Central Idea of an Informational Text

Central Idea & Details

Informational Text

STAAR Question Stems

• What is the topic of the passage?

• What is the central idea of the passage?

• What is paragraph ___ mainly about?

• Which idea from the selection emphasizes _____?

• Which detail supports the idea that__?

• Which sentence best expresses paragraphs__?

• Which of the following will be the best title?

What is Central Idea?

• What the text is mostly about?

• Also known as:

• Main Idea

• Key Idea

• Controlling Idea

Central Idea

• The central idea is what the text is mostly about

• 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.

Central Idea

The central idea tells the most important thought about the topic.

Who? What about it?

Supporting Details

• are the sentences that describe the central idea

• The supporting details make the idea stronger.

• They may be facts, examples, explanations, definitions, or anecdotes.

• Supporting details are text evidence.

Multiple Choice

The CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text needs to always be supported with...

• Supporting details

• The reader's opinion

• Reliable authors

• Concluding sentences

Multiple Choice

What is another word for SUPPORTING DETAILS used to identify the CENTRAL IDEA of a text?

• Text Evidence

• Type of Conflict

• Climax

• Context Clues

Multiple Choice

What is the CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text?

• What the text is MOSTLY about.

• A full paragraph SUMMARY of a text.

• The meaning of an unknown word/phrase.

Multiple Choice

What is a topic?

• the writer's opinion about a text

• the general subject of a text

• a retelling of the most important ideas