Central (Main) Idea and Supporting Details

What is a topic?

• A sentence in a passage that states the main idea of that passage

• More narrow ideas, evidence, examples, details, and elaboration

• The time and place which includes the atmosphere

• The general subject that the passage is about, usually one or two words

What is a topic sentence?

• A sentence in a passage that states the main idea of that passage

• A statement that tells what a passage is mostly about and it is not always stated outright in a passage

• A word that sounds like what it means

• It's what happens immediately after the climax

What is main idea?

• More narrow ideas, evidence, examples, details and elaboration

• The general subject that the passage is about, usually one or two words

• A statement that tells what a passage is mostly about. The reader can determine this after reading because it is not always stated outright.

• When two things that are not similar are compared using like or as

More narrow ideas, evidence, examples, and elaboration in a passage are known as what?

• Main Idea

• Supporting Details

• Topic Sentence

• Topic

Being a clown isn't all fun and games. Rodeo clowns expose themselves to great danger every time they perform. When cowboys dismount or bulls buck them off, 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. Of course, this is a very dangerous thing to do. So, you see, sometimes clowning around can be serious business. What is the main idea of this passage?

• Cowboys have a lot of fun.

• Rodeo clowns clown around for fun.

• Rodeo clowns protect cowboys by putting themselves in danger.

• Cowboys shouldn't dismount off of the bulls.

Wolverines are medium sized mammals. They weigh no more than 50 lbs. Yet, they have earned their reputation for ferocity by killing prey many times their size. But why do they get in so many fights? The reason why wolverines have so many conflicts with other animals (including wolves, cougars, and even bears) is probably because of the wolverine's preferred hunting style. Rather than chasing down or tricking its pretty like most hunters, the wolverine prefers to take its meals directly from other hunters. So while a polar bear or a lone wolf might be enjoying a hard earned carcass, a hungry wolverine may try to take his lunch. As you might imagine, this style of hunting gets the wolverine in plenty of fights. What is the central idea of this passage?

• Man's best friend is a wolverine.

• The wolverine hunts like a bear.

• A hunter loves to have plenty of wolverines around.

• The wolverine is very tough and takes its meals from other animals.

Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was teaching gym at the YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was raining, and Dr. Naismith was trying to keep his students active. He wanted them playing a vigorous game that would keep them moving. He rejected a few ideas that were too rough. Then, Naismith had his breakthrough. He wrote out the rules for a game with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith's students played against one another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling wasn't a part of the original game. Also, it took a while to realize that the game would run more smoothly if the bottoms of the baskets were removed. But this game grew to be one of the most popular sports in America today. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

• This paragraph is about the invention of basketball.

• This paragraph is about the invention of baseball.

• Dr. Naismith rejected a few ideas.

• Dr. Naismith really loved peaches!

What's that humming sound? Could it be the hummingbird, the only bird capable of backward flight? Hummingbirds have many unique flight habits that distinguish them from other birds. Most birds flap their wings up and down to fly, but the hummingbird moves its wings forward and backward very rapidly in a figure eight pattern. This allows the hummingbird to hover in position. They can also fly upside down and move about very rapidly. Other birds have to push off with their feet to begin flying and work up to their top speeds. The hummingbird can both start flying at maximum speed and stop flying instantaneously. Once you've seen a hummingbird in flight, it's unlikely that you'll mistake them for another bird. What is the main idea of this passage?

• The hummingbird can fly upside down.

• The hummingbird can hum, fly forward, and backward.

• Hummingbirds can fly at maximum speeds, and it's not likely that you will mistake them for any other bird.

• The hummingbird flies in a totally unique and unusual way.

What do you get when you cross a robot and an astronaut? A Robonaut! Robonauts are robot helpers designed to work side-by-side with astronauts. Work on the first Robonaut began in 1997, and by 2002 Robonaut B was revealed (shown) to the public. Robonaut B featured interchangeable lower bodies, like four-wheel mode or hydraulic legs. Yet, scientists and engineers continued to improve Robonaut. In February of 2010, Robonaut 2 was released to the public. Robonaut 2 moved four times faster than the first Robonaut. An advanced version of Robonaut 2 was finally tested in outer space in 2011. Robonaut 2 functioned exactly as designed. What is the main idea of this passage?

• Robonauts are robot helpers that work with astronauts.

• Robonauts have improved over the years.

• Interchangeable lower bodies were featured on Robonaut B.

• Robonauts were released to the public.

Many people use the words cyborg and android interchangeably, but these words have different meanings. Both refer to beings powered by robotics, but an android is powered entirely by machinery. Cyborgs are partly powered by a living organism. They also look different. Androids may be completely mechanical, but they are designed to look like humans. They may have synthetic skin, hair, and other human-like features. Cyborgs are usually designed in a way that access their robotic modifications. A cyborg's mechanically enhanced eye may cast a red light or have a chrome plate surrounding it, for instance. So you see, though the terms cyborg and android seem similar, they refer to different things. What's the main idea of this passage?

• This paragraph tells about the similarities of the cyborg and android.

• This passage tells what androids look like.

• This paragraph compares and contrasts androids and cyborgs.

• This paragraph tells what cyborgs look like.