What is the Main Idea?

1. What is the Main Idea? Informational Text

2. Main Ideas in Reading Main idea- The piece of information that tells about and summarizes the overall idea of a paragraph or section of a text. Topic Sentence- sentence often placed at the beginning of a paragraph that directly states or suggests the main idea/topic of the text.

3. Main Ideas in Reading Supporting details- statements that support a topic sentence. They explain, describe and define, or give information about the main idea.

4. Why is finding the main idea important? Being able to determine the main idea within text is crucial in order to be considered a good reader. By identifying the main idea, readers are able to determine the most important points a text is trying to make. This is necessary as it provides them with the opportunity to gain the full understanding of the text. Additionally, it allows readers to make discoveries about what in the text supports this main idea. What is more is that a good reader will be able to use this information to organize content.

5. REDW R-Read: • Read the whole text • Get a rough idea of what the text is about • Read the words aloud off the page • Form a picture in your mind of the events taking place in the story.

6. REDW E- Examine: • Break the text up into sections. • Identify the important words in each section • Ignore unnecessary words that don’t contribute to the story. • Physically cross out the words that should be ignored. • Handwrite the important words in each section that best tell what it is about.

7. REDW D-Decide: • Reread the words you wrote down for each section • Decide which section contains the words that best describe the text’s main idea. • These words = main idea of the paragraph. • The sentence that contains these words = topic sentence • The other written down words = supporting details to the main idea.

8. REDW W-Write: • Write down the main idea for each paragraph in the text • Keep a chronological written record of these main ideas. • Re-read this written record and piece the ideas together.

10. What is the main idea? The rules of conduct during an examination are clear. No books, calculators or papers are allowed in the test room. Proctors will not allow anyone with such items to take the test. Anyone caught cheating will be asked to leave the room. His or her test sheet will be taken. The incident will be reported to the proper authority. At the end of the test period, all materials will be returned to the proctor. Failure to abide by these rules will result in a failing grade for this test.

11. What is the main idea? The physical environment of a classroom is extremely important because it can influence the way teachers and students feel, think, and behave. If a student feels pressured, under stress, unhappy, or unsafe, it would be impossible for her or him to learn the lessons planned by the educator. Likewise, if a teacher feels unhappy or disorganized because of the classroom's lack of order or detail, the ability for her to teach is greatly diminished. The environment of a classroom serves four basic functions: security, social contact, pleasure, and growth. For real learning and teaching to take place, all four of those needs must be met by the class space.

12. What is the main idea? • There are several events that can change the Earth's surface very quickly. Volcanoes can erupt and spread lava, rock and ash for several miles.  Earthquakes can leave large cracks in the Earth's surface. • Several events can change the Earth's surface. •  Earthquakes can cause large cracks.  •  Volcanoes can be dangerous.

13. What is the main idea? .  Most of the world's volcanoes are part of the "The Ring of Fire." This is a ring of volcanoes that form a circle around the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of volcanoes make up "The Ring of Fire." These volcanoes formed the sea floor and many underwater mountains • There are thousands of volcanoes in the world. • Most volcanoes are part of the "Ring of Fire." •  Some underwater mountains are volcanoes.   

14. What is the main idea? . Earthquakes are caused when the plates of the Earth's crust move. Earthquakes happen along "fault lines" in the earth’s crust. When the plates in the Earth suddenly shift, the Earth will begin to shift, shake or tremble. • Earthquakes occur on "fault lines." •  Earthquakes cause a lot of damage.      •  Earthquakes are caused when the plates of the Earth's crust move.   

15. What is the main idea? .  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.  

16. What is the main idea? Benjamin Franklin loved to write.  When he was twenty-two, he set up his own printing shop and started a newspaper.  He also printed a book called Poor Richard’s Almanac.  It had funny stories, information about the weather, and wise sayings. • Benjamin Franklin loved to write stories and books. • Benjamin Franklin worked very hard when he was young.  • Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about the weather.   • Benjamin Franklin was very poor.

17. What is the main idea? Benjamin Franklin loved the city of Philadelphia.  He started the city’s first hospital and fire department.  Ben also started Philadelphia’s first public library. Benjamin Franklin worked very hard to make Philadelphia a better place to live. • Benjamin Franklin worked hard to make his city a great place to live.       •  Benjamin Franklin worked for the fire department.   • Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about books.    • Benjamin Franklin went to school in Philadelphia.

18. What is the main idea? Benjamin Franklin invented many things that made life easier in the late 1700’s.  He invented the lightning rod that saved many homes from fires.  He also invented the Franklin stove.  The stove could heat a room better than a fireplace and saved people a lot of fuel. He also invented a special kind of glasses called bifocals.  This new kind of glasses helped people to read better. • Benjamin Franklin thought reading was important. •  Benjamin Franklin was not afraid of fire.      •  Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor. •  A Franklin stove can heat a whole room.

19. What is the main idea? Benjamin Franklin was very interested in electricity.  One day he tried a very dangerous experiment to prove that lightning was electricity.  He attached a key to a kite string and flew the kite during a thunderstorm.  When the lightning hit the kite, sparks flew from the key.  Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning was electricity. • Benjamin Franklin liked to play in the rain. • Benjamin Franklin performed an experiment that provedlightning was electricity.  •  Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about thunderstorms.    •  Benjamin Franklin invented a new kind of kite.