RI 8.2

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308 feet.

• Wyoming is a fun place to visit.

• Yellowstone Park has beautiful waterfalls.

• The Continental Divide of North America can be found in Yellowstone National Park.

• Yellowstone Park has many unique physical features.

Which chapter would have information about lions, tigers, and snow leopards?

• "Lion, King of the Jungle"
• "How Tigers get their Stripes"
• "Save the Snow Leopards"
• "Big Cats of the World"

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

A penny for your thoughts? If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars. In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. Another rarity is the 1955 double die penny. These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters. If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction. Now that’s a pretty penny.

• Pennies made in 1943 were mostly steel.

• The material of the penny is all that is important.

• Some pennies are rare and valuable.

• Make sure to collect your pennies for further auctions.

IDENTIFY THE MAIN IDEA

Sir Isaac Newton was contemplating the universe in his garden one day in 1665 when he noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered to himself, “Why should the apple always fall to the ground? Why does it not go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth’s center?” After much contemplation Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth through a force that he called gravity, which means heaviness in Latin. On July 5th, 1687 Newton formally expressed his law of universal gravitation in series of books called The Principia.

• Isaac Newton had many important achievements.

• Apples have played important roles in historical events.

• A falling apple inspired Newton to think about gravity.

• Thinking about things closely can lead to important discoveries.

When some people think about Texas, they think of cowboys on the open range-herding cattle up a dusty trail. However, Texas has much more than open prairie with large herds of cows. There are the mountains of West Texas, the piney hills of east Texas, and the emerald waters off the coast of Padre Island. Texas also has large coastal harbors with numerous sailboats, powerboats, inland lakes, rivers, swamps of southeast Texas with alligators and other exotic wildlife.

What is the main thing the author is trying to tell us?

• There are many different, varied parts of Texas.

• There are a lot of cows in Texas.

• There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.

• Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States.

Main Idea:
Octopuses have many different ways to hide themselves from predators.

What supporting detail would go with this main idea?

• Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms.
• Octopuses like to live in coral reefs.
• Octopuses use camouflage to disguise themselves.
• Octopuses move about by crawling or swimming.

What things should not be included in an objective summary?

• Supporting ideas and opinions

• The word "I," your opinion, cited text evidence

• Facts and Statistics

• The author's name and title of the article

An American art form began in 1938. That’s when the first comic book starring Superman came out. The Man of Steel was a superhero. Kids and adults both enjoyed these comic books. They liked the fact that the good guy always won. The comics sold well. Soon Batman and Robin had their own series of comic books. Over time Marvel Comics came up with more superheroes. They launched Spiderman and X-Men. These characters were very popular. Toys, games, and clothing featured them. Now, all these comic book characters have had their own movies.

What is the main idea?

• Superheroes always win in comic books.

• Superman was the first comic book hero.

• Comic book superheroes have gained in popularity.

• Many toys and games feature superheroes.

Main Idea:
Harry Houdini became a famous magician for his escapes from impossible traps.

What supporting detail would go with this main idea?

• Houdini liked to travel to England to perform his magic tricks.
• Houdini was a very mysterious man.
• Houdini liked to do tricks with water.
• Houdini once escaped a straightjacket whilesuspended high in the air.

There are several ways to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile. Crocodiles are bigger than alligators and have pointed snouts. Alligators have wide snouts. Wild crocodiles are found all over the world, but wild alligators are only found in the United States and China. Another way to tell the difference is to look at their mouths. When a crocodile’s mouth is closed, the fourth tooth sticks out of its mouth.

• Crocodiles and alligators differ in their habitats.

• Crocodiles and alligators have important differences.

• Crocodiles and alligators are both dangerous animals.

• Crocodiles and alligators have distinctive tooth patterns.