Academic Vocabulary Overview: Theme, Central Idea, & Summary

​CENTRAL IDEA, THEME, INFERENCE, SUMMARY

CENTRAL IDEA

• What the text is mainly about

• Can be referred to as the Main Idea

• Can most often be stated in one sentence. ​

• NEVER stated directly in the text! NEVER!

• NEVER one specific detail

  A central idea statement is formed using your OWN WORDS about the text.

  • Central Idea Example: The Three Little Pigs is a story about three pig brothers who each build their house differently. 

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Multiple Choice

Most people think that Johann Sebastian Bach played the piano, but this is not true. The piano was not invented until just two years before he died. Bach's main instrument was the organ. He was a great organist. He wrote a lot of wonderful music for that instrument. He also played other keyboard instruments that were ancestors of the piano. Among these instruments was the harpsichord. Along with Mozart, Bach is considered to be one of the all-time great composers.

What is the central idea of this paragraph?

• Johann Sebastian Bach did not compose music for or pla the piano.

• Johann Sebastian Bach was not only a composer of music, he also played the organ and other keyboard instruments.

• Johann Sebastian Bach is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time.

• Johann Sebastian Bach played the organ and other lesser known keyboards such as the harpsichord.

THEME

• Theme is the universal message, moral, or lesson a story conveys. You need to make sure you can support your theme with evidence from the text.

   

  Theme Example Statement: The theme of "The Three Little Pigs" is that taking your time to do something pays off in the end. In the fairy tale, the only pig whose house isn’t destroyed is the brother who took his time to build a sturdy house out of bricks.

TOPICS

• Topic is the subject

• You will see topics both for central idea and for theme.

• There are many common theme topics.

• Scroll to the end of these notes for a list of the most common.

​THESE ARE TOPICS NOT THEMES

Poll

Based on the previous slide, which of the following are examples of topics for text.

• friendship

• Life can be a series of obstacles to overcome.

• accepting of others

• loneliness

• Working hard is the key to a successful life

INFERENCE

• WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

  • ​To figure out what is happening without be told explicitly or directly

  • Also known as "To Read Between the Lines"​

• WHAT IT DOES

  • Must LOGICALLY connect to the evidence.

• WHY IS IT IMPORTANT

  • Inferencing is an important skill for reading comprehension AND for your everyday life.

• YOU MAKE INFERENCES EVERY SINGLE DAY (and you don't even know it)

  • (REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: It's Friday You really want to have spend the night company You notice that your parent/guardian/family member is in a bad mood. So you don't ask to have a friend spend the night. = INFERENCING)​

SUMMARY

• To summarize means to retell the most important part of the story. Remain objective when writing a summary. Do not insert your own opinions!

   

  Summary Example Paragraph: "The Three Little Pigs" is a story about three pig brothers who each build their house differently. A hungry wolf comes to where to brother pigs live and the wolf slowly starts to blow the pigs’ houses down. He starts with the house of the brother who built his house of straw, which the wolf easily blows down. Then, the wolf goes to the brother’s house who built his home of sticks. Again, the wolf easily blows down this pig’s home, too. Finally, the wolf goes to the brother’s house that built his home out of brick. The wolf is unable to blow down the final brick house.

Multiple Choice

As I walked in the door, I was amazed at the beautiful colors and smells. I knew it would be hard to decide what I would buy with my $3. The chocolate truffles looked delicious, but they were expensive. The jelly beans were not only cheaper, but so colorful! With so much to choose from, I knew I would be here a long time. Where am I? (infer)

• Gas station
• Candy store
• Grocery store
• Shoe store

ACCURATE SUMMARY

• To be accurate means to be EXACT with your summary

• To be accurate you MUST go back into the text for your answer

• NO GUESSING ​

• Can be explicit or paraphrased​

Multiple Choice

If you're asked to write an accurate summary, which of the following should you avoid?

• Listing the major events of the story/article

• Choosing only the most important parts

• Explaining your thoughts about the story/article

• Stating the central conflict of the story/article

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the better summary for The Lion King?

• This Disney animated feature follows the adventures of the young lion Simba, the heir of his father, Mufasa. Simba's wicked uncle, Scar, plots to usurp Mufasa's throne by luring father and son into a stampede of wildebeests. But Simba escapes, and only Mufasa is killed. Simba returns as an adult to take back his homeland from Scar with the help of his friends Timon and Pumbaa.

• In a tear jerker story, a young lion, Simba, becomes the victim of his cruel Uncle Scar’s plot to take the throne. After finding himself with the help of his friends Timon and Pumbaa, Simba heroically returns to Pride Rock where he overpowers Scar. While the film is charming and inspiring, the likelihood of a vegetarian lion beating his dominant uncle in a fight is hard to swallow.

Multiple Choice

Three butterflies notice an overturned honey pot. Two of the butterflies decide to land in the honey and start eating it. But the oldest butterfly stays back. The two butterflies tease the older butterfly, but then get stuck in the honey. What is the theme of this story?

• Overeating leads to illness.

• The first to try something gets rewarded.

• Some treats aren't worth risking your safety.