Main Idea and Details

What is the best question to ask yourself when you are trying to find the main idea?

• Who is the main character?
• What is the main event?
• What is one important detail?
• What point is the author trying to make?

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

What text features can give you a clue of what the main idea is?

• Title
• Headings
• Pictures
• All of these

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.2.2

Floods can cause tremendous damage.  They can ruin houses, roads and buildings. Floods can take down trees and cause mudslides. It often leaves mud, sand and debris behind.  It can take months to clean up after a flood.

• Floods can cause a lot of damage.
• Floods cause mudslides.
• Floods damage houses and roads. 

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

What is the main idea?
  Shells
Susan likes to swim with her family at the beach. The best part of going to the beach is collecting shells. She likes to use shells to make jewelry. Collecting shells is fun.

• Susan is a good swimmer.
• Susan likes to collect shells.
• Jewelry is fun to make.
• Susan likes to go fishing.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Jake's family went on a camping trip. They went to a park by the ocean. They rode their bikes around the park and cooked their food over a fire outside. They saw some deer. They came home Sunday afternoon. 
What is the main idea? 

• They saw some deer
• Jake's family likes to camp
• Jake's family went on a camping trip
• They cooked their food outside

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

Juan loves to play games. His favorite game is chess because it requires a great deal of thought. Juan also likes to play less demanding board games that are based mostly on luck. He prefers Monopoly because it requires luck and skill. If he's alone, Juan likes to play action video games as long as they aren't too violent. 
What is the main idea? 

• Juan dislikes violence
• Juan likes to think
• Juan enjoys Monopoly
• Juan enjoys playing games

Tags

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Someday we will all have robots that will be our personal assistants. They will look and behave much like humans. We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers. Amazingly, the robots of the future will be able to learn from experience. They will be smart, strong, and untiring workers whose only goal will be to make our lives easier. 
What is the main idea? 

• Someday we will all have robots to be our personal assistants
• We will be able to talk to these mechanical helpers
• They will look and behave much like real humans
• Robots of the future will be able to learn from experience

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.  Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball.  They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.  Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.
What is the main idea?

• They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score.
• Soccer players learn how to dribble.
• They learn how to work together as teammates.
• Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer.

Tags

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.2.2

Where in the text can you sometimes find the main idea?

• Beginning/end
• Middle 

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

Which sentence is a supporting detail that you should get enough sleep?

• Many people sleep later on the weekends.
• Caffeine keeps some people awake at night.
• Dark rooms are best for sleeping.
• Seven to nine hours keeps you refreshed the next day.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.6.1

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2