Main Idea Practice

What is the main idea?

• The central idea of a story or text; what the text is mostly about

• The reason that an author wrote a text or passage

• Evidence provided to support the main idea

• The topic being discussed, described, or analyzed

What is the subject?

• The central idea of a story or text; what the text is mostly about

• The reason that an author wrote a text or passage

• Evidence provided to support the main idea

• The topic being discussed, described, or analyzed

What is the supporting evidence?

• The central idea of a story or text; what the text is mostly about

• The reason that an author wrote a text or passage

• Evidence provided to support the main idea

• The topic being discussed, described, or analyzed

FIND THE MAIN IDEA: When Americans think of earthquakes, they tend to think of California, a state known for its frequent seismic activity. In recent years, however, people in Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas have been feeling the ground shake more often. An increase in oil and gas drilling in these states has led to "human-induced" earthquakes—those resulting from human activity. When wastewater is disposed of during gas and oil drilling, the water is forced deep underground. The resulting buildup of pressure can cause fault lines (cracks in the earth's crust) to shift. According to Mark Petersen, head of the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake hazard mapping project, "In the past five years, the USGS has documented high shaking and damage in areas of these six states, mostly from induced earthquakes."

• An increase in oil and gas drilling has caused a corresponding increase in earth quakes in six states

• The resulting buildup of pressure can cause fault lines to shift

• Residents of six U.S. states have experienced an increase in earth quake activity in recent years

• Earth quakes in America happen primarily in the state of California, but can also happen in a few others

CREATE A TITLE FOR THE PASSAGE: Sir Isaac Newton was contemplating the universe in his garden one day in 1665 when he noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered to himself, “Why should the apple always fall to the ground? Why does it not go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth’s center?” After much contemplation Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth through a force that he called gravity, which means heaviness in Latin. On July 5^th, 1687 Newton formally expressed his law of universal gravitation in series of books called The Principia.

• An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

• What Newton Knew

• Look out below!

• Universal Oddities

WHAT IS THIS PASSAGE MOSTLY ABOUT?: The Masai of East Africa raise cattle for a living. Very little grain is raised in the area, so the people depend on the cattle for food. Most people drink a gallon of milk a day, and beef is a popular meat. Cow's blood is also used as food. It doesn't spoil, it provides protein and minerals, and it can be taken from cows while traveling.

• There is much grain in the world.

• Cows provide food for the Masai.

• People in different areas of the world eat odd foods.

• There are many different kinds of cattle raised by the Masai.

WHAT IS THIS PASSAGE MOSTLY ABOUT?: Native Americans dried strips of meat, pounded it into a paste, and then mixed it with fat. Sometimes they added berries and sugar. Then they pressed it into small cakes. They called these cakes pemmican. Pemmican didn't spoil, and it provided lots of energy for people traveling or going hunting. Today explorers still carry and eat this food.

• Who uses pemmican today

• How pemmican is prepared and used

• What can be put into pemmican

• Why people eat and store pemmican today

THIS STORY MAINLY TELLS. . .: Because lambs are sometimes eaten by coyotes, ranchers may hunt or trap the coyotes. However, killing coyotes may upset nature's balance. Scientists have found a way to protect sheep without killing coyotes. Coyotes are fed lamb meat treated with a drug. When they eat the meat, they get sick. Later, coyotes won't even go near lambs. They'll hunt rabbits instead.

• Why coyotes prefer rabbits to lambs.

• Why killing coyotes upsets nature's balance.

• How scientists help protect sheep and coyotes.

• What kinds of people don't like coyotes.

WHAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THE PASSAGE?: Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown are bakers.  They work at a store called Baked Goods to Go.  Mrs. Jones works nights.  She bakes cakes, cookies, and pies.  Mrs. Brown works in the daytime.  She bakes bread and rolls.  Both Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown are very good bakers.

• Jobs

• Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Brown

• Pies

• Baked Goods to Go

WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF THIS PASSAGE?: "Are you already done, son?" his father asked. "It seems like you just got in the water." Jacob was finished with his bath in less than two minutes. He got his body and hair wet, rubbed some grape scented shampoo on his hair, washed his body with soap, and quickly rinsed it off. He liked to take fast baths so he would have more time to play. In fact, Jacob never took a long bath. To him, the faster the bath, the better.

• Jacob is very clean.

• Jacob likes to take fast showers.

• Jacob uses grape scented shampoo.

• Jacob never took showers.