LABELING THE BUCKET (from: Sedita, Joan (2012) The Key Comprehension Routine: Primary Grades. www.keystoliteracy.com) Labeling the Bucket is a technique to help students understand the concept of a main idea. Introduction: Show the students a picture of a bucket with a label “Main idea” on the outside and several “Detail” labels with arrows pointing into the bucket or show them a real bucket labeled “Main idea”. Ask the students to think about the main idea (or category) as if it were a label on the bucket that describes what is inside. I Do: Demonstrate and Think‐Aloud using a set of buckets and sets of items, pictures, words, or sentences in a 3‐4 sentence paragraph with a topic sentence. We Do: Demonstrate and engage the students in a Think‐Aloud to determine categories/main idea and details. You Do: Students work in groups or individually to determine categories/main idea and details. This metaphor can be used for all levels of main ideas in grades K‐3, from basic to more complex. (Note: The ability to categorize is the basis for the ability to find the main idea. Students in K‐1 should especially be engaged in categorizing before being asked to identify main ideas.)  Categorizing items: Label=category name. Items=details.  Categorizing words: Label=category name. Words=details.  Finding paragraph main idea: Label=main idea of paragraph. Sentences=details. If the label is written in sentence form, then it becomes the topic sentence of the paragraph.  Finding the main idea of a multi‐paragraph passage: (Gr. 2‐3) Label=main idea of passage. Paragraphs=details. Classroom Activity‐Categorizing items or words (Categorizing content‐area words into sub‐groups builds both vocabulary and main idea skills.) Materials: Buckets, collection of similar items (ex: writing utensils, shapes) or index cards with words (one word per card), sticky notes Directions: Ask the students to sort the items or words into logical categories, reminding them that there may be more than one way to organize. Next, have them place the items or words into buckets by category. Then, have them write each category label on a sticky note and attach it to the front of each bucket. Non‐readers might draw a picture for their label or simply tell what their labels are. Classroom Activity‐Finding the Main Idea of a Paragraph Materials: Bucket, paragraph with topic sentence and 3‐4 supporting detail sentences, printed in large font on card stock, tape. Directions: Cut the paragraph into sentence strips. Ask students to determine which is the topic sentence that describes the main idea. Tape the topic sentence on the outside of the bucket and place supporting detail sentences in the bucket. For inferring a main idea, use a paragraph without a stated main idea. Have students determine and write the main idea on a slip of paper or sticky note and attach it to the outside of the bucket. Students place the supporting sentences inside the bucket.  Additional step: Have students organize main idea and supporting detail sentences into a paragraph to retell orally or write.
Classroom Activity‐ Finding the Main Idea of Multi‐paragraph passage Materials: Buckets, passage with 2‐3 structured paragraphs printed in large font on card stock (Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence and 3‐4 supporting detail sentences.), tape Directions: Cut the paragraphs into sentence strips, and mix them up. Have students organize sentences into paragraphs. Then, have them identify the topic sentence strip for each paragraph. Last, ask them to place the paragraph sentences into buckets and tape the topic sentences to the appropriate buckets. For inferring main ideas, use paragraphs without topic sentences, and ask students to determine main ideas, write one main idea per strip/sticky note, and attach inferred main ideas to buckets. Supporting detail sentences are placed in the appropriate buckets.  Additional step: Have students organize main idea and supporting detail sentences into a paragraph to retell orally or write.