Finding the Main Idea in Nonfiction Paragraphs

What analogy does the teacher use to explain the structure of finding the main idea in a non-fiction text?

• A river

• A building

• A tree

• A mountain

Why is retelling less practical in higher grades?

• Students forget details

• Texts are too complex and long

• It is not a useful skill

• Texts are too short

What is the most focused level of understanding a text?

• Topic

• Main Idea

• Summary

• Retell

How many sentences should a main idea typically be?

• One to two words

• Three to five sentences

• One to three sentences

• One paragraph

What does the 'Topic-So What' strategy help you find?

• The topic of the text

• The main idea of a paragraph

• The summary of the text

• The details of the text

In the 'Topic-So What' strategy, what question do you ask after identifying the topic?

• So what?

• What is the main idea?

• What are the details?

• Why is this important?

What was the topic in the example about monkeys?

• Monkeys

• Wars

• Groups

• Behavior

What did the animals do before the giant waves hit South Asia?

• Stayed in low-lying areas

• Behaved strangely and fled

• Fought with each other

• Ignored the danger

What did wildlife experts find amazing about the animals during the tsunami?

• Their size

• Their speed

• Their survival

• Their ability to swim

What did experts believe helped animals survive the tsunami?

• Their intelligence

• Their ability to sense danger

• Their speed

• Their strength