Finding the Central Message in Texts

What is the central message of a story?

• The number of pages in the book

• The setting of the story

• The main character's name

• The lesson or moral the author wants to convey

Which of the following is NOT a term that means the same as central message?

• Plot

• Central idea

• Moral

• Lesson

What should you focus on to find the central message of a story?

• The events

• The characters

• The title

• The setting

Why is it important for the central message to be general and not specific?

• So it is difficult to understand

• So it only applies to one character

• So it can be easily forgotten

• So it can apply to many different stories

In the example story, what did the boys do to the frogs?

• Played with them

• Threw stones at them

• Ignored them

• Fed them

What did the frog ask the boys to do in the example story?

• Play with them

• Stop throwing stones

• Leave the pond

• Feed them

What is the purpose of using a graphic organizer when finding the central message?

• To write a summary

• To help visualize and organize key details

• To confuse the reader

• To make the story longer

What should you do if a word in the story does not make sense to you?

• Ignore it

• Ask the teacher to explain

• Use a different word that makes sense to you

• Skip it

When might you want to use a bubble map to find the central message?

• When you are reading a poem

• When you are asked about the central message or moral of a story

• When you are drawing a picture

• When you are writing a story

What type of question might ask you to identify a detail that supports the central message?

• What is the setting of the story?

• Who is the main character?

• What detail supports the central message?

• What is the title of the story?