Central Idea Practice and Supporting Details

The CENTRAL IDEA of a nonfiction text needs to always be supported with...

• Supporting details

• The reader's opinion

• Reliable authors

• Concluding sentences

Choose ALL that apply: Which of the following are TIPS that students can follow to determine the CENTRAL IDEA of a NONFICTION text?

• Ask yourself: What is this text mostly about?

• Look for: Words, terms, and details that are repeated throughout.

• Examine clues in: The title, photographs, captions, and subheadings

• Re-read: The beginning sentences of paragraphs for ideas introduced.

Match the following

• a main point the author wants you to understand in a text

• supporting detail

• ideas from that text that do not directly relate to the central idea

• additional information

• pieces of information that explain, define, or add to the central idea

• central idea

Every fall, each oak tree drops a great quantity of acorns. Acorns are the seeds for new oak trees. Not all acorns become oak trees. Actually, only a few are lucky enough to grow into trees. These lucky acorns find good soil and the right amount of sun and water.

The main idea is...

• Acorns grow very slowly.

• All acorns become oak trees.

• An acorn must find the right place to grow.

John wants to be a boxer. In boxing, people fight others of the same weight and size. This makes for an even match. John goes to a gym several times a week to practice. He wears padded gloves to prevent injury. It is necessary to be in top shape to be a good boxer. The main idea is...

• Boxing is an extremely dangerous sport.

• All boxers are the same weight and size.

• Boxing requires practice and safety measures.

Florida is known for its sunshine and flowers. Florida is known for other things as well. Many of the fruits we eat are grown in Florida. Examples are the grapefruit and orange. In fact, Florida grows more of these two fruits than any other state.

The main idea is...

• Disney World makes Florida important.

• Florida is known for many reasons.

• Florida is a very large state.

Chocolate is a popular food. Today, we think of it mainly as a candy. Years ago, it started out as a drink. All chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree. There are many steps to follow in turning cacao beans into the kind of chocolate we eat.

The main idea is...

• Making chocolate is a long process

• Chocolate is high in vitamins

• Chocolate has few uses

Chocolate is a popular food. Today, we think of it mainly as a candy. Years ago, it started out as a drink. All chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree. There are many steps to follow in turning cacao beans into the kind of chocolate we eat.

Which 2 sentences are supporting details?

• All chocolate is made from the beans of the cacao tree.

• There are many steps to follow in turning cacao beans into the kind of chocolate we eat.

• Today, we think of it mainly as candy.

In the United States, people make well over 200 million telephone calls a day. That should give you an idea just how important the telephone is in our daily life. The telephone was invented in 1874 by Alexander Graham Bell. It took several years before the use of the telephone was widespread. The main idea is...

• Most people talk on the phone too much.

• The telephone is important in our lives.

• Early phones were no good.

In the United States, people make well over 200 million telephone calls a day. That should give you an idea just how important the telephone is in our daily life. The telephone was invented in 1874 by Alexander Graham Bell. It took several years before the use of the telephone was widespread. Which sentence is the best supporting detail:

• People make well over 200 million telephone calls a day.

• The telephone was invented in 1874 by Alexander Graham Bell.

• That should give you an idea of how important the telephone is in our daily life.