Main Ideas and Concepts in Texts

Did you know a dog's tail tells you about his mood? It's true! A wide wag is friendly. A slight wag, could mean he's unsure. If a dog wags to the right, they are happy. If they wag to the left, they are unhappy. Dogs don't wag their tails when they are alone. Wagging only happens when dogs are around others. Tails are used for balance too, and when dogs swim. Tails are awesome!

What is the text mostly about?

• Tails show that a dog is happy.

• Tails help dogs balance.

• Tails are for chasing.

• Tails show a dog's mood.

Lions are the only wild cats that live in groups. A group of lions is called a pride. A pride can have up to 30 lions. Female lions are the main hunters. Male lions guard the territory and the young. The pride lives in grasslands in Africa. A lion's roar can be heard 5 miles away.

What is the main idea?

• A lion's roar is loud

• Lions live in prides

• Where lions are found

• What lion cubs are like

The moon goes around the Earth about every 27 days. The shape of the moon seems to change every night. The shape does not really change. The part of the moon we see at night is relfecting the sun's light. We see part, all or none of the moon. It depends on where the sun is located.

What does the author want readers to know?

• The moon goes around Earth

• The moon takes 27 days to go around the Earth

• The moon is round

• The shape of the moon we see, is caused by the reflection of the sun

A cow's stomach has four parts. Grass is hard to digest for cows. It needs a lot of chewing. So, the first thing a cow does is bite off the grass. She then swallows it without chewing. That grass goes into one of the parts of her stomach. Later, she throws up that grass into her mouth. Then she takes her time to chew, and chew and chew. That's called chewing her curd. This breaks the grass into tiny pieces. Then she can digest it.

What is the text mostly about?

• A cow's teeth

• Why grass is important

• How a cow digests grass

• A cow's life cycle

A monkey and an ape are very different. A monkey has a tail, an ape does not have one. Apes are also bigger than monkeys. An ape is smarter than a monkey. An ape can use simple tools. An ape can also be taught to use sign language. A monkey can not. Apes walk on two feet much more than monkeys.

What is the text mostly about?

• What monkeys can do

• How monkeys and apes are the same

• Why apes are smart

• How monkeys and apes are different