Main Idea

Supporting details....

• are pointless when determining the central idea

• just give more information

• do not support the central idea

• help prove the central idea (evidence)

Do you think this sentence implies a theme or a main idea?When Julia fell off the monkey bars and broke her arm, she was terrified to go to the emergency room.

• Theme

• Main Idea

Central idea and main idea are the same thing.

• YES

• NO

• NO WAY

• YES WAY

Which tell the definition of the main idea?

• tells the most important thing about a topic

• the BIG idea

• what the passage is mostly about

• smaller pieces of information

What's the main idea?

• Kim saw Tom.

• Tom dropped a book.

• Kim helped Tom.

• Tom likes to ride his bike.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or bulls buck them off, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention. In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do. So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business.

• Sometimes clowns can mean serious bussiness.

• Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

• Cowboys and Rodeo Clowns are constantly in danger.

• A Rodeo bull's attention is easily caught by Rodeo clowns.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA Before you put on that skeleton costume and rove door-to-door pandering for candy, take a minute to reflect on this tradition. Halloween is believed to have come from an ancient Celtic festival dating back some 2,000 years. November 1st was the Celtic New Year and marked the end of summer to the Celts. They celebrated on its eve by wearing costumes made of animal skins and dancing around bon fires. Over the next two millennia, this primitive celebration grew to be the candy fueled costume ball that we know today.

• The origins of Halloween

• The New Celtic Year

• Primitive traditions

• Why the skeleton costume is the best for Halloween

What is the main idea?

• John wants to climb a ladder.

• John and Matt want to be firemen

• Matt wants to hold a fire hose.

• They want to ride on the big fire truck.

What is the main idea of this picture?

• sports equipment

• fruit

• insects

• who or what the story is about

What is the main idea of this picture?

• sports equipment

• fruit

• insects

• who or what the story is about