Finding the Main Idea

Benjamin Franklin loved to write. When he was twenty-two, he set up his own printing shop and started a newspaper. He also printed a book called Poor Richard’s Almanac. It had funny stories, information about the weather, and wise sayings.

• Benjamin Franklin loved to write stories and books.

• Benjamin Franklin worked very hard when he was young.

• Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about the weather.

• Benjamin Franklin was very poor.

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Benjamin Franklin loved the city of Philadelphia.  He started the city’s first hospital and fire department.  Ben also started Philadelphia’s first public library. Benjamin Franklin worked very hard to make Philadelphia a better place to live.

• Benjamin Franklin worked hard to make his city a great 
         place to live. 
• Benjamin Franklin worked for the fire department.  
• Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about books.
• Benjamin Franklin went to school in Philedelphia.

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Benjamin Franklin was very interested in electricity.  One day he tried a very dangerous experiment to prove that lightning was electricity.  He attached a key to a kite string and flew the kite during a thunderstorm.  When the lightning hit the kite, sparks flew from the key.  Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning was electricity.

• Benjamin Franklin liked to play in the rain.
• Benjamin Franklin performed an experiment that proved
  lightning was electricity. 
• Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about thunderstorms.
• Benjamin Franklin invented a new kind of kite.

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Benjamin Franklin invented many things that made life easier in the late 1700’s.  He invented the lightning rod that saved many homes from fires.  He also invented the Franklin stove.  The stove could heat a room better than a fireplace and saved people a lot of fuel.  He also invented a special kind of glasses called bifocals.  This new kind of glasses helped people to read better.

• Benjamin Franklin thought reading was important.
• Benjamin Franklin was not afraid of fire.
• Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor.
• A Franklin stove can heat a whole room.

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There are several events that can change the Earth's surface very quickly. Volcanoes can erupt and spread lava, rock and ash for several miles.  Earthquakes can leave large cracks in the Earth's surface.

• Several events can change the Earth's surface.
• Earthquakes can cause large cracks. 
• Volcanoes can be dangerous.

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Most of the world's volcanoes are part of the "The Ring of Fire." This is a ring of volcanoes that form a circle around the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of volcanoes make up "The Ring of Fire." These volcanoes formed the sea floor and many underwater mountains.

• There are thousands of volcanoes in the world.
• Most volcanoes are part of the "Ring of Fire."
• Some underwater mountains are volcanoes.  

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Earthquakes are caused when the plates of the Earth's crust move. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth’s crust. When the plates in the Earth suddenly shift, the Earth will begin to shift, shake or tremble.

•  Earthquakes occur on "fault lines."
• Earthquakes cause a lot of damage.  
• Earthquakes are caused when the plates of the Earth's crust
        move.

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Scientists can measure the intensity of an earthquake. They use an instrument called the Richter scale. The Richter scale compares the strength of different earthquakes. Earthquakes  below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake and can cause tremendous damage.

• Scientists can measure the intensity of an earthquake.
• Strong earthquakes can cause lots of damage.
•  Some earthquakes are very small. 

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Floods can cause tremendous damage.  They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind.  It can take months to clean up after a flood.

• Floods can cause a lot of damage.
• Floods cause mudslides.
• Floods damage houses and roads. 

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The earth's surface is constantly changing.  All over the world everyday there are earthquakes, floods and volcanoes that quickly change our world. Some changes are too small to see.  Others cause tremendous damage and costs millions of dollars to clean up.

• It is expensive to clean up the damage
• Sometimes we can't see the changes.   
• The Earth's surface is always changing.

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