Summarizing Nonfiction Text: Main Ideas and Supporting Details

What is the first step in summarizing nonfiction texts?

• Looking at the illustrations

• Finding the main idea

• Reading the conclusion

• Identifying supporting details

Why is it important to read the entire text when summarizing?

• To find the author's name

• To understand the whole context

• To check for spelling mistakes

• To count the number of paragraphs

What is the main idea of the article discussed?

• Archaeologists finding 300-year-old pretzels

• The history of baking in Germany

• The process of carbon dating

• The city of Regensburg's archaeological sites

Where did the archaeologists find the old pretzels?

• During a dig in Regensburg, Germany

• In a museum

• Inside an ancient tomb

• In a bakery in Bavaria

What other items were found along with the pretzels?

• Ancient coins

• Other baked goods

• Historical documents

• Jewelry

How old were the pretzels according to carbon dating?

• Over 500 years old

• Between 1700 and 1800

• From the 20th century

• Less than 100 years old

What confirms the main idea in a summary?

• The number of pages

• Three supporting details

• Illustrations in the text

• The title of the text

How can the conclusion of a summary be best described?

• A question for further research

• Listing all the characters involved

• A new idea introduced at the end

• Restatement of the main idea