Main Idea

Main Idea

What is main idea?

Main Idea

• The main point the author is making

• Supported by details in the text

• All information in the paragraph should connect to the main idea

• Some information is not as important

Hints to identifying the main idea

• Determine what is the topic of the paragraph. The topic is usually repeated multiple times.

• Read to find any details related to that topic once you have read the passage. 

Try it Out!!!

On the next slide you will read a passage and will be asked to identify the main idea of the paragraph. Please choose the correct answer

Open Ended

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the surface of the moon, but they were not the last. That was Gene Cernan, the last man to step off the lunar surface. In total there have been twelve men who have walked on the moon, all of whom had done so between 1969 and 1972, which is the most recent non-Michael Jackson moon walking. What are some supporting details that are related to the topic? Type your answers below.

Multiple Choice

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the surface of the moon, but they were not the last. That was Gene Cernan, the last man to step off the lunar surface. In total there have been twelve men who have walked on the moon, all of whom had done so between 1969 and 1972, which is the most recent non-Michael Jackson moon walking. What is the main idea?

• People who walked on the moon

• Armstrong & Aldrin

  First Men on the Moon

• Cernan was the

  Last Man on the Moon

• 12 Men Have Walked

  On the Moon

Try it Out

In the previous slides, you followed steps to identifying the main idea. The next few slides are going to test your skills at identifying the main idea.

Multiple Choice

When one hears the term "reality" applied to a show, one might expect that the events portrayed occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted. This is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be "reality." Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of "reality" television claim that the participants were urged to act out story lines premeditated by producers. With such accusations floating around, it's no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom. What is the main idea?

• Reality TV isn't always real.

• Most people on reality TV aren't rich.

• Reality TV makes everyone a star.

• Reality TV shows are like sitcoms.

Multiple Choice

It is estimated that over twenty million pounds of candy corn are sold in the US each year. Brach’s, the top manufacturer, sells enough candy corn to circle the earth 4.25 times if each piece were laid end to end. That’s a lot of candy corn, but that’s nothing compared to the production of Tootsie Rolls. Over 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced every day! But even Tootsie Rolls have got nothing on the candy industry’s staple product: chocolate. Confectioners manufacture over twenty billion pounds of chocolate in the United States each year. Now that’s a mouthful! What is the main idea of the paragraph?

• How much popular candies are produced.

• Tootsie Rolls are considered America's favorite candies

• People eat a lot of candy each year.

• Chocolate has been voted the world's favorite candy.

Multiple Choice

Screech! When a driver pushes on the brake pedal, it initiates a process that causes the vehicle to stop in motion. We literally trust braking systems with our lives every time we get into a vehicle or cross at a busy intersection. How does this life-critical process work? It begins when the pedal is pushed. At this moment brake fluid is released into the braking mechanisms. As the fluid collects, this creates a leverage, which causes a friction to be applied. This friction will create a force that will cause the wheels to stop and allow you to reach your destination safely. Beep! Beep! What is the main idea?

• Ho a braking system works on a car.

• Driving a car is easy when it works properly.

• Riding a bike and driving a car are the same.

• Brake fluid is important when driving a car.

Let's Review

Reviewing Main Idea

Multiple Select

Should the reader try to identify the topic while reading the text to determine the main idea?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Identifying details while reading the text is great. When identifying main idea the details should ________ the topic.

• support

• important

• random

• detail

Poll

How confident are you at identifying the main idea?

• Very confident

• Somewhat confident

• Confident/Not confident (neutral)

• Not Confident at all

Thank you!

You are on your way to becoming a better reader!

Match

Match the following terms with their meanings:

• A word that has a similar meaning as another word

• A word that has the opposite meaning of another word

• What the story is mostly about

• The information that supports the main idea of a text

Synonym

Antonym

Main Idea

Supporting Details

• Synonym

• Antonym

• Main Idea

• Supporting Details