will give you some pointers on how to uncover the main idea and use key details to support your answers.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to find the directly and indirectly stated main idea of a text. You will also learn how to identify and explain how key details support the main idea.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Student Center Activities

Edcite: ELA Reading Grade 4-5:

Students can practice answering reading comprehension questions with a text about online learning. With an account, students can save their work and send it to their teacher when complete.

Type: Student Center Activity

Comprehension: Sum-thing Special:

In this activity, students will summarize text using a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

Comprehension: Distinguishing Details:

In this activity, students will identify significant and minor details in text.

Type: Student Center Activity

Comprehension: Sum Summary!:

In this activity, students will summarize text (narrative and expository) using a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

Text Resource

Green Invaders!:

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. This National Geographic Kids article explains how the invasion of non-native plants is threatening native food webs.

Type: Text Resource

Original Student Tutorials for Language Arts - Grades K-5

Uncovering the Main Idea:

Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in a text

Sometimes the main idea likes to hide out in the texts that you read. Lenny Lizard will give you some pointers on how to uncover the main idea and use key details to support your answers.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to find the directly and indirectly stated main idea of a text. You will also learn how to identify and explain how key details support the main idea.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorial

Uncovering the Main Idea:

Learn how to identify explicit evidence and understand implicit meaning in a text

Sometimes the main idea likes to hide out in the texts that you read. Lenny Lizard will give you some pointers on how to uncover the main idea and use key details to support your answers.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to find the directly and indirectly stated main idea of a text. You will also learn how to identify and explain how key details support the main idea.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Student Center Activity

Edcite: ELA Reading Grade 4-5:

Students can practice answering reading comprehension questions with a text about online learning. With an account, students can save their work and send it to their teacher when complete.

Type: Student Center Activity

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.