Central idea

Central Idea & details

Learning Objective

I will be able to determine the central idea of a text by describing what it is mostly about and citing supporting evidence

I Will Know I'm Successful When I Can

• Identify the topic of the text

• Identify what the text is mostly about

• Determine the main idea based on the supporting text evidence

Multiple Choice

What do you know?

What is the central idea of a text?

• The central idea is the same as the topic.

• The central idea is what the text is mostly about.

• The central idea is all of the details about the topic.

Multiple Choice

What do you know?

What is the topic of a text?

• A sentence explaining the main idea.

• Who or what the text is about.

• All the details about the text.

Central Idea is...

• ​what a text is mostly about

• SPECIFIC and EXACT

• different from topic

• it is supported by facts, examples, details, and explanations.

​How do I find the central idea?

​

• repeated words

• titles, headings, subheadings

• topic sentence and concluding sentence

• examples

• facts, details, explanations

​Topic is.....

• ONE or TWO words about the whole text

• the GENERAL SUBJECT of the text (who or what it is about)

​The Moon orbits around Earth. It takes the moon 27 days to make one trip around Earth. This is one orbit. During this time, the Moonʼs appearance viewed from Earth keeps changing. Sometimes, it appears as a full circle (Full Moon). At other times, it looks like it has been cut in half! The Moon orbits around Earth very closely. Itʼs gravity pulls on Earth. This affects the water on Earth by creating tides.

Fill in the Blank

What is the TOPIC of the passage you just read?

Multiple Choice

What is the CENTRAL IDEA of the passage you read?

• The Moon's appearance changes.

• Gravity affects the water on Earth.

• The Moon takes 27 days to make one orbit.

• The Moon orbits around Earth.

​

Chris Valdez knows what it's like to be homeless. Chris ran away from his abusive family at age four. He slept in a dump in Cravite City, in the Philippines. When he was seven, Chris was rescued. A social worker rescued Chris after he fell into a pile of burning tires, badly burning his arms.

​

Let's Practice - What is the CENTRAL IDEA?

Multiple Choice

What is the central idea of the previous paragraph?

• Chris was rescued by a social worker.

• Chris knows what it's like to be homeless.

• Chris's family was abusive.

• Chris lived at a dump.

​

Let's try another. What's the central idea? This one is a little harder.

​

Chris now has a home and an adoptive family. He lives with the social worker who rescued him. And he's helping kids still stuck on the streets where he used to live. By age eight, he founded Championing Community Children. This group distributes clothing and toiletries to thousands of homeless kids in Cravite City.

Multiple Choice

What's the central idea of the previous paragraph?

• Chris founded Championing Community Children.

• Chris now has a home and an adoptive family.

• He lives with the social worker who rescued him.

• His group distributes clothing and toiletries to thousands of homeless children in Cravite City.

​

Now for the details.

• The details in a paragraph should support the central idea.

• Details are proof that you have the correct central idea.

​

Let's look at paragraph 1 again.

What details support the central idea that Chris knows what it's like to be homeless?

​

Chris Valdez knows what it's like to be homeless. Chris ran away from his abusive family at age four. He slept in a dump in Cravite City, in the Philippines. When he was seven, Chris was rescued. A social worker rescued Chris after he fell into a pile of burning tires, badly burning his arms.

Multiple Select

Which details supports the central idea that Chris knows what it's like to be homeless?

• He lived in a nice house with a great family.

• He slept in a dump in Cravite City.

• He ran away from his abusive family at age 4.

• By age 8 he founded Champion Community Children.

Poll

How do you feel about identifying central idea?

• I need help

• Not great

• Somewhere in the middle

• Great