Main Idea and Detail Post Assessment

What does the MAIN IDEA of a story tell the reader?

• When to eat lunch

• The conflict of the story

• What the story is about

• The universal truth, moral, or idea the author wants to express

What are supporting details?

• Words, phrases, or sentences that tell more about the main idea.

• Words, phrases or sentences that tell you the main idea

• Descriptive words that provide imagery.

What is the difference between Main Idea and Supporting Details?

• Main Idea is the end, and Supporting Details are the beginning.

• Main Idea is what the passage is about, and Supporting Details help describe/explain the Main Idea.

• Main Idea is in every passage, but Supporting Details are only in some.

• Main Idea is what supports the supporting details.

Floods can cause tremendous damage. They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind. It can take months to clean up after a flood.

What is the main idea?

• Floods can cause a lot of damage.

• Floods cause mudslides.

• Floods damage houses and roads.

Scientists can measure the intensity of an earthquake. They use an instrument called the Richter scale. The Richter scale compares the strength of different earthquakes. Earthquakes below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake and can cause tremendous damage.

What is the main idea?

• Scientists can measure the intensity of an earthquake.

• Strong earthquakes can cause lots of damage.

• Some earthquakes are very small.

• There is a type of scale called a Richter scale

Weather reporters have to give out a lot of information. That's why they use pictures. The pictures help them tell us about the weather without using so many words. Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is. They need to know where the warm air is. They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area. Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short. The pictures help weather reporters get the information out in a fast way.

Which sentence best describes the main idea of the paragraph?

• Weather reporters need to know where the cold air is

• Pictures help weather reporters get information out in a fast way

• Their reports need to be correct, but they also need to be short

• They have to know where it is raining and what types of clouds are in the area

Irish immigration to the U.S. began during the early development of the American colonies. It is estimated that 200,000 Irish came to the U.S. in the 17th and 18th centuries. The numbers swelled from 1820 to 1850 to almost 2 million Irish immigrants. Most of these were fleeing the potato famine from 1845 until 1852. Steady numbers continued to arrive during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Today, over 36 million Americans claim some level of Irish ancestry.

What is the main idea?

• The potato famine caused many Irish to immigrate to the U.S.

• The U.S. is a country of immigrants.

• The Irish are coming to the U.S. still today.

• The Irish came in large numbers to the U.S.

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal servants. They will look and behave much like real humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers and they will be able to respond in kind! 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 this selection mainly about?

• Someday we will have robots that will be our personal servants.

• We will be able to talk to robots and they will be able to respond.

• You should give up if you are the Robots will look and behave much like real humans.

• Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience.

Teeth can tell you what kinds of food a mammal eats. Plant eaters (herbivores) like deer have large, flat molars for grinding plants. Animals that eat both plants and meat (omnivores) have strong canines and molars for tearing and grinding foods. Animals that are meat eaters (carnivores) have canine teeth for cutting and tearing.
What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• Animals have different kinds of teeth.
• An animal's teeth can tell you what kinds of food the animal eats.
• Animals that are meat eaters have canine teeth for cutting and tearing, but plant eaters have flat molars for grinding plants.
• Animals that eat both plants and meat have strong canines and molars for tearing and grinding foods.

Amelia Earhart is famous for being the first woman to fly an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean. She was born in 1897 and saw her first airplane at the Iowa state fair at age 10. Although she studied to be a nurse and then a social worker, she was always interested in flight.

She started taking flying lessons in 1921 and then bought her first plane. Since the aircraft was bright yellow, she called it Canary. In 1928, Earhart flew from Canada to Wales, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in only 21 hours. When she returned to the United States, a parade was held in her honor.

She crossed the Atlantic again in 1932, this time by herself. After this accomplishment, the U.S. Congress gave her a special medial called the Distinguished Flying Cross. Earhart continued to set new records, and in 1937 she decided to fly around the world. Her plan was lost over the Pacific Ocean, and Earhart was never heard from again.

What is the main idea?

• Amelia Earhart flew around the world.

• Amelia Earhart was a brave woman who flew airplanes.

• Amelia Earhart had a yellow plane called Canary.

• Amelia Earhart flew from Canada to Wales.