Main Idea in Reading Middle School

Jake's family went on a camping trip. They went to a park by the ocean. They rode their bikes around the park and cooked their food over a fire outside. They saw some deer. They came home Sunday afternoon. 
What is the main idea? 

• They saw some deer
• Jake's family likes to camp
• Jake's family went on a camping trip
• They cooked their food outside

Keep your teeth happy. Brush your teeth twice a day. Make sure you floss your teeth every time you brush and after you eat. Avoid eating anything that sticks to your teeth, like candy and syrup. Eat vegetables and fruits that don't cause cavities. 
What is the main idea?

• Keep your teeth happy
• Brush your teeth twice a day
• Avoid eating candy and syrup
• Eat more vegetables

Porpoises live in the earth's oceans and sometimes in bays and rivers near oceans. Porpoises are mammals. Their babies get their food from their mother's body. These animals live in the water, but they must come up for air. Porpoises are very interesting animals.
What is the main idea?

• Porpoises live in the ocean
• Porpoises are mammals
• Porpoises must come up for air
• Porpoises are very interesting animals 

Hummingbirds love pink or red flowers. They guard their favorite flowers and try to keep other birds away. They fight one another for food. Their wings make a whirring sound when they hover over flowers to sip nectar. The tiny birds fly long distances to go to a warmer climate for the winter. They make their tiny nests in shrubs or trees. 
What is the main idea?

• Hummingbirds are interesting birds
• They hover over flowers to sip nectar.
• They fly long distances to travel to warmer climates in the winter
• They guard their favorite flowers

Eva wanted to surprise her sister Cindy for her birthday. She decided to plan a picnic for her sister. She made two sandwiches and put them in a bag. Then she put some cookies and bottles of water in the bag. When she told Cindy about the surprise, Cindy her sister a big hug. Then the girls walked to the park. 
What is the main idea?

• The girls walked to the park
• Eva planned a picnic to surprise her sister
• Eva told Cindy about the surprise
• Eva put some cookies and water in a bag

Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he's alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren't too violent. 
What is the main idea? 

• Juan dislikes violence
• Juan likes to think
• Juan enjoys Monopoly
• Juan enjoys playing games

Maria is watching too much television. A toddler shouldn't be spending hours staring blankly at a screen. Worse yet, some of her wild behavior has been inspired by those awful cartoons she watches. We need to spend more time reading books with her and pull the plug on the TV. 
What is the main idea? 

• Watching a lot of television isn't good for Maria
• Books are good
• All cartoons are bad
• Some cartoons are bad for Maria

Samantha, I can't eat or sleep when you are gone. I need to hear your scratchy voice and see your lovely toothless smile. I miss that special way you eat soup with your fingers. Please come home soon. 
What is the main idea?

• Samantha has bad manners
• Samantha should see a dentist
• Someone misses Samantha
• Samantha is gross

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

Sally went shopping after school on Friday and all day Saturday. She bought a lot of new outfits. On Sunday, her mother took her to the outlet mall so she could finish buying clothes for the new school year. She also bought school supplies, so she would be prepared for her classes. 
What is the main idea?

• Sally bought new clothes
• Sally shopped all weekend
• Sally got school supplies
• Sally's mom shopped on Sunday