Determining Main Idea and Details

What is a main idea? 

• The purpose of the passage
• A minor detail
• It is the same as the topic
• the most important idea about a topic that a particular text or paragraph conveys

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

• Who is the main character?
• What is the main event?
• What is one important detail?
• What point is the author trying to make?

Key details give important information to support the main idea.

• True
• False

The Power of Exercise

Why should you exercise? When you exercise, you lower your chances of getting sick. For example, exercise makes your heart healthier and your body stronger. It improves your mood and can make you feel calm. Regular exercise helps you think more clearly, so you can get more done during the day. Exercise can even help you sleep better at night. Regular exercise can make your life better in so many ways!

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What is the main idea of the passage?

• People who exercise regularly are happier.

• Excercise helps people feel better in many ways.

Perhaps one of the largest flowers grown is the sunflower. These giants grow up to 10 feet high. The flower itself is very large. It gets its name from the way it follows the sun. The face of the flower moves from east to west so that it is always facing the sun. The main idea is:

• To discuss large flowers.
• To describe the importance of the sunflower.
• To tell how the sunflower got its name.

Smartphones

Smartphones are phones that are used for more than making calls and sending messages. People count on them for getting directions and finding information on the internet. People also have fun listening to music, taking pictures, and playing games on their phones. On the other hand, smartphones have some downsides. They can make it hard to keep your mind on important things, like studying. Some people even text during meals, or when spending time with their family. Driving while using a phone puts people in danger. Smartphones are useful, but they can cause problems if not used safely and politely.

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What is the main idea of the passage?

• Smartphones can be used in both, good and bad ways.

• There are many good things about smartphones.

I can't wait until this weekend! We’re going to my grandparents’ house and my entire family will be there. I will spend most of my time playing games with my cousins. We always have such a good time together! The day goes by so fast, and by the end we are all exhausted... but we still don’t want to leave!
What is the main idea?

• Weekends are times to travel.
• The author enjoys spending time with her family.
• The author's grandparents live far away.
• The author is sad to leave her cousins.

What Would Life Be Like Without Gravity?

Gravity is the force that makes things fall to Earth. You can't see or touch it, but without gravity, life on Earth would be quite different. Everything would simply float away. If you jumped up, you would fly off into space. If you threw a baseball, it would never come down. Gravity is also the force that keeps the Earth orbiting around the sun. So, without gravity, the Earth might float away, too.

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What is the main idea of the passage?

• Life on Earth would be different without gravity.

• Without gravity, the Earth wouldn't orbit the sun.

A bat can fly at night or even with its eyes closed.  But if you cover its ears, it can't fly very well.  Bats make sounds that people can't hear.  The bats find their way by listening to these sounds as they echo off things.  Bats even locate insects to eat by following the sounds that bounce off the bugs.  People use their eyes, but bats use their ears to know where they're going.  This paragraph mainly tells:

• how bats use sound
• what things bats often eat as food
• how bats fly toward people
• how people can hear the sounds of bats

Baby Kangaroos

A female kangaroo has a special fold of skin that forms a pouch. The pouch is like a large pocket on its stomach. When a baby kangaroo, or joey, is born, it climbs into its mother's pouch. At birth, a joey is only about one inch long. It needs to stay in the pouch so it can grow more. After several months, the joey has grown enough to leave the pouch for short periods of time. By the time the joey is ten months old, it is ready to leave the pouch for good.

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What is the main idea of the passage?

• Female kangaroos have pouches on their bellies for carrying their young.

• A baby kangaroo in it's mother's pouch unitl it's strong enough to live on its own.