Main Idea Masters
What is the difference between a summary and a theme?
A summary tells what the text is mostly about
A theme statement explains the lesson that the reader is supposed to learn!
What is an inference?
A conclusion based on Text evidence + background knowledge (what you already know).
Why is text structure important for readers?
It helps you understand how information is organized.
In a non-fiction text, what kind of evidence do author's use to make readers infer their point of view?
- Facts
- Statistics
- Quotes from Experts
- Examples
What should you do first when you see an unfamiliar word or phrase?
Acceptable Answers:
- Look at the sentence around it to find context clues.
- Use a replacement word or phrase and read the section back to yourself to
How do headings help you find the main idea?
Headings tell what the section is mostly about.
If a character is sweating and shaking before a test, what can you infer about their feelings?
Acceptable answers:
- Nervous
- Anxious
- Fearful
Name at least one signal word that gives you a clue about reading a text with a cause and effect structure?
- "Because"
- "Therefore"
- "As a result"
What do good test takers do when they have more than one answer choice to select from?
Choose the answer with the BEST evidence or the one with the MOST evidence in the text.
An answer choice uses extreme words like “always”, “never”, "all", "none".
What should you do with that answer choice and why?
Try not to select answer choices that uses extreme language because those extreme words usually make the answer inaccurate.
What type of questions connect a specific section of a text to its overall main idea?
Part-to-Whole Questions!
A character slams a door and won’t speak. What’s an inference we can make about their feelings?
Acceptable Answers:
- Upset
- Angry
- Furious
If text explains the steps to understand the main idea of a topic, this structure is known as ___
Acceptable answers:
- Sequential Order
- Order of Events
- Chronological Order
A student picks evidence that is true but doesn’t prove the claim. What’s the issue?
Acceptable Answers:
- The evidence is only partially true
- The evidence is not relevant to the question
What should you do FIRST when reading a multiple-choice question?
INTERPRET THE QUESTION / MAKE A PREDICTION!
An article about school uniforms includes statistics showing improved focus in schools with uniforms and quotes from principals who support them. It does not include any opposing viewpoints.
What can you infer about the author’s point of view?
The author believes school uniforms are beneficial to students.
A character wants to try out for the basketball team, but their parent insists they focus only on academics. The character refuses to talk to their parent and ignores their rules.
What can you infer about how the character contributes to the conflict?
The character is making the conflict worse by avoiding communication that can lead to a resolution with other characters.
What text structure shows how two things are alike and different?
Compare and Contrast
How many pieces of evidence do we need in our written responses:
A) Short Response
B) Extended Response
Short Response - 2 details directly from the text
Extended Response - 4 Details from the text
What is the BEST way to avoid partially correct answers?
Go back to the text and find the best or the most evidence to support your answer choice.
When previewing the text, which strategy helps MOST when the Big Topic of a passage that has multiple paragraphs?
Read the title, the first sentence of the first few paragraphs and the last to get an idea of what the overall text is going to be about.
An article about later school start times presents research showing students perform better with more sleep, but also includes concerns from parents about transportation and after-school schedules. The author does not clearly take a side.
What can you infer about the author’s point of view?
The author presents multiple perspectives to inform the reader about an important topic.
An ELA State Test short response question asks,
"How does the paragraph [_] develop a central idea of the [text title]."
What does a strong test taker do to answer this question in their topic sentence accurately?
2. Go back to the main idea
In a question about determining the Main Idea, Central Idea, or Theme, which answer choice is MOST likely correct?
A. One that includes minor details
B. One that combines several key ideas
C. One that focuses on one example
D. One with strong opinions
B. One that combines several key ideas
How do you know you are answering an extended response question?
There are usually two questions/prompts that you need to answer in a thesis statement.