Main Idea
What is a main idea?
What the story is MOSTLY about
Read this passage Sam looked through the window at the city far below. The light came on informing all those on board to fasten their seat belts. They were about to land. Where was Sam?
In an airplane
Birds that migrate, such as some ducks and geese, leave their home in the winter.
Using the example clue, the word migrate in this sentence means
Move or travel
What is Theme?
The Lesson or Moral of the Story
Because Sara never brushes her teeth she had five cavities when she went to the dentist.
What is the Cause?
She never brushes her teeth
Recycling things like paper, plastic, and metal helps the Earth by cutting down on trash. Yet many people throw away their newspapers, bottles, and cans instead of recycling them. The question, then, is how to encourage more people to recycle. One way that works is to put recycling containers in more places. Seeing more recycling bins helps people remember to use them. Another way is to teach people why recycling is important. If we make recycling easier and teach people why it matters, more people will join in.
We need to teach people to recycle and put out more bins to encourage them to recycle.
David through the yellow ball above his head and whacked it with the racket. The ball landed in the middle of the net 'Fault', said the umpire. What was David doing?
Playing Tennis
John liked to go on expeditions such as ski trips, rock climbing, and mountain climbing.
Using the example clue, the word expeditions in this sentence means
Trips or adventures
Read the passage In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. But at five feet and eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so Jordan was cut from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following summer. When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history. What is the theme of this story?
A. If things get too hard just quit.
B. You need to be short to be successful
C. Michael Jordan is an inspiration to all
D. Never give up. Persistence pays off.
D. Never give up. Persistence pays off.
Sara studied for the test therefore, she received an A+.
What is the effect?
She received an A
Dogs and wolves are part of the same animal family. Both animals have strong senses of smell and are loyal to their packs. But dogs and wolves are quite different when it comes to people. Dogs are used to living with people and get along well with them. In fact, dogs have been called "man's best friend." Wolves, on the other hand, cannot live with humans. Wolves prefer to live in the wild, where they can hunt for their food. Clearly, dogs belong with people, while wolves do not.
Dogs are better suited to live with people than wolves are.
The maiden was trapped in a tower. She waited and waited. One day a friendly dragon flew to the window. The maiden smiled. She jumped out the window and onto his back. Soon her feet touched the ground. She hugged the dragon. How can we tell that the maiden was happy?
A - She hugged the dragon.
B - Her feet were on the ground.
C - She jumped out the window.
D - She said so.
A - She hugged the dragon.
We know Katrina is apprehensive about many things because she is so afraid of petting large animals, seeing spiders on the wall, ad walking through the tall grass.
What does the word apprehensive mean?
Fearful or afraid
Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark's bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family's private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn't appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark was never satisfied. What is the theme?
Money can't buy happiness
I forgot to go to the grocery store. We have no food in the house.
What is the cause and the effect?
Cause: didn't go grocery shopping
Effect: No food in the house
In 1847, Charlotte Brontë and her sister Anne both published their first novels. The following year, their sister Emily also published a first novel. Charlotte's novel, Jane Eyre, was one of the best-sellers of 1847. Emily's novel, Wuthering Heights, was disliked at first but later became highly respected. Anne's first novel did not sell well, but her second novel did. How did three sisters from the same family all become published writers? Their childhood might have had something to do with it. When Charlotte and Emily were young girls, they made up stories about an imaginary land called Angria. They filled notebooks with stories about Angria. When Anne was old enough, she joined in. It could be that their early years helped the girls to develop their creativity and storytelling abilities.
The Bronte sisters childhood storytelling may have helped their future writing careers.
Kim's baby brother kept crying. It had been a busy day and now it was very late. The baby was fed and had a clean diaper. Still he cried. Kim's mom rocked him until he fell asleep. Why was Kim's baby brother crying?
It was late and he was tired
Julie bought a gift for her mom at a cart in the mall. The kiosk sells special chocolate candies.
Using the example clue, the word kiosk in this sentence means
A booth or cart
Blaine opened up the present and began pouting. He screamed in a high-pitched voice, "This is Captain Thunder! I wanted Captain Lightning!" His mother looked at him with dismay and handed him another present, which he greedily opened. "Why did you get me a red hat? You know I like blue more," Blaine whined as he threw the hat across the room. His mother straightened her expression and squinted at him. Earlier she had hoped to take some pictures of this moment, but by now she had put away her camera. She sighed and handed him one more present in hopes that this year wouldn't be a total bust. Blaine huffed and opened it. "A Game Box 4000� wow. Where's the Game Box 5000 that I asked for?" His mother could bear his ingratitude no longer. The next time that Blaine returned from his father's house, he was shocked to find that all of these toys and gifts, along with many other of his things, had been generously donated to needy children. What is the theme?
Be thankful for what you have
I watered the plants. They bloomed and grew!
What is the cause and the effect?
Cause: watered the plants
Effect: they bloomed and grew
A mule is a cross between a donkey and a horse. Its father is a donkey, and its mother is a horse. Mules are about the same size as horses and look like horses in certain ways. However, mules are quite different from horses when it comes to life on a farm. Mules are stronger than horses and usually don't have as many health problems as horses do. Mules also live longer than horses and don't need as much food. They can also act as guard animals, protecting other animals on the farm. For farmers, mules are often a better choice than horses.
Mules making better working farm animals than horses do.
Abbie has her backpack on her bed. She is packing for a trip. She lays out a waterproof jacket and rain hat, extra socks, a flashlight, compass, binoculars, and water bottle. She hunts for extra batteries and decides to bring her camera. She checks on her sleeping bag and helps her parents bring out the tent. Where are Abbie and her parents are going?
She is going camping
Some people feel perplexed by brain teasers, while others figure them out quickly.
Using the comparison clue, the word perplexed in this sentence means
Confused
Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave. What is the theme?
Do things right the first time
I did my work when my teacher asked. I got a ten minute trade-in.
What is the cause and the effect?
Cause: I did my work
Effect: I got a ten minute trade-in.