The Main Topic of Each Paragraph
A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on identifying the main topic of a multi-paragraph text and of each paragraph within it.
The Main Topic of Each Paragraph is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.2.2 — say what the whole text is about and what each paragraph is about. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RI.2.2
Grade 2 · Reading: Informational Text
RI.2.2
Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
Objective
Students will be able to give the main topic of each paragraph and of the whole text.
Students are successful when they can
- Gives a topic for each paragraph in a few words.
- Gives a topic for the whole text.
- Shows how the paragraph topics add up to the whole.
What you need
- A four-paragraph information text
- Sticky notes, one per paragraph
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — one paragraph, three words
5 min- Read one paragraph. Take a topic in three words or fewer.
- Reject anything that is a whole sentence.
Teach — bottom up
13 min- Read each paragraph and put a three-word topic on a sticky note beside it.
- Line the four notes up in a row and read them.
- Ask what all four are about. That is the whole text's topic.
- Show that doing it the other way round — whole first — usually produces something too vague.
- Check: does each paragraph topic fit under the whole one?
“Four small topics first. The big one comes out of them, not before them.”
Guided practice — four notes
12 min- Pairs write a sticky note per paragraph on a new text.
- They then write the whole-text topic from their four notes.
- They check each note fits under it.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the paragraph-topics page.
- The passage is on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Read the four notes aloud. Take the whole-text topic.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Writes a sentence rather than a topic.
Why: A sentence is what writing usually means.
Fix: Three words maximum. The limit is what forces the topic out of the detail.
Gives the same topic for every paragraph.
Why: They are all about the same subject, so the subject is the answer each time.
Fix: Ask what makes THIS paragraph different from the one before. Paragraphs exist because the topic shifted.
Writes the whole-text topic first and forces the paragraphs to fit.
Why: The title suggested it before any reading happened.
Fix: Notes first, in order, before the big topic is spoken. The order of operations is the lesson.
If they are not there yet
- Two paragraphs rather than four.
- Give two topic options per paragraph.
If they finish early
- Find a paragraph that covers two topics and say where it splits.
- Reorder the paragraphs and say whether it still works.
- Write a subheading for each paragraph.
Exit ticket
Give the topic of each paragraph in three words, then the topic of the whole text.
What to look for: Four different paragraph topics. Four identical ones means the what-changed question needs asking per paragraph.
Printable practice for RI.2.2
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Main Topic of the Whole TextRead the text, then answer the questions.
Questions about The Main Topic of Each Paragraph
How long does the The Main Topic of Each Paragraph lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does The Main Topic of Each Paragraph teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.2 — RI.2.2, Reading: Informational Text for Grade 2: “Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.” In plain terms, say what the whole text is about and what each paragraph is about.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A four-paragraph information text, sticky notes, one per paragraph and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: writes a sentence rather than a topic; gives the same topic for every paragraph and writes the whole-text topic first and forces the paragraphs to fit. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Give the topic of each paragraph in three words, then the topic of the whole text.” Four different paragraph topics. Four identical ones means the what-changed question needs asking per paragraph. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with The Main Topic of Each Paragraph?
Yes — 1 printable RI.2.2 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is The Main Topic of Each Paragraph free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RI.2.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.