Finding Central Idea

What is the central idea?

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.

What is the central 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.

What is the central idea?

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.

What is the central idea?

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.

What is the central idea?

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.

What is the central idea?

For years scientist have wanted to know the spider's secret. The threads of spider webs are so tiny, yet so strong. How can these threads be so strong? Now scientists have found out. The inside of the spider's thread is soft. It helps the web stretch without breaking. The outside of the web is hard and strong.

• Spider webs are soft on the inside.

• Scientist now know why spiders webs are so strong.

• Spiders confuse scientists.

• Spiders have secrets.

Which supporting detail would best fit into this paragraph?

In 2012, Instagram made its 26-year-old creators, Stanford grads Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, instant multimillionaires when they sold their app company to Facebook developer, Mark Zuckerberg, for $1 billion. In fact, all 13 employees became millionaires. How popular is the millionaire-making app? If you printed off the 21.9 billion photos uploaded to Instagram in a year, it would span 4,693 miles - farther than Orlando is from the North Pole!

• All 13 employees joined the company in its first year.

• Facebook is most popular among moms.

• Stanford University, like Harvard College, is an Ivy League school.

• Santa and the elves reside at the North Pole.

What is the topic of this paragraph?

Texting is the preferred method of communication for most teens 12-17. In fact, the number of texts sent daily increases with age. Twelve year olds typically send 20 text messages per day, most often just to "say hi'". That number increases to 50 messages per day, on average, for teens 14-17 years old. Girls in the 14-17 age group average over 3,000 texts per week. Given these facts, it's no wonder unlimited texting is a a must-have with a teen in the house.

• Communicating with teens.

• The texting habits of girls.

• Teen cell phone use.

• Teens and texting.

Emma desperately wanted the silky baby blue scarf that stared back at her from the shop window. When Mrs. Marple called to ask her to babysit, Emma knew this was her chance to earn the money to buy the scarf. After babysitting, Emma counted out her cash. She had enough to buy the scarf! The next afternoon, she raced to the store and bought the scarf, the perfect gift for her Mom!

What's the main idea of this passage?

• Emma is an excellent babysitter.

• Emma babysits regularly for Mrs. Marple.

• Babysitting helped Emma buy her Mom the perfect scarf.

• Emma was shopping for a gift for her Mom.

What is the central idea?

There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals. Males carry a venom cocktail in their ankle spurs that incapacitates victims with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal that uses electroreception. What this means is that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity produced by the muscular movements of its prey. The platypus neither sees, hears, nor smells its prey while hunting but, rather, pursues it through electroreception. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The platypus is an odd creature indeed.

• The platypus is an odd, poisonous creature.

• Platypus males have a poison ankle spur.

• Platypus can sense electricity

• The platypus neither sees, hears, nor smells its prey while hunting.