Main Idea

Which of the following is an example of a main idea of a book?

• Sparky, a dog who fights fires

• I read a story about Duke, a police dog.

• Slap Jake is my favorite comic book hero.

• Superpup is a brave beagle that fights crime in New York.

Which question would be most helpful for figuring out the main idea of a book?

• What is the main thing the author wants to say?

• Who is the author?

• What is my opinion?

• What else do I know about the subject?

The main idea of a book is "plants need sunlight to grow." Which of these is a detail that supports the main idea?

• My favorite kind of plant is the Venus fly trap.

• There are many different species of plants on the Earth.

• Plants that get more sunlight grow taller than plants that sit in the dark.

• Jessica sat in the sun and looked at her garden.

Insects are called "bugs" because they bother people. Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people. Some farmers buy ladybugs for their farms. Ladybugs eat other insects that eat crops. Farmers want the crops to grow. Some spiders also eat bugs that eat plants. Another bug that helps people is the honeybee. They don't eat plant-eating bugs, but bees pollinate flowers so that they grow. They also make honey, a natural sugar that many people love to eat.

Which sentence gives you the best clue about the main idea of this paragraph?

• Insects are called "bugs" because they bother people.

• Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people.

• Some farmers buy ladybugs for their farms.

• Another bug that helps people is the honeybee.

July 20, 1969 was an exciting day. This was the day the first astronauts stepped onto the moon. As the Apollo rocket circled the moon, a craft called the Eagle landed. The world watched on TV as the doors opened. Astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped down the ladder onto the dusty surface of the moon. "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind," he said. With these famous words, the first man took the first steps on the surface of the moon.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of this paragraph?

• The surface of the moon is dusty.

• The Apollo rocket circled the moon.

• Armstrong became the first man on the moon in 1969.

• The world likes to watch astronauts on television.

You might not know what a mascot is, but you've probably seen one. Some mascots are for products. Tony the Tiger is an example. He sells cereal. Schools also have mascots. Baseball teams, hockey teams and other sports teams have mascots. A mascot helps get the crowd involved. They entertain the crowd when the players are not playing. Mascots are fun!

Which sentence best describes the main idea of this paragraph?

• You might not know what a mascot is.

• Tony the Tiger is a mascot that sells cereal.

• There can be mascots for products, schools and sports teams.

• Some schools don't have mascots.