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Mr. A's Writing Tools
writingtools.org
Writing Assignment
Ocean Animals
Standard: Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
What to Do
Let's read about ocean animals! Then you'll find the main idea Ocean Animals
1
The ocean is home to many amazing animals. Each one has something special that helps it live in the water.
2
Fish have fins and tails that help them swim fast. Their gills let them breathe under water. There are big fish and tiny fish in the ocean.
3
Dolphins are very smart animals. They swim together in groups. Dolphins jump out of the water and talk to each other with clicks and whistles.
4
Sea turtles have hard shells on their backs. The shell keeps them safe. Sea turtles can swim for a very long time without stopping.
5
Whales are the biggest animals in the world. Some whales sing songs that other whales can hear far away. Even baby whales are bigger than a car! Word Bank
Writing Steps
1
What Is This About?
After reading the passage, tell us:
1. Topic: What is this passage about? (just a few words!) 2. Things you noticed: What are 1-2 things the author tells you? You can use these sentence starters: - "This passage is about..." - "The author tells us about..." There is no wrong answer! Just try your best. This passage is about: ocean animals
The topic is what the whole passage is about. You can say it in just a few words!
Scoring Guidance — Step 1
Look for:
Main Idea Detail / Evidence 1 Detail / Evidence 2 Detail / Evidence 3
2
Find the Main Topic
Tell us the main topic of the passage.
You can fill in this sentence: - "This passage is mostly about ____________." - "The author wants to tell us about ____________." - "The main topic is ____________." Try to say what the WHOLE passage is about, not just one small part! Now look at the parts. A passage is made of parts (paragraphs), and each part is mostly about one thing. Pick two parts and tell what each one is about: - One part is mostly about ____________. - Another part is mostly about ____________. The main topic is what the WHOLE passage is mostly about. It is the big thing the author wants to tell you about.
What is the most important thing about ocean animals?
Scoring Guidance — Step 2
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
3
Find Key Details
Find 1-2 key details from the passage. Key details are important things the author tells you.
You can fill in these sentences: - "One thing the author tells us is ____________." - "Another thing is ____________." Each detail should come from the passage! Great job finding the main topic! Now let us find some key details.
Key details are the important things the author tells you about the topic. They help you learn more! Look at the passage again. What important things does the author tell you?
Scoring Guidance — Step 3
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
4
How Do Details Help?
Pick one of your details and tell us how it helps us learn about the topic:
You can fill in this sentence: - "This detail helps because ____________." - "This teaches us that ____________." - "I learned ____________ from this detail." You found great details! Now let us think about HOW they help us learn about the topic.
Each detail is like a puzzle piece that helps us see the whole picture!
Scoring Guidance — Step 4
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
5
Tell What You Learned
Write 1-3 sentences telling what you learned from this passage.
Try to: 1. Tell the main topic 2. Tell at least one detail from the passage 3. Use your own words You can start with: - "I learned that..." - "This passage taught me that..." You are almost done! Do your best! Amazing work! Now let us put everything together.
Pretend you are telling a friend what this passage was about. What would you say?
Scoring Guidance — Step 5
Look for:
Sentence Starters
In the text, the author shows that ___.
The author writes, "___," which shows ___.
This is important because ___.
Overall, the text shows that ___.
How Did I Do?Circle one box for each step. 2Find the Main Topic
3Find Key Details
4How Do Details Help?
5Tell What You Learned
Before You Turn InI did every step
I checked my spelling
I am proud of this work
ReflectionWhat was hard? What are you proud of?
For the Teacher
Teacher Guide — Ocean AnimalsRI.2.2 — Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. · Grade 2 · ~15 min
The student pages use short directions and a How Did I Do? star self-check instead of a printed rubric — most readers at this grade can't parse rubric language yet. Walk through the stars together after the last step. Score finished work against the full rubric below. Scoring Rubric
Step-by-Step Coaching Notes
Step 1 — What Is This About?
Step 2 — Find the Main Topic
Step 3 — Find Key Details
Step 4 — How Do Details Help?
Step 5 — Tell What You Learned
Students on devices? Coach this assignment live.
Scan the code — or visit the link — for the AI-coached version: step-by-step feedback on every draft, auto-scored on the rubric, no answer key to grade. Free for teachers.
writingtools.org/free/mainideas2_ocean_v1
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