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Finding Topics

Finding Topics . Mrs. Kaminsky ( modified from Emily Kissner’s “ Topics and Main Ideas”). What is a topic?. A topic is one to three words that tell the reader what the text is about. A topic is broad, not specific. A topic is often a repeated word in the text. .

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Finding Topics

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  1. Finding Topics Mrs. Kaminsky (modified from Emily Kissner’s“Topics and Main Ideas”)

  2. What is a topic? A topic is one to three words that tell the reader what the text is about. A topic is broad, not specific. A topic is often a repeated word in the text.

  3. Can you find the topic? Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in the world depends upon it. Every creature needs water to survive. Without water, we would not last long. Water makes our world beautiful.

  4. Can you find the topic? Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in the world depends upon it. Every creature needs water to survive. Without water, we would not last long. Water makes our world beautiful. Topic = water

  5. We could see that the topic was water because it was repeated again and again This is a good way to help us find a topic—looking for repeated words or phrases

  6. Can you find the topic? • Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.

  7. Can you find the topic? • Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s. • Topic = Colonial Williamsburg

  8. We could tell that the topic of the paragraph is Williamsburg because it was repeated several times

  9. Be careful! It’s not always that easy! • The topic of a paragraph is not always repeated over and over in the same way • Sometimes, you need to look for multiple referents—that is, words or phrases that refer to the same thing • A referent in a text is usually the words “it” or “this.”

  10. Wait. What’s a referent again? A) The topic B) Words that refer to the topic, like “it” or “this.” C) When you underline the topic D) The main idea

  11. Answer • The answer is B • A referent is words or phrases that refer to the topic like “it” or “this.”

  12. Finding a referent Here is the Williamsburg paragraph again. Notice how Williamsburg can be replaced by other words or phrases: Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In this Virginia town, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to this place will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.

  13. Williamsburg is referred to in several different ways This Virginia town and this place both refer back to Williamsburg The topic is still Williamsburg

  14. Can you find the topic? The Green Bay Packers are a great football team from Wisconsin. The Packers almost always have a winning season and have won numerous Super Bowl titles. The team record during the 2012-2013 season was 11-5. This means they won 11 games and lost only five. The Packers also came in first place in the NFC north division.

  15. Can you find the topic? The Green Bay Packers are a great football team from Wisconsin. The Packers almost always have a winning season and have won numerous Super Bowl titles. The team record during the 2012-2013 season was 11-5. This means they won 11 games and lost only five. The Packers also came in first place in the NFC north division. Topic = Green Bay Packers

  16. Green Bay Packers was the topic but the topic was also referred to using referents. The referents in that passage were: “the team” and “they”

  17. One more! Assateague Island is a very special place. A long sandy beach stretches into the Atlantic Ocean. Windswept dunes are home to foxes and seagulls. The famous wild horses, or ponies, also live on this small island.

  18. Find the topic. Assateague Island is a very special place. A long sandy beach stretches into the Atlantic Ocean. Windswept dunes are home to foxes and seagulls. The famous wild horses, or ponies, also live on this small island. Topic = Assateague Island

  19. Did you figure it out? • “Assateague Island” and “this small island” are really the same place • When you are trying to figure out a topic, look for different ways of saying the same thing

  20. Let’s review • What is a topic? • A topic is one to three words that tell the reader what the text is about. • A topic is broad, not specific. • A topic is often a repeated word in the text. • What is a referent? • Words like “it”, “they”, “this”, and “that” refer to the topic of a text.

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