Main idea & details

Main idea & details

Main Idea/Central Idea & Details

When you read a story or passage, there is a lot of information to remember. The small pieces of information you read are called details. What the passage (or part of the passage) is mostly about is the main idea/central idea.

Details

Can tell you who, what, where, when, why, how much, or how many. Even one sentence can have a lot of details.

Read the sentence below.

On Monday, when it was cold and windy, it snowed outside.

* Think about what details are in the sentence.

~It was cold on Monday.

~It was windy on Monday.

~When it was cold and windy, it snowed.

~It snowed on Monday.

~It snowed outside.

Main Idea/Central idea

answers the question "What is this mostly about?" There can only be one main idea.

Now, read the sentence below.

On Monday, when it was cold and windy, it snowed outside.

*Think about all of the details in the sentence. What is the sentence mostly about?

~The details in the sentence all have to do with weather. They tell you what the weather was like on Monday. The main idea or central idea of the sentence is " What the weather was like on Monday."

I Model: Read the sentences and follow along.

A dolphin is a mammal that lives in the water.

Where do dolphins live?

Think about the details in the sentence:

~a dolphin is a mammal

~a dolphin lives in the water

The details tells me that dolphins live in the water.

A fish is a type of animal that has fins and gills.

What type of animal has gills?

Think about the details in the sentence.

~a fish is an animal

~a fish has fins

~a fish has gills

The details tell you that a fish has gills.

Animals such as lizards and snakes are called reptiles.

What is one example of an animal that is a reptile?

Think about the details in the sentence.

~Some animals are reptiles

~lizards are reptiles

~snakes are reptiles

The details tell you that lizards and snakes are examples of animals that are reptiles.

Guided Practice:

Below are sentences from the last slide. Read them again and answer the question that follows.

Multiple Choice

A dolphin is a mammal that lives in the water. A fish is a type of animal that has fins and gills. Animals such as lizards and snakes are called reptiles.

This information would most likely appear in a passage titled......

• Living in the Ocean

• Dolphins Are Not Fish

• All About Animals

• A Very Special Animal

Poll

How confident are you about distinguishing between main ideas and details?

• very confident

• very confused