Central idea

What is a topic?

• the writer's opinion about a text
• the general subject of a text
• the details that explain the text
• a retelling of the most important ideas

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

What does the central idea of a story tell the reader?

• a specific detail from the story
• The conflict of the story
• What the story is about 
• The universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What text features can give you a clue of what the main idea is?

• Title
• Headings
• Pictures
• All of these

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

• Who is the main character?
• What is the main event?
• What is one important detail?
• What point is the author trying to make?

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

We often let others know what we are thinking without using words. The name that we give for this kind of communication is body language. Body language includes gestures, facial expressions, and posture. Body language does not always mean the same thing to everyone.
What is the main idea of the paragraph?

• We sometimes use words to express ourselves.
• Body language may not mean the same thing to everyone.
• We use body language to communicate with others.
• Body language includes gestures, facial expression, and posture.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

 Imagine testing glass by throwing chickens at it? Sometimes fast moving airplanes fly through flocks of birds. If the birds hit the windshield of a plane, the glass could shatter and cause a crash. Airplane manufacturers have made a chicken cannon that fires rubber chickens at glass windshields. If the windshield doesn't break when the rubber chicken hits it, the designers know that the glass can withstand the force of a real crash.

• Why birds can be dangerous to airplanes
• How a chicken cannon checks glass
• How the Chicken cannon works
• How big a bird can hit a plane and bring it down

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Find the central idea

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business

• Being a clown isn't all fun and games.

• Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

• Rodeos are exciting.

• Clowns are good at riding bulls.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Most people think that gorillas are mean, but actually they are shy. It seems that such a huge animal with very large teeth would be aggressive. Hollywood movies help convey this image of the scary, ferocious gorilla. In fact, gorillas only attack if they are provoked. 
This author belives that:

• Gorillas are misunderstood as vicious animals.
• Gorillas are mean animals
• Gorillas don't like other animals.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.6

CCSS.RI.6.9

CCSS.RI.7.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

Though forks were first used in China thousands of years ago, it took a long time for them to make their way to what is now the United States. 
Ancient Greeks began using forks after the Chinese. However, they did not use forks for eating. They used them for serving food. From Greece, forks moved to the Roman Empire. Romans first used long forks for cooking and serving. By the 300s, they began using table forks to feed themselves. 
The table fork spread from there to what is now the Middle East and Turkey, before arriving in Italy and becoming popular in the 1000s. It stayed popular in southern Europe, but was not used much in northern Europe until it first became popular in France and Spain in the 1700s. 
The table fork arrived in England from France before making its way to the North American colonies, where it first became popular shortly before the American Revolution.

• The fork changed after arriving in the Roman Empire.
• Roman forks were longer than Greek and Chinese forks.

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

Because lambs are sometimes eaten by coyotes, ranchers may hunt or trap the coyotes. However, killing coyotes may upset nature's balance. Scientists have found a way to protect sheep without killing coyotes. Coyotes are fed lamb meat treated with a drug. When they eat the meat, they get sick. Later, coyotes won't even go near lambs. They'll hunt rabbits instead.

This story mainly tells.....

• Coyotes prefer rabbits to lambs.

• Killing coyotes upsets nature's balance.

• Scientists are trying to protect sheep and coyotes.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2