Main/Central Idea, Key Details, and Theme Review

Find the Main Idea of Each Paragraph

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To understand the main idea while reading, you must think of it as a short or
brief summary of what you are reading.

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The main idea covers the entire reading in a generalized manner, without
including any specifics.

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The specifics come later in your reading, and they add relevant details and
context to support the main idea.

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It is often difficult to reduce whole chapters or books to one single idea.
Hence, paragraphs are a more suitable way to learn how to identify the
main idea.

Multiple Choice

Sandy sings in the church choir. She sings a solo every week. Everyone looks forward to hearing her sing. Last Sunday Mrs. Smith said, “Sandy has the voice of an angel.” We all agreed with her. I think she will be famous one day.

• The church has a choir.

• Sandy goes to church.

• Sandy is a great singer.

• Sandy sang a solo each week.

Multiple Choice

Tommy ran down the street chasing his dog. “Bobby! Bobby!” he yelled. He knew he should have checked the gate before letting Bobby into the back yard. His mother has told him a hundred times. How had he forgotten? If he had closed it, Bobby would still be in the back yard.

• Bobby ran away.

• Tommy forgot to make sure the gate was closed.

• Tommy was forgetful.

• Tommy’s mother was bossy.

Multiple Choice

Joy sat on the bench at the baseball field and waited. She didn’t like waiting alone. All of the other kids had been picked up by their parents. Where was her mother? Suddenly, her mother came running to her. “Oh Joy, I’m so sorry. Next time I will make myself a note.”

• Joy’s mother forgot to pick her up.

• Joy hated sitting alone.

• Joy plays baseball.

• Joy’s mother writes notes.

Multiple Choice

I went to the ice cream shop and ate a huge sundae. When I got home, supper was ready. Mom had cooked my favorite meal. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t make myself eat.

• I like ice cream.

• Mom is a good cook.

• I was too full to eat supper.

• I was sick.

Multiple Choice

Although many people think a koala is a bear, it is not. The koala is a type of mammal called a marsupial. A kangaroo is also a marsupial. These mammals carry their babies in a pouch. The kangaroo’s pouch is on her stomach, but the koala’s pouch is on her back. Both feed their babies milk and keep them secure in their pouch until they are strong enough to survive on their own.

• The koala is not a bear

• The kangaroo is nothing like the koala

• The kangaroo and koala are mostly alike but have some differences.

• The kangaroo and koala are exactly alike.

Multiple Choice

Lucy would never get her room clean. It looked like a tornado had hit it. She couldn’t believe how much damage her friends had done. They pull everything out and didn’t put anything back. Glue was spilled all over her rug, and fingernail polish was spilled on her new bedspread. They had even wiped their chocolate covered fingers on her curtains. Wow! What a mess.

• There is glue on the rug.

• Lucy’s friends are messy

• A tornado hit the house.

• Lucy’s friends ate chocolate

Multiple Choice

Tim and his family went fishing today. They stopped on the way to the lake and bought all of their favorite snacks. When they got to the lake, they ate and then started fishing. Tim caught four fish, and his brother caught three. They laughed and gave each other a high-five every time they caught a fish. The whole family had a great time. Maybe they would go fishing again soon.

• Tim caught four fish.

• He ate his favorite snack.

• The family had a great time.

• They ate fish for supper

​supporting details

• These details are important to the text & support the main idea.

• ​ Supporting details ​describes or explain the main idea of the text

• The author use evidence such as details , facts, reasons, examples, statistics, and quotations, to develop the main idea.

Subject | Subject

Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests. Sumo wrestling is a sport that started in Japan.

It takes place in a ring. Two players try to score points by holding each other down or pushing each

other out of the ring. Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans. The robot that scores the most

points wins.

Which of the following is a supporting detail of this paragraph?

• Robots are being used in sumo wrestling contests.

• Robot sumo contests are better than human sumo contests.

• Robot sumo uses robots instead of humans.

• Watching robot sumo is boring.

Poll

What is a topic?

• The subject of a piece of literature.

• Something you talk about?

• A really long sentence that tells you what the story is about.

• A store at the mall

Open Ended

In your own words how does the theme differ from the topic of a story?

Multiple Choice

True or False: The theme is usually stated by the author?

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A story's moral and a story's theme are the same thing:

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: Works of Literature only have one theme:

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

True or False: The way the main character changes can help you determine the theme.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow bridge, he looked down and saw his reflection in the quiet water as if in a mirror. But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own. If he had stopped to think he would have known better. But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore. At last he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a foolish Dog he had been.
What is the theme?

• Be honest.
• Don't be greedy.
• Always share your things with others.
• Be respectful to others.

Multiple Choice

During a baseball game, Tanner tried to tag a player leaving first base. When the umpire called the player out, Tanner immediately informed the umpire that he in fact did not tag the runner. Two weeks later, the very same umpire was at another one of Tanner’s baseball games. Tanner was playing short stop and tagged a runner as they approached third base. When the umpire called the player safe, Tanner didn’t say a word, but the umpire noticed the surprised look on Tanner’s face. “Did you tag the runner?” she asked Tanner. When Tanner told her that he did tag the runner, the umpire changed her decision and called the player out. The coaches and parents were furious, but the umpire stood by her decision.
What is the theme?

• You should cheat to win.
• Always work hard.
• It pays to be honest.
• Teamwork is best.

Multiple Choice

Literature has central idea. Stories, novels, plays, and poems all have themes, ideas about life that the author is trying to express.

What is a theme?

• Ideas about life the author is trying to express

• Stories, novels, plays, and poems

• Ideas about a story, novel, play, or poem an author is trying to express.

Multiple Choice

What is the theme of the following text?

“It is far better to endure patiently a smart which nobody feels but yourself, than to commit a hasty action whose evil consequences will extend to all connected with you; and besides, the Bible bids us return good for evil.” (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte)

• Karma will get you back.

• Evil is everywhere.

• Materialism is a destructive quality.

• Overcome evil with goodness.

Multiple Choice

What is the theme of the following text?

“Stuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury)

• Travel is a worthy pursuit.

• Live every day to the fullest.

• The quest for power is a wasted desire.

• Youth and beauty are fleeting.

Multiple Choice

What is the theme of the following text?

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.” (Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss)

• You are in charge of your own destiny.

• Always know where you are going.

• Loss of innocence comes at a price.

• Power is the eye of the beholder.

Multiple Choice

What is the theme of the following text?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…” (A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)

• Life is full of paradoxes.

• Opposites attract.

• Seasons come and go.

• Inner strength is more important than outer strength.

Multiple Choice

What is the theme of the following passage?

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore— While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.…” (The Raven by Edgar Allan

• Fear is an unsettling but powerful emotion.

• Revenge is always an option.

• Always lock your doors.

• The boogie man is alive and wel

Multiple Choice

What is the theme of the following text?

“Not far away from here lies a poor woman with a little newborn baby. Six children are huddled into one bed to keep from freezing, for they have no fire. There is nothing to eat over there, and the oldest boy came to tell me they were suffering hunger and cold. My girls, will you give them your breakfast as a Christmas present?” (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott)

• Hunger is a global issue that should be addressed.

• No one should suffer needlessly.

• Display generosity through random acts of kindness.

• Holidays are joyful celebrations.

Poll

I understand the concept of theme?

• Yes!

• Almost.

• No!