Central Idea, Supporting Details, and Roots

The definition of a topic is

• a sentence in a passage that states the main idea of the passage

• a statement that tells what the passage is mostly about

• more narrow ideas, evidence, examples, details, and elaboration

• the general subject the passage is about, usually one or two words

A topic sentence is

• a sentence in a passage that states the main idea of the passage

• a statement that tells what the passage is mostly about

• more narrow ideas, evidence, examples, details, and elaboration

• the general subject the passage is about, usually one or two words

What does the main idea of a story tell the reader?

• a specific detail from the story

• The conflict of the story

• What the passage is mostly about

• The universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express

What are supporting details?

• more narrow ideas, evidence, examples, details, and elaboration

• what the passage is mostly about

• the general subject of the passage

• a sentence in the passage that states the main idea

Key details give important information to support the main idea.

• True
• False

Jenny visited her grandmother in the hospital.  She saw how kind and helpful the nurses were to her grandmother.  Now she wants to be a nurse when she grows up.  She wants to help sick people get well. 
What is the main idea?

• Jenny got sick.
• Jenny wants to be a nurse.
• Her grandmother was in the hospital.
• Jenny was glad the nurses were being kind to her grandmother.

Mount Rushmore is a huge carving in a stone cliff. The carving shows the faces of four U.S. presidents. They are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota. Each year many people visit this amazing sight.

What is a detail that tells about the main idea?

• how the four presidents were chosen

• why Mount Rushmore is in South Dakota

• which presidents are at Mount Rushmore

Landon wanted to be a great skater. But he didn't want to spend the hours practicing. He wished he could just do the tricks easily. Landon's dream was to have everyone stop and stare when he entered the skate park. He wanted them to say, "Landon is the best skater in the whole world."

What is the main idea?

• Landon wants everyone to think he's a great skater without doing the hard work.

• Landon practices very hard to become a great skater.

• Landon is the best skater at the park.

• Landon wants to learn how to skate so he can compete.

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.

What is one supporting details from the text?
Mother gorillas do a lot for their babies. They nurse their babies. They protect them from danger. And they teach the tiny gorillas how to get along with other gorillas.

• Mother gorillas do a lot for their babies.
• They teach the tiny gorillas how to get along with other gorillas.
• Baby gorillas need their mothers a lot.
• Mother gorillas prefer to keep their babies safe.