Central Idea and Argument

what the text is all about; has the same meaning as the main idea

• supporting details

• topic

• central idea

• paraphrase

Which piece of evidence could be used to BEST support this claim: Students should be required to wear uniforms.

• When adding everything up, a school uniform could end up costing more than $200.

• A student reported, "Allowing us to wear our own clothes gives us a chance to show our unique style and independence."

• Last year, at many schools that required students to wear uniforms, attendance rates went up and behavior incidents went down.

• School uniforms can be ordered online.

Find the central idea
 Being a clown isn't all fun and games.  Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform.  When cowboys dismount or are bucked off of bulls at riding competitions, rodeo clowns jump in front of the bulls and motion wildly to get their attention.  In this way rodeo clowns provide an alternate target, and in doing so protect the rider.  So you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business

• Being a clown isn't all fun and games.

• Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

• Rodeos are exciting.

• Clowns are good at riding bulls.

What is the central idea here
A penny for your thoughts?  If it's a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars.  In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War II, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare.  Another rarity is the 1955 double die penny.  These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters.  If it's uncirculated, it'd easily fetch $25,000 at an auction.  Now that's a pretty penny.  

• The 1943 penny is worth 50 thousand dollars.

• the 1943 penny is more rare than the 1955 penny.

• Some pennies are rare and worth a lot of money.

• None of these options

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?

What is the central idea of the passage?

• Leopards are losing their homes

• The destruction of the rain forest is harming humans and animals.

• The destruction of the rain forest is an interesting subject

• Forests provide oxygen for humans and animals

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?

• Laws were unfair in the Middle Ages

• Fighting is a good way to decide guilt or innocence.

• Most people lied about crime in the Middle Ages.

• Those who were innocent of crimes often won

What is the central idea of the passage?

• MTV has been a ground-breaking TV channel

• MTV offers interesting videos

• Watching MTV is a great way to see musicians

• MTV is a channel that is broadcasted around the world

What is the central idea of the passage?

• Origami is an interesting and beautiful art form

• The art of origami came from Japan

• Origami is three-dimensional art

• Origami is a good way to show creativity