Use these “Inclusive Big Ideas” to plan grade-level standards-based lessons for all students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities. Grab your colleague and start by finding the standard that you are teaching and then browse the resource to:

  • Spark ideas for instructional strategies and activities
  • Align lesson content and instruction while removing common barriers to student learning
  • Identify essential content, concepts, and vocabulary related to standards
  • Integrate cross-curricular connections and evidence-based practices that optimize engagement

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111 results.
  • Describe the central message or theme; Summarize a text

    Grade 3: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text. RL.3.2

  • Determine the main topic of a text; Summarize a text

    Grade 3: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. RI.3.2

  • Describing the central message or theme

    Grade 4: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. RL.4.2

  • Determine the main topic of a text; Summarize a text

    Grade 4: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. RI.4.2

  • Describe the central message or theme; Summarize a text

    Grade 5: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. RL.5.2

  • Determine the main topic of a text; Summarize a text

    Grade 5: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text. RI.5.2

  • Describe the central message or theme; Summarize a text

    Grade 6: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. RL.6.2

  • Determine the main topic of a text; Summarize a text

    Grade 6: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. RI.6.2

  • Describe the central message or theme; Summarize a text

    Grade 7: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.7.2

  • Determine the main topic of a text; Summarize a text

    Grade 7: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.7.2

  • Describe the central message or theme; Summarize a text

    Grade 8: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.8.2

  • Determine the main topic of a text; Summarize a text

    Grade 8: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text. RI.8.2

  • Use details to describe key elements of a text

    Grade 1: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text. RI.1.3

  • Use details to describe key elements of a text

    Grade 1: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details. RL.1.3

  • Describe how characters change over the course of a text

    Grade 2: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. RL.2.3

  • Use details to describe key elements of a text

    Grade 2: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text. RI.2.3

  • Describe how characters cause change over the course of a text

    Grade 3: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. RL.3.3

  • Describe characters, settings, or events in a text

    Grade 4: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). RL.4.3

  • Compare and contrast characters, settings, or events in a text

    Grade 5: English Language Arts - Reading Literature

    Standard: Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). RL.5.3

  • Use details to explain the relationship between key elements of a text

    Grade 5: English Language Arts - Reading Informational Text

    Standard: Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. RI.5.3

Inclusive Big Ideas: Standards-based resources for inclusive classrooms | TIES Center

The Inclusive Big Ideas were adapted from resources created by the NCSC Project , a federal grant from the US Department of Education (PR/Award #: H373X100002), However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education and no assumption of endorsement by the Federal government should be made.