Main Idea and Supporting Details

Gravity is the force that makes things fall to Earth. You can't see or touch it, but without gravity, life on Earth would be quite different. Everything would simply float away. If you jumped up, you would fly off into space. If you threw a baseball, it would never come down. Gravity is also the force that keeps the Earth orbiting around the sun. So, without gravity, the Earth might float away too. Main Idea?

• The Earth will float away.

• Baseballs would never come down.

• Life on Earth would be different without gravity

• If you jumped up, you would float away.

Dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean. Mammals are different than fish, reptiles, or birds. As a mammal, dolphins breathe oxygen, even though they live in water. Because they are mammals, a dolphin mother gives birth to a live baby, unlike reptiles and birds who lay eggs. A dolphin mother also feeds her baby milk like other mammals. Main Idea?

• A dolphin mother feeds her baby milk.

• Dolphins are smart.

• Dolphins are mammals.

Inside the volcano, there are hot liquid rocks called magma. It becomes lava when it comes out of the volcano. The lava that flows out of some volcanoes can reach up to 1,100 degrees. It's hot enough to burn you and in some cases, it can kill you. Other than lava, gases coming out of the volcano are poisonous to us. What are 2 supporting details?

• Volcanoes are hot.

• Lava comes out of a volcano.

• The lava that flows out of some volcanoes can reach 1,100 degrees.

Steel is a very important metal which is used for many things. In the United States, the automobile industry uses the most steel. Steel is used in putting up buildings. Cans and containers are made from steel. Steel is used to make farm and factory machines. What are 2 supporting details?

• Steel is used for putting up buildings.

• Steel is a very important metal.

• Cans and containers are made from steel.

There are about 2,000 kinds of bats. They come in many sizes. Bats are rather strange looking animals. They are soft and furry with large ears. Bats can't run or walk. They usually eat insects. Bats are the only mammals that fly.

"Bats are rather strange looking animals." Main idea or supporting detail?

• Main idea

• supporting detail

What is the main idea?

• the topic

• the lesson in a story

• what a passage is mostly about

What are supporting details?

• they tell more about the main idea

• what the passage is mostly about

• the lesson of the story

It's hard to imagine what things were like before there was money, but such a time did exist. During these times people exchanged goods using the barter system. The word barter means to trade. People using the barter system traded things instead of buying and selling them. So if you were a rice farmer, you would trade your rice with many people to get all the things that you wanted or needed. Unfortunately, the people from whom you needed things might not want your rice. Isn't it nice to just go to the store and buy candy instead of having to trade rice for it?

True or false? The main idea is, "Before money existed, people used a barter system."

• True

• False

It's hard to imagine what things were like before there was money, but such a time did exist. During these times people exchanged goods using the barter system. The word barter means to trade. People using the barter system traded things instead of buying and selling them. So if you were a rice farmer, you would trade your rice with many people to get all the things that you wanted or needed. Unfortunately, the people from whom you needed things might not want your rice. Isn't it nice to just go to the store and buy candy instead of having to trade rice for it?

Was this a stated or implied main idea?

• stated

• implied

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or bulls buck them off, 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. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business. What is the main idea?

• Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform.

• When cowboys dismount or bulls buck them off, rodeo clowns jump in front of bulls.

• Rodeo clowns protect the rider.