Central Idea Task Cards

People who study plants start by looking at the plants. They compare what they see. They later move on to more complicated things. We can compare different plants using our eyes. When we compare plants, it is sometimes easier to use the different plant structures. These structures can be used to compare plants. We can look at the stems, for example. The stems of the banana palm and the basil plant are different. The basil plant has a thin green stem. The banana palm has a thick brown woody bark covering its thick trunk.

What is the central idea?

• There are special people who study plants.

• You can compare plants by looking at them.

• Plans have different structures.

• A banana palm is different from a basil plant.

A spoiled princess reluctantly befriends the Frog Prince. She met the prince after dropping a gold ball into a pond. He retrieves it for her in exchange for her friendship. The Frog Prince magically transforms into a handsome prince. The frog's spell was broken when the princess threw him against the wall. The Frog Prince also has a loyal servant named Henry. He had three iron bands around his heart. The bands were to prevent it from breaking. He was extremely sad over his master's curse. Henry is overwhelmingly happy when the Frog Prince becomes human again. This causes all three bands to break, freeing his heart from its bonds.

What is the central idea?

• The princess kisses the frog.

• The frog is cursed.

• The princess does not like the frog.

• The frog turns back into a prince.

When airplanes were yet to be invented, the only way to soar through the sky was to ride in a hot-air balloon. A hot air balloon is just like those you ride in amusement parks. They work the same way: using the differences in density to hurl the balloon up. How exactly? Did you know that a hot-air balloon has to be heated before it flies? This is because the particles inside the balloon are just as dense as the particles outside the balloon at the beginning. However, as soon as the particles are heated, they move more quickly, and as they bump into each other more often, they become less close together. As less close together things float, the balloon will rise.

What is the central idea?

• Hot-air balloons were like planes.

• Hot-air balloons are a fun ride.

• Hit-air balloons rise with heat.

• Hot-air balloons have particles.

Tails help an animal to move and swing. Monkeys, for example, balance in the trees, and kangaroos use their tails to balance while they jump. Crocodiles use their tails to spin them around and around when they need to catch their prey, while scorpions often have poison in their tails. Beavers use their powerful tails to pat ground down hard and solid. Almost all fish use their tails for swimming and to steer their movement. Whales, dolphins, sharks, and many others use their tail as a sort of rudder to steer them in a certain direction. Birds' tails are very important for steering as well.

Which sentence from the passage supports the central idea that tails are helpful to many animals?

• Tails help an animal move and swing.

• Monkeys, for example, balance in the trees and kangaroos use their tails to balance while they jump.

• Crocodiles use their tails to spin them around and around when they need to catch their prey, while scorpions often have poison in their tails.

A poor hardworking shoemaker and his wife need money to pay the rent. He gives away the last pair of shoes he has to a needy lady.

He has leather to make one more pair of shoes. He cuts out the pieces of leather before going to bed so that he can sew them into a pair of shoes in the morning. Three elves come in the night and make the pair of shoes which he sells for more than his asking price. He uses that money to pay the rent, buy food, and more leather. He feeds a poor traveler. He has just enough money to buy enough leather for two pairs of shoes. He cuts the pieces of leather for two pairs and goes to bed. The elves come again and make two pairs of shoes. He gives away one pair to a needy person and sells the other pair. He buys leather for three pairs and stays up to find the elves making the shoes. The shoemaker and wife make clothes for the elves the next day, but the elves are freed when given clothes, so they leave, and the shoemaker and his wife never see them again.

Which detail supports the central idea that the elves help the shoemaker?

• He cuts out pieces of leather before going to bed

• so that he can sew them into a pair of shoes in the morning.

• Three elves come in the night and make the pair of shoes

• which he sells for moth than his asking price.

Some animals have stronger senses than humans. Dogs, for example, have powerful noses. Sniffer dogs help find people who are trapped. They tell the rescue workers where the victims are. These dogs also smell bombs and alert the police. Eagles and hawks have extremely sharp eyes. This helps them see small rodents from far away. Elephants and cats can hear sounds that humans cannot. Bats and dolphins have echolocation. They can send out sound waves. These waves help find prey.

Which sentence supports the central idea that many animals have stronger sense than humans?

• Some animals have stronger senses than humans.

• Dogs, for example, have powerful noises.

• Bats and dolphins have echolocation.

Water is a liquid. Liquids are an in between state of matter. They can be found in between the solid and gas states. One characteristic of a liquid is that it will fill up the shape of a container. Pour some water into a cup. You will see the water take the shape of the cup. The top part of a liquid will usually have a flat surface. Now put an ice cube (solid) into a cup. You will see the cube in the middle of the cup. The shape won't change until the ice becomes a liquid. Another trait of liquids is that they are difficult to compress. When you compress something, you force it into a smaller space. Solids are very difficult to compress. Gases, for example, are very easy. Liquids are in the middle. But they tend to be difficult too. When you compress something, you force the atoms closer together. Liquids already have their atoms close together. Therefore, they are hard to compress.

What is the central idea?

• Liquids are an in-between state of matter.

• Liquids take the shape of its container and are hard to compress.

• Water is an example of a type of liquid.

• Liquids are hard to compress because the atoms are closer together.

Gases are everywhere. The atmosphere is a big layer of gas. This gas surrounds the Earth. Gases can fill a container of any size or shape. That is one of their physical characteristics. Think about a balloon. It could be any shape. It will still be evenly filled with the gas particles. Liquids can only fill the bottom of the container. While gases can fill it entirely. Compared to liquids and solids, gases can also be compressed easily. For example, you might see compressed air in a spray bottle. Or feel the carbon dioxide rush out of a can of soda. Those are both examples of gas forced into a smaller space. The gas escapes the first chance it gets.

What is the central idea?

• Gases are usually found in balloons.

• Gases can be found in the Earth's atmosphere.

• Gases fill an entire container and can be compressed.

• Gases try to escape the first chance it gets.

There are many simple things we can do to save water. First, just by turning off the tap while you brush your teeth in the morning and before bedtime, you can save up to 8 gallons of water! That adds up to more than 200 gallons a month, enough to fill a huge fish tank that holds six small sharks! The same is true when you wash dishes. Turn off the tap! Scrape your dirty dishes into the trash—then put them in the dishwasher. Second, taking a shower uses much less water than filling up a bathtub. A shower only uses 10 to 25 gallons, while a bath takes up to 70 gallons! If you do take a bath, be sure to plug the drain right away and adjust the temperature as you fill the tub. To save even more water, keep your shower under five minutes long—try timing yourself with a clock next time you hop in!

Which sentence supports the central idea that two simple steps can save water?

• There are many simple things we can do to save water.

• That adds up to more than 200 gallons a month.

• Taking a shower uses much less water than filling up a bathtub.

The chapter opens with Alice growing so large her head hits the ceiling. Unhappy, Alice begins to cry. Her tears flood the hallway. Alice finds a fan. It helps her shrink down to a small size. So, small Alice swims through her own tears. Here she meets a mouse, who is swimming as well. Alice thinks it is a French mouse. She tries to make small talk with him in French. Alice says,"Où est ma chatte?” ("Where is my cat?") However, this offends the mouse. Who then tries to escape from Alice.

Select two sentences that support the fact that Alice is changing sizes.

• The chapter opens with Alice growing so large her head hits the ceiling.

• Unhappy, Alice begins to cry.

• Her tears flood the hallway.

• Alice finds a fan.

• It helps her shrink down to a small size.