STAAR camp 2023 - central 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 central idea of the paragraph?

• Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is

• Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short

• Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way

• They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better! What is the central idea?

When we think of seaweed, we usually picture brown or green plants a foot or so in length.  Seaweeds are also of other colors.  Some are red.  Some kinds grow to lengths of a hundred feet!  These form giant seaweed forests, where many kinds of fish take shelter.  

What is the central idea of this selection?

• Seaweed has special characteristics.

• Some seaweed can grow to be very large.

• Seaweed is colorful.

When you want to hang the American flag over the middle of a street, suspend it vertically with the blue field (called the union) to the north and east-west street. When the flag is displayed with another banner from crossed staffs, the American flag is on the right. Place the staff of the American flag in front of the other staff. Raise the flag quickly and lower it slowly and respectfully. When flying the flag at half-mast, hoist it to the top of the pole for a moment before lowering it to mid-pole. When flying the American flag with banners from states or cities, raise the nation’s banner first and lower it last. Never allow the flag to touch the ground.

What is the central idea of this selection?

• The American flag has fifty stars.

• The flag should be lowered quickly and respectfully.

• American flag should be flown differently in certain situations.

• The American flag is the symbol of American freedom.

What is the central idea of a text?

• The main point

• All of the details

What will give you a major clue about the central idea of the text?

• its title

• reading the introduction

• noticing what the details describe

• all of these

That child, Barrett, is very curious. Which supporting evidence supports that the child, Barrett, is very curious.

• He was reciting the alphabet when he was only three years old. By age seven, he was doing math at a fourth-grade level. He skipped third and fifth grades.
• His favorite word is “NO!” He doesn’t start picking up his toys until the fifth or sixth time he is told. Mealtime is a battle to get him to eat properly.
• He has taken apart all the clocks in the house to see how they work. He borrowed his father’s hammer to break rocks because he “wanted to see what they looked like inside.” He is forever asking questions that start with “How” and “Why.”

What are the details in a text?

• Details support the central idea in a text

• Central idea supports the details in a text

• Details are not important in a text

The CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text needs to always be supported with...

• Supporting details

• The reader's opinion

• Reliable authors

• Concluding sentences

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the central idea of a text?

• Who is the main character?

• What is the significance of the main event?

• What is one important detail?

• What point is the author trying to make?