Main Idea Nonfiction

 Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach.  Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed.  Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun.  It is also fun to look for shells.  Some people simply like to sunbathe. There are many fun things to do at the beach.
What is the main idea?

• There are many fun things to do at the beach.
• It is also fun to look for shells.
• Some people simply like to sunbathe.
• Going to the beach to swim can be fun.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Elephants use their trunks for many things. Elephants use their trunks to smell. In fact, elephants can smell better than bloodhounds. Baby elephants sometimes suck their trunks to soothe themselves the way human babies suck their thumbs. Elephants do not drink with their trunks. They use their trunks to suck up water and then pour it in their mouths. Elephants also greet each other with their trunks the way humans do by shaking hands.
What is the main idea?

•  How much water elephants drink
• Where elephants live
• Elephants use the their trunks for many things.
• Elephants use their trunks to smell. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Can you imagine not having a television? Before the 1920’s there were no televisions. The first television set was invented by a 21 year old man named Philo Farnsworth. Farnsworth demonstrated the first moving picture in San Francisco in 1927. Even though it was only a simple, straight line, this was the beginning of electronic television as we know it. 
What is the main idea?

•  The invention of television
• Hobbies before 1920
• Who lives in San Francisco
• Philo Farnsworth invented the first television.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

There are several ways to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. Crocodiles are bigger than alligators and have pointed snouts. Alligators have wide snouts. Wild crocodiles are found all over the world, but wild alligators are only found in the United States and China. Another way to tell the difference is to look at their mouths. When a crocodile’s mouth is closed, the fourth tooth sticks out of its mouth.
What is the main idea?

• Where crocodiles live 
•  Differences in crocodiles and alligators
•  Dangers of crocodiles and alligators
• Crocodiles are bigger than alligators.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Sharks can lose up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime. Sharks have teeth arranged in rows inside their mouths. These teeth do not have roots like human teeth do, so they fall out easily. When a shark takes a powerful bite into its food, several teeth are lost. When these teeth are lost, new ones push forward from the back rows to replace them. Luckily, sharks continually grow new teeth to replace the thousands they lose.
What is the main idea?

• What shark teeth look like
• Sharks lose many teeth over their lifetime.
• Sharks are carnivorous predators. 
• Sharks grow new teeth.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Do you ever wonder what makes gum so chewy? Gum has been around for about 3,000 years. Until the 1940’s, gum was made out of chicle, a type of tree sap. Flavorings were added during the 1860’s to make gum taste better. Now, gum makers use a soft, chewy, and edible type of rubber-like substance to make gum. 
What is the main idea?

• Flavorings were added in the 1860s.
• Types of tree sap
•  The different flavors of gum
• What gum is made of

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. 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. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. 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 in a fast way
• 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.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What is the difference between Main Idea and Supporting Details?

• Main Idea is the end, and Supporting Details are the beginning.
• Main Idea is what the passage is about, and Supporting Details help describe/explain the Main Idea.
• Main Idea is in every passage, but Supporting Details are only in some. 
• Main Idea is what supports the supporting details. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

Floods can cause tremendous damage.  They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind.  It can take months to clean up after a flood.
 What is the main idea?

• Floods can cause a lot of damage.
• Floods cause mudslides.
• Floods damage houses and roads. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

The earth's surface is constantly changing.  All over the world everyday there are earthquakes, floods and volcanoes that quickly change our world. Some changes are too small to see.  Others cause tremendous damage and costs millions of dollars to clean up.
What is the main idea?

• It is expensive to clean up the damage
• Sometimes we can't see the changes. 
• The Earth's surface is always changing.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2