Practicing Main Idea and Summary Nonfiction

Main Idea Test Prep

We will learn how to notice nonfiction text features, as well as text structure clues, to figure out the main idea and key details of an article.

Open Ended

What do you already know about this topic?

Open Ended

What do you wonder about this topic?

Half close your Chromebook as I model reading the article to determine the main idea and key details.

You will read the final section, Listening to Bats in Flight.

Underline the key details from this section.

Open Ended

What are the most important details from the section, Listening to Bats in Flight?

Multiple Choice

What is the main idea of "How Bats 'See' at Night"?

• Bats do not make sounds when flying around looking for food at night.

• Bats use the echo of their sounds to find their way around at night.

• Bats, like owls, can see in only a little light.

• With equipment scientists were able to hear lots of squawks and chirps.

Multiple Choice

Which detail from the article best supports the answer to Part A? (Bats use the echo of their sounds to find their way around at night.)

• "At that time, no one knew how bats could fly in the dark."

• "Bats that could not speak also bumped into walls and other objects."

• "When an echo came back quickly it meant that something was in the way and close."

• "Then the two scientists put plugs in the bats' ears."