Main Idea of a Paragraph

The main idea is supported by what?

• topics
• details
• monkeys
• periods

The main idea does not need supporting details.

• True
• False

Most of the time, Main Idea can be found ...

• at the start or end of a paragraph
• In the middle of a paragraph
• on the last page
• in the index

The Main Idea is the big point or most important idea in a passage

• True
• False

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.

What is the main idea?

• Its the authors point of view
• Is what the passage is mostly about
• It is the sequence of the story.

You should determine the main idea by combining the supporting details.

• True
• False

The top three tips are as follows:  Look at the big picture, Re-read the first and last sentence, and look for repetition.

• True
• False

One dinosaur had a brain that weighed about as much as three pencils.  Its body weighed ten tons and was over twenty feet in length.  As you can guess, this dinosaur did not think too clearly.  It wasn't the world's brightest dinosaur!  What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• How big one dinosaur was
• What one dinosaur's brain was like
• Why one dinosaur had a small brain

When we think of seaweed, we usually picture brown or green plants a foot or so in length.  Seaweeds are also of other colors.  Some are red.  Some kinds grow to lengths of a hundred feet!  These form giant seaweed forests, where many kinds of fish take shelter.  What is the main idea?

• Why some seaweed grows so large
• What seaweed is like
• Why seaweed is red