Main Idea and Themes assess

What does the MAIN IDEA of a story tell the reader?

• The most important idea about a topic or a story.

• The conflict of the story

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

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

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Look at this book cover, what do you think the main topic will be?

• cars, trains, planes

• barbie dolls

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.1

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

Now look at this book cover, what might one of your key details be?

• dolphins live in the ocean

• 2nd graders take a field trip to the YMCA

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.1

Not all animals that live in the water are fish. Frogs and tadpoles, for example, spend part of their lives in water. They are amphibians, not true fish. Whales and seals are warm-blooded mammals. Some snakes live partly in water too. What is the main idea?

• Which animals live in water

• Why whales live in water

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

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?

• What is happening to our wild horses

• Why grass and bushes can't be seen

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

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?

• Mary’s new pet is a kitten.

• Mary want a new pet.

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

During a baseball game, Tanner tried to tag a player leaving first base. When the umpire called the player out, Tanner immediately informed the umpire that he in fact did not tag the runner. Two weeks later, the very same umpire was at another one of Tanner’s baseball games. Tanner was playing short stop and tagged a runner as they approached third base. When the umpire called the player safe, Tanner didn’t say a word, but the umpire noticed the surprised look on Tanner’s face. “Did you tag the runner?” she asked Tanner. When Tanner told her that he did tag the runner, the umpire changed her decision and called the player out. The coaches and parents were furious, but the umpire stood by her decision.
What is the theme?

• You should cheat to win.
• Always work hard.
• It pays to be honest.
• Teamwork is best.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow bridge, he looked down and saw his reflection in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own. If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore. At last he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a foolish Dog he had been.
What is the theme?

• Be honest.
• Don't be greedy.
• Always share your things with others.
• Be respectful to others.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.9

CCSS.RL.6.2