Main Idea

One dinosaur had a brain that weighed about as much as three pencils.  Its body weighed ten tons and was over twenty feet in length.  As you can guess, this dinosaur did not think too clearly.  It wasn't the world's brightest dinosaur!  What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• How big one dinosaur was
• What one dinosaur's brain was like
• Why one dinosaur had a small brain

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

When we think of seaweed, we usually picture brown or green plants a foot or so in length.  Seaweeds are also of other colors.  Some are red.  Some kinds grow to lengths of a hundred feet!  These form giant seaweed forests, where many kinds of fish take shelter.  What is the main idea?

• Why some seaweed grows so large
• What seaweed is like
• Why seaweed is red

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

The range of a bird refers to the area over which it flies.  some birds are able to fly great distances, and range over almost the whole world.  Other birds have a very small range.  they travel over areas smaller than one hundred miles.  What is the main idea?

• Where to find a bird range
• Why birds like to travel
• How bird ranges differ

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

There are about 13,000 wild horses in our country.  Most are in the high lands of the Southwest.  The horses find great difficulty in getting food during the winter months.  Snow covers the grass and small bushes that they feed on.  Their numbers grow smaller each year.  What is the main idea?

• Where wild horses live
• Why grass and bushes can't be seen
• What is happening to our wild horses

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

A man from another country counted all the car accidents.  He found out that cars painted pink or any light hade seem to be safer.  The light colors are more easily seen.  Cars of two or three different colors may be even safer.   What is the main idea?

• Which color cars are safest
• How to paint a car
• What colors can't be seen

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Mrs. Gonzales likes to paint. She likes the pretty colors. She draws a picture first. Then she uses her paints. She gives her pictures to her son.

• Mrs. Gonzales does not paint well.
• Painting is fun.
• Mrs. Gonzales paints pictures.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.9

CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

There are 10 students in Ms. Smith class. They are good students. They do study and learn everyday. They improve their social skills. Sometimes they make a lot of noise.

• Students do homework.
• All children go to school.
• Ten students are in Ms. Smith class.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

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.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information very quickly. That's why they use pictures! The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

• Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is

• Pictures help weather reporters get information out fast

• Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short

• They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Mary has a new pet.  Her pet is a baby kitten.  It is soft and cuddly.  The kitten likes to sleep a lot.  Mary put a soft blanket in a box for its bed.  Mary plays with her kitten when it is awake.  She never forgets to feed her kitten.
What is the main idea?

• The kitten sleeps a lot.
• Mary plays with her kitten
• Mary’s new pet is a kitten.
• Mary want a new pet.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.5.2