The Indian in the Cupboard: Lesson 5

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

In the previous Related Lesson, found in the right-hand sidebar, you learned about cause-and-effect relationships in a novel.

You also explored how one effect can become a cause for another effect and continue to create a chain of cause-and-effect situations within a piece of literature. Share with your teacher one example you identified of cause-and-effect in the last lesson. If you need help remembering, refer to the cause-and-effect chart you completed.

One example you may have shared with your parent or teacher is when Omri placed the horse in the cupboard and locked the door, and the horse came to life.

As you read the next two chapters, you will identify the main idea in each chapter. A main idea is the most important thought or idea about the topic. One way to identify the main idea is to ask yourself what is being said about a character, thing, or topic. Watch Theme VS. Main Idea, by Hailey Holmgren (below), to help you better understand how to find the main idea. Think about what you have read so far. Make an inference about what you think the central idea of The Indian in the Cupboard is. Share your thoughts with your parent or teacher.

Remember these steps as you look for the main idea in Chapters 7 and 8:

1. Find the topic. Use the title of the chapter to help you determine the topic, then look for repeating words and phrases throughout the chapter.
2. Next, ask yourself, "What does the author want me to know about the topic?"
3. Put these two steps together and you have the main idea.

Continue to the Got It? section to find the main idea of each chapter as you read.