Primary and Secondary Sources
Is a photograph taken during a historical event a primary or secondary source?
A primary source.
True or False: Text evidence must come directly from the passage.
True
What is a key detail?
A key detail is an important piece of information that supports the main idea.
What is a summary?
A summary is a short version of a text that tells the main idea and key details.
A textbook chapter about the Civil War is an example of what type of source?
A secondary source.
What is an inference?
An inference is a conclusion you make using clues from the text and your own thinking.
What is the main idea of a paragraph?
The main idea is what the paragraph is mostly about.
Name two things that should not be included in a summary.
Personal opinions and unimportant details.
What is one difference between a diary entry and a biography?
A diary is a firsthand account written by the person, while a biography is written by someone else about that person.
“The sky darkened, and the wind howled.” What can you infer is about to happen?
A storm is coming.
If a paragraph includes details about ways bees help plants grow, what is the most likely main idea?
Bees are important for helping plants grow.
Read this short passage:
"Polar bears live in the Arctic and are excellent swimmers. They hunt seals and rely on sea ice to travel. Climate change is melting sea ice, making it harder for polar bears to survive."
Write a one-sentence summary of the passage.
Polar bears live in the Arctic and are in danger because climate change is melting sea ice.
You read a soldier’s letter from World War II and then a news article written about that soldier. Which one is the firsthand account and why?
The letter is the firsthand account because it was written by the person who experienced the event.
Read this sentence: “Samantha’s stomach growled as she stared at the clock, waiting for the lunch bell.” What can you infer? What text evidence supports your answer?
Samantha is hungry. The evidence is that her stomach growled and she was watching the clock.
Read this excerpt:
"Recycling helps reduce waste. It also saves energy and natural resources. Many cities encourage people to recycle plastic, paper, and glass."
What is the main idea? List two supporting details.
Main idea: Recycling helps the environment.
Supporting details: It saves energy and cities encourage recycling.
Explain how the main idea and key details work together to create a good summary.
The main idea tells what the text is mostly about, and the key details give the most important facts that support it.
Compare and contrast how a person’s feelings about an event might be expressed in a personal journal versus how that same event is described in a newspaper article.
A journal may include personal feelings and thoughts, while a newspaper article is usually more factual and written by someone who wasn't there.
After reading an article about endangered species, what inference can you make about why conservation efforts are important? Use one piece of text evidence to support your answer.
Conservation efforts help protect animals from extinction. The article says some animals are disappearing because their homes are being destroyed.
How can analyzing multiple key details help you figure out the main idea of a longer article?
Key details give clues about the main topic. When you look at several details, you can figure out what the whole text is mostly about.
You read an article about the invention of the telephone. How would you write a summary that includes only the most important ideas? What should you include or leave out?
I would include who invented it, when, and why it was important. I would leave out small facts like what the inventor ate for lunch or side stories.