Main Idea
One to two words that explain the subject being discussed.
What is the topic?
Erick's mom is having a birthday party this weekend. He wants to do something special for her. Erick knows that his mom always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon. He turned on the computer and looked at the map. What is Erick doing? How do you know?
Erick is going to plan a trip to the Grand Canyon for his mom. Key words: mom always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon. and he looked at the map.
What is cause and effect?
The point of view that uses words such as "I" or "my"
What is first person?
When you compare to unlike things using the words like or as.
What is simile?
What is the main idea of this paragraph: It is often said that lightning never strikes twice in the same place, but this isn’t true. Go ask the forest rangers. Rangers who spend their summers as fire-fighters will tell you that every thundershower brings several bolts of lightning to their lookout stations.
Lightning often strikes in the same place.
"Kenneth!" Mom called out as she opened the front door. "Please help me with my groceries. Kenneth!" mom called out. Still, there was no reply. Mom walked into the kitchen and saw the shattered pieces from the window all over the floor and a baseball not far from there. Why do you think Kenneth was not answering to his mom? Why do you think so?
Kenneth accidentally broke a window while he was outside playing baseball. He's not answering because he doesn't want to get into trouble.
The text structure that uses dates and times to present information in the order of TIME.
What is chronological order?
What is second person?
The formation or use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.
What is onomatopoeia?
What a text is MOSTLY ABOUT.
What is the main idea?
Elizabeth was so proud of her garden. She planted the seeds early in the spring and watered the plants every morning. Last Friday, her mom called and asked her to come over for the weekend because she was feeling sick. When Elizabeth came back home, her plants were bent and drooping. Why were the plants drooping? How do you know?
She had not watered them for a few days, so the plants were not doing well.
What text structure is used in this paragraph: You might think that all automobile fuels are the same, but they aren’t. Automobiles can run on one of three types of fuel: gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel. All of these fuels are burned inside the engine, which creates the heat and energy that is used to power the car, but there are important differences between them. Gasoline and diesel are the most common fuels, but they are burned differently. Diesel fuel is heavier and less flammable than gasoline, so it has to be compressed before it will burn. Gasoline is lighter than diesel, but both of these fuels are made from crude oil. Biodiesel, on the other hand, is made from vegetables. Both biodiesel and diesel fuels must be burned in diesel engines, which only use diesel fuel.
What is compare/contrast?
What point of view is being used in this paragraph: The birds were chirping and the sun was shining. Kevin and Juno were sitting on a park bench together. Neither of them was smiling. After a long period of silence, Kevin said, "This isn't going to work. I mean, you're a dog person and I'm a cat person." Juno nodded. A tear rolled down her face. Kevin went on, "If we got married and bought a house, what kind of pet would we get? Some kind of cat-dog? Somebody's going to be unhappy." Juno began sobbing and said, "Ok, let's just end it now. Have fun with your slobbery dogs." She jumped off the bench and ran into the woods.
What is third person omniscient?
What is a metaphor?
What is the main idea of this paragraph: Costs were low that year and the output high. There was a good person for each job and the market remained firm. There were no losses from fire. All in all, it was the best years in the history of the company.
The company had a successful year.
I pressed the button and after a few seconds, the door opened. I stepped inside and pressed a button with the number 10 on it. The door closed. Then, I felt the floor was moving up. Where am I?
In an elevator!
What is the text structure used in this paragraph: Cotton candy sure is a delicious treat, but it isn’t exactly the tidiest. Eating it may make a sticky mess, particularly in humid locations during the summer. The sugar may melt all over your face and hands, leaving behind colorful, sticky goo. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t enjoy cotton candy. You just have to make sure that you are properly prepared to deal with the mess. Since cotton candy is made from sugar, it is water soluble, meaning that water will dissolve the cotton candy. If you have a wet towel, you can clean the mess right off of your face, hands, and wherever else you may find it.
What is problem/solution?
What point of view is being used in this paragraph: The dew on the grass made my running shoes damp. It didn't bother me. The sound of my feet hitting the street formed a rhythm, a steady pattern of light thumps. I timed my breathing with the rhythm. These sounds filled my head
What is first person?
What figurative language is being used in these two sentences:
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
What is metaphor?
A fact, a statement, a quote, or event, that backs up a key idea.
What is a supporting detail?
Dad and Anna were finishing up a project in the garage together. "Can we paint the roof red?" asked Anna. "Sure," said Dad. "Then when the paint dries we can find a place to hang it in the backyard." What do you think Dad and Anna are making? Why do you think so?
Dad and Anna are making a birdhouse.
What text structure is used in this paragraph: So, how does sugar become the fluffy treat that we know as cotton candy? In today’s cotton candy machines, the process starts with a small amount of colored sugar spinning in the head of the machine. Next, the sugar is heated until it melts, and then it is squeezed out through tiny holes in the spinning head. Then, the melted sugar becomes solid in the air and is caught in a larger bowl that surrounds the spinning head. The product builds up in the bowl as the machine operates, and the person running the machine should occasionally twirl a stick or cone around the bowl to gather the sugared strands.
What is sequence/order of events?
What point of view is being used in this paragraph: If you are confused about something in class, don't wait. Raise your hand and ask for help immediately. Do it while your teacher is still explaining the material.
What figurative language is being used in these lines:
I do not care to talk to you although / Your speech evokes a thousand sympathies
What is hyperbole?