Central Idea

If you are feeling sad, you can make yourself feel better by doing a few simple things. You can take a walk (or get another form of exercise), you can talk to a friend, or you can write down your feelings. Writing down the good things in your life will help too. Doing something good for someone else will also help you feel better. If you still feel a little sad, act happy. It works like magic to make you feel better!

What is the main idea?

• You should do good things for others.

• We are not always happy.

• Sometimes people feel sad.

• There are many ways to make yourself feel better.

Select the detail that DOES NOT support the main idea that education is important.

• Education can lead to success in life.

• It helps you understand the world.

• Education causes problems.

• You make smarter choices in life if you're educated.

Supporting Details are...

• OPINION BASED evidence

• The key points, examples, evidence to support or elaborate on the main idea.

• A summary of a text  that only includes factual information.

What are supporting details?

• Details from the text that develop the main idea

• Useless

• Details from the text that tell you how the character is feeling

• Details about the text that tell you about the setting

What does the central idea of a story tell the reader?

• a specific detail from the story

• The conflict of the story

• What the story is mostly about 

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

Is this a Central THEME or Central IDEA:

"the dot" is the tale of a caring teacher who invites a doubting student to trust in her own abilities, inviting and encouraging her to be brave enough to “make her mark.”

• Central Theme

• Central Idea

What is the central idea of the passage?

• The light bulb was an important invention

• Thomas Edison was an important inventor

• Thomas Edison was an excellent student

• Creating inventions is a difficult process

What is the central idea of the passage?

• Apollo 11’s landing was an important moment in history

• Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin are heroes

• People were surprised about Apollo 11's success

• Millions watched the Apollo 11 moon landing

What is the central idea of this passage?

• The Statue of Liberty took 20 years to create.

• Edouard de Laboulaye created the idea of the Statue of Liberty.

• Edouard de Laboulaye opposed slavery and admired Lincoln.

• The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States that was also created to inspire and celebrate freedom.

How is central idea different from theme?

• Theme incudes specific names and details from the text.

• Central idea includes specific names and details from the text.

• The central idea tells the lesson or moral of the text.

• The theme is the main topic or focus of the text.