🍦 How Many Scoops? Main Idea Ice Cream Activity

Use this fun ice cream-themed sorting activity to strengthen your student’s understanding of the main ideas and supporting details. This hands-on activity provides students with ice cream cones and colourful matching ice cream scoops. Each ice cream cone represents a main idea, while the scoops represent the supporting details. The main objective is for students to match the appropriate scoops of ice cream to the corresponding cones based on the relationship between the main idea and its supporting details.

How to Use This Resource

1. Preparation: Print out the ice cream cones and scoops of the templates provided in the resource pack. Cut out the cones and scoops, ensuring enough sets for each student or group.
2. Introduction: Begin the activity by explaining the concept of main ideas and supporting details to the students. Provide examples to help them grasp the concept. You may use a short passage or text as an example or generate your main idea and supporting details for demonstration purposes.
3. Activity Instructions: Distribute the ice cream cones and scoops of ice cream to the students. Instruct them to read the main idea written on each cone and analyse the supporting details provided on the scoops of ice cream. Students should then match the appropriate scoops of ice cream to the corresponding cones by placing them on top.
4. Group Discussion: After completing the sorting activity, encourage students to discuss their choices with their peers in small groups or as a whole class. Ask them to explain the reasoning behind their selections and how the supporting details relate to the main idea. This will promote collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills.
5. Extension Activities: To further reinforce the concept of main ideas and supporting details, you can provide additional passages or texts for students to read and independently identify the main ideas and supporting details. This can be done through some main idea worksheets.

Download and Sort Today!

Use the dropdown menu to download this resource’s PDF or editable Google Slide version. It is advised to print on thick card to ensure the durability of this hands-on activity.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a Teach Starter collaborator.