Basics
What is a main idea?
The main idea is the most important idea of a text.
It is what the text is mostly about.
Mary enjoys baking, especially pies. She can make apple pie, carrot pie and strawberry pie. Her favorite is strawberry pie.
What is the main idea?
Mary likes to bake pies.
In science you learn about living things and materials. You must learn 'the scientific method', so you can conduct experiments to learn about scientific processes. This helps prove scientific claims.
Name the main idea of the text.
The scientific method is important.
Science teaches us to look for proof.
Yesterday was my birthday party. My friends and my family were there. My mom baked a delicious cake for me.
What is a missing main detail?
Age?
Type of cake?
Tom and Tare were lifelong friends. They met playing soccer. They continued playing until they were too old, then enjoyed spectating from the sidelines.
What is a key idea?
Tom and Tare shared a love of soccer.
Tom and Tare's friendship lasted.
What does the L in PEEL stand for?
The link back to your main argument or point.
Yesterday my brother got sick. We went to the doctor. The doctor was very nice. He gave my brother some medicine.
What does this piece focus on?
A visit to the doctor.
Sam is a lone duck that lives on the lake. He is a common white duck, with orange legs. He mainly eats fish and insects, but is fed bread and oats by local people too. He has become friendly with a group of swans that also inhabit the lake.
Name one detail of the story.
Possible answers:
He is white and has orange legs.
He loves to eat fish and insects.
He is friendly to swans.
Monkeys are very interesting animals. They live in many places of the world. They like to eat fruits, but some also eat meat.
Possible answers:
Monkeys live in trees.
Monkeys are very smart.
Monkeys are fun to watch
The monkeys build nests high in the trees. They swing from the numerous vines, and find ample food among the branches, and on the jungle floor.
Which is the setting of the story?
The jungle.
What do the E's in PEEL stand for?
Explanation and evidence.
Do you like playing soccer? Soccer is a great sport. You can play it with your friends, or you can practice on your own. Playing soccer is a lot of exercise!
What is the main idea?
Soccer is a great sport
___________________________. Some flowers grow on trees, others grow close to the ground. There are big flowers and small flowers. Some flowers have different colors, some flowers only have one color.
What can be the main idea of this text?
Possible answers:
There are may different types of flowers.
Flowers can be very different.
My family just got a new dog. My sister and I have to train it and take care of it.
What's a main detail that is missing?
Possible answers:
Breed
Age
Lightning and rain pounded down on the fields. Mary and Jon were worried about the sheep. They were sitting in bed together, arguing about whether to check on the stock. Mary felt it was too dangerous.
What is the setting?
A farm.
What does the P in PEEL stand for?
The point of the paragraph.
CHANCE CARD
You've lost 100 points.
Cooper sped backwards into a group outside a hotel in Port Elliot, moments after a fight outside the venue. The attack left one of his victims, Jonathan Hogg, fighting for his life and needing multiple surgeries. South Australia’s District Court was told “innocent bystanders” were also among those hurt in the crash.
What is an important detail from this news piece?
People were injured.
Compared to Earth, the planet is huge. The atmosphere is poisonous.
What is a main missing detail?
The name of the planet.
The type of gases that are poisonous.
The race started late. All the cars were going at top speed. The McClaren team suffered a crash. Ferrari won the race and took out the trophy.
Name a main event in the story.
Possible answers:
The race started late
McClaren crashed
Ferrari won the trophy.
Which of the following can be the point of a paragraph?:
Echo location is an example.
Some animals have special senses or abilities...
A stadium in Iran has been bombed.
Some animals have special senses or abilities...
We were told vaping is safer than smoking. Marketing by vape companies sold vapes as a healthier alternative to smoking. New studies show that the damage caused by vaping is more serious than anyone expected. Messaging around vaping needs to change.
Vaping is unhealthy.
When they get their wheels in motion, the New Zealand Warriors really are quite good this season. After blowing the Parramatta Eels away late in Sydney at the weekend, Andrew Webster’s side remain second on the ladder with a 7-2 record as they head into the bye week.
What is a main detail in this piece?
Warriors are second.
By sharing things into even groups, and then using the numerator to take out the right number of groups, we can solve problems with fractions.
What is wrong with the structure of this sentence?
The subject comes after the example.
CHANCE CARD
You've won 200 bonus points.