Main idea

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

Dolphins are very smart animals.  They even have their own language.   They talk to each other with clicks, whistles, and grunts.  Scientists have been studying this dolphin language.  They hope that in the future, people and dolphins will be able to talk to each other.This paragraph mainly tells:

• how dolphins talk to people
• how smart dolphins are 
• how dolpins are different from fish
• which scientists are studying languages

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

• Weekends are times to travel.
• The author enjoys spending time with her family.
• The author's grandparents live far away.
• The author is sad to leave her cousins.

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. 

What does the main 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

Key details give important information to support the main idea.

• True
• False

Main Idea:
Frogs are amazing jumpers.

What supporting detail would go with this main idea?

• Frogs use their tongue to catch flies.
• A tadpole is the name of a young frog.
• Frogs have long, powerful legs which help them leaplong distances.
• The Fire-belly Toad has slightly warty skin.

Narrative writing tells a story to.........the reader.

• Inform

• Explain

• Teach

• Entertain

What is the goal of writing a narrative?

• To create a masterpiece

• To have the reader make a choice

• To attract the readers at the beginning and keep them engaged all the way to the end

• To create an ending that is always funny

Which punctuation marks are used to let the reader know a character is speaking?

• Exclamation mark

• Quotation marks

• Dashes

• Commas