CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

There are many fun things to do at the beach.  Swimming is one thing that can be done at the beach.  Snorkeling is another thing that can be enjoyed.  Playing beach volleyball can be a lot of fun.  It is also fun to look for shells.  Some people simply like to sunbathe.
What is the main idea?

• There are many fun things to do at the beach.
• It is also fun to look for shells.
• Some people simply like to sunbathe.
• Going to the beach to swim can be fun.

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.4.2

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.6.2

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.8.2

Not all animals that live in the water are fish.  Frogs and tadpoles, for example, spend part of their lives in water.  They are amphibians, not true fish.  Whales and seals are warm-blooded mammals.  Some snakes live partly in water too.  What is the main idea?

• Why just fish live in water
• Why whales live in water
• Which animals live in water

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

A bat can fly at night or even with its eyes closed.  But if you cover its ears, it can't fly very well.  Bats make sounds that people can't hear.  The bats find their way by listening to these sounds as they echo off things.  Bats even locate insects to eat by following the sounds that bounce off the bugs.  People use their eyes, but bats use their ears to know where they're going.  This paragraph mainly tells:

• how bats use sound
• what things bats often eat as food
• how bats fly toward people
• how people can hear the sounds of bats

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

• Who is the main character?
• What is the main event?
• What is one important detail?
• What point is the author trying to make?

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

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 main idea?

• Sometimes people feel sad.
• You should do good things for others.
• We're not always happy.
• There are many ways to make yourself feel better. 

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

• Weekends are times to travel.
• The author enjoys spending time with her family.
• The author's grandparents live far away.
• The author is sad to leave her cousins.

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

CCSS.ELA.Content.RL.3.2

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal assistants. They will look and behave much like humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier. 
What is the main idea? 

• Someday we will all have robots to be our personal assistants
• We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers
• They will look and behave much like real humans
• Robots of the future will be able to learn from experience

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.4.2

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.6.2

Mary has a new pet. Her pet is a baby kitten. It is soft and cuddly. The kitten likes to sleep a lot. Mary put a soft blanket in a box for its bed. Mary plays with her kitten when it is awake. She never forgets to feed her kitten.

What is the main idea?

• Mary’s new pet is a kitten.

• Mary want a new pet.

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

You might think dirt is bad. It gets on your clothes, and then you have to wash them. But dirt is very important. Plants need dirt to grow, and people need plants for food. What would we do without dirt?

What is the author trying to tell you?

• Dirt is bad because it gets on clothes.

• You should wash dirt off of your clothes.

• Dirt is something important for people.

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2

Each year, the Pima Air Space Museum hosts the Great Paper Airplane Fly-Off. The plane that flies the farthest wins! The winner's design is used to create a giant paper airplane, in hopes that it will take flight. Creating paper airplanes encourages exploration in science and invention. The reader can conclude that the museum values science because --

• paper airplanes are in museums

• all museums are scientific

• they encourage exploration in science and invention

• they encourage competition

Tags

CCSS.ELA.Content.RI.3.2