Main Idea

Explain the differences between the Main Idea and a Summary.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Recognizing Main Ideas and Supporting Details

The ​ ​ (a)   of a paragraph is ​ (b)   in the paragraph--what the paragraph is all about.

• main idea
• most important

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Imagine Benjamin, Elijah, and Evelyn are exploring the deep ocean and come across lantern fish. Read the paragraph and select the main idea.

Lantern fish live near the bottom of the ocean where it is very dark, so they carry their own lights. The lights look like tiny glowing pearls. They are called photophores. A lantern fish can flash its photophores on and off. A lantern fish gives off enough light to light up a dark room.

• Lantern Fish live near bottom of the ocean.

• Lantern fish produce light only in the daylight.

• Lantern fish give off light.

• Lantern fish are like glowing pearls.

Hey Grace, Elijah, and Benjamin! Let's learn about a fascinating insect. Read the paragraph and then select the main idea.

A backswimmer has a rounded back and its underside is flat. When it floats on its back, it looks like a little boat. It rows itself along in the water using its two hind legs like oars. The backswimmer is an insect that spends most of its time upside down.

• Upside down insect

• The Backswimmer swims upright.

• Backswimmers swim upside down.

• Backswimmers eat oars.

Imagine Mia, Grace, and Isla are at a party in Mexico. Read the paragraph and select the main idea.

During parties in Mexico, children like Mia, Grace, and Isla are blindfolded and given a stick. They use the stick to try to break a piñata. The piñata, a decorated container filled with candy and small treats, is an important festival tradition. Piñatas are made in many shapes. The special containers are suspended by ropes. As children take turns trying to hit the piñata, the rope is used to raise and lower it, to make breaking it even harder. When the piñata is broken, children scramble for the goodies.

• The Piñatas

• Piñatas are special Mexican party items.

• Mexican party items.

• Party items that are used in Mexico.

Match the following

• The topic of a text. What the text is about.

• Main Idea

• the person or thing the passage is about--usually one or two words

• Subject

• A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

• Conclusion

• an ending or wrap-up for your writing

• Topic

• the central or most important idea about a topic that the writer wants to communicate to readers.

• Analogy

James, Abigail, and Emma are discussing a topic. They want to know what information or facts that support or add more to the main idea are called. Can you help them?

• Supporting Details

• Details

• Facts

• Objective Summary

Noah, James, and Grace are discussing a story they just read. They want to identify the main idea of the story. What's another name for the main idea that they should look for?

• plot

• subject

• central idea

• conflict

Hurricanes are large, intense storms that begin over the ocean, where they gather heat and energy from the water. Hurricanes move slowly toward land, usually moving 10-20 miles per hour for more than one week. The most dangerous part of the hurricane is the storm surge, when it reaches land and causes flooding. Wind and waves also contribute to the damage caused by these surges.

What is the main (central) idea?

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Match the following

• information or facts that support or add more to the main idea

• Support

• to bear or hold up; serve as a foundation for*any material that serves to prove a claim

• Supporting Details

• Facts, statistics, examples, stories, quotations, definitions, reasons, comparisons which support yo

• Details

• a summary free from opinions or bias.

• objective summary

• something that actually exists and can be proven true

• Facts