Main Idea/Summary
Reading Strategies
Author's Purpose
Context Clues
Fact and Opinion
100
Define Main Idea.
What is a story is mostly about?
100

Where do you look first when answering a question

What is instructions, directions, and answer options

100
Sally: Hey, come to the mall with me! Tammy: But I have homework. Sally: There is a sale at our favorite store. Tammy: Can we stop at the candy store really quick if I go? Sally: If you come to the mall with me, I promise we will! What is the author's purpose of the selection above? a. inform b. persuade c. entertain d. explain
What is (b) persuade?
100
Cliffs are not the only way waterfalls are formed. Waterfalls may also appear where the river flows over ground containing a hard bed of rock. The river WEARS away the softer rock on both sides of the hard bed. Once the hard rock is exposed, it forms a lege over which the water plunges. The word WEARS means___________. a. to have on the body b. scrapes or rubs c. clothing d. to last a long time
What is (b) scrapes or rubs?
100
Sarah is my dog's name, and she has only has one blue eye. Is this Fact or Opinion?
What is Fact?
200
Truman grabbed his fishing pole and tackle box and hurried down to the pond. Sitting down on the dock that jutted into the pond, he opened his tackle box and chose a blue plastic worm. Carefully, Truman worked the hook through the water and began working the fishing line. After five casts, a fish hit the line. Carefully Truman pulled back to set the hook, and began reeling in his catch. Truman pulled in the biggest fish he had ever seen in his life. He could hardly wait to run home and show it to his family. What is this passage mostly about? a. A day at the pond b. Fishing at the pond c. Baiting a hook
What is (b) Fishing at the pond
200
________ _________ helps the reader in determining the meaning of unfamiliar words. These "clues" can be found within, or in the surrounding sentences.
What is context clues?
200
Did you know that the largest ice cream sundae ever made weighed 54,914 pounds? It as made by Palm Dairies in Alberta, Canada on July 24, 1988. It had 44,689 pounds of ice cream, 9,688 pounds of syrup, and 537 pounds of topping! Yummy! What is the author's purpose of this selection? a. inform b. persuade c. entertain d.explain
What is (a) inform?
200
Hiking is an activity that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Many people ENROLL in hiking clubs or groups. They join these clubs so they can be around other hikers and learn from their experiences. A hiker does not have to spend much money on equipment. In this passage, the word ENROLL means________. a. quit b. travel c. become a part of d. stay away from.
What is (c) become a part of.
200
There are too many Applebee's restaurants in El Paso. They should close them all down. Is this a fact or opinion?
What is an opinion?
300
Minerals are substances in rocks that industries use to manufacture products. Unlike plants and animals, minerals are not alive. Most minerals are hard, and many of them have to be dug from under the ground. A practice known as mining is used to bring the minerals from beneath the earth's surface. Some minerals, such as coal, can be used in the form in which they are found. However, most minerals have to be changed in some way before they can be used. Oil is broken down into many valuable products, such as gasoline and natural gas. Which sentence tells the main idea of the story? a. Minerals used in industries are mined from beneath the earth. b. Minerals are found in rocks. c. Oil is broken down into gasoline and natural gas.
What is (a) Minerals used in industries are mined from beneath the earth.
300
The thoughts or ideas that you come up with about what will happen next in the story.
What are predictions
300
Daniel, his mom, his dad, and his younger sister, Carina, lived in a faraway town called Tumbler Ridge in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. In the summer they would go exploring together. They looked for new caves and waterfalls and hiked to the tops of mountains. In the winter, they would go cross-country skiing together up frozen creeks and through beautiful canyons. One day they skied to a spot whre they found an old abandoned wooden cabin. Daniel said "Wouldn't it be fun to see what this place looks like in the summer? What is the author's purpose to this selection? a. inform b. persuade c. explain d. entertain
What is (d) entertain?
300
Heart attacks can be brought on by the pressures of everday life. Stress and strain at work, eating an UNBALANCED diet, smoking, drinking, alcohol, and taking drugs all lead to bad health. In this passage, the word UNBALANCED means__________ a. healthy b. heavy c. not healthy d. difficult
What is (c) not healthy.
300
Alex's science project was really good. It was the best one in 5th grade. Is this fact or opinion?
What is opinion?
400
A mother rabbit is gentle when she cares for her offspring. Before they are born, she builds a soft padded nest in a hollow scraped under the grass or in a burrow between the large roots of a tree. She carefully shreds leaves and collects grass to line the nest. Then she pulls bits of fur from her coat to make a warm bed. When baby rabbits are born, they have no fur and they cannot see. Because of this, the mother rabbit never leaves the nest without covering it with more leaves and grass to protect her offspring. What is the main idea of this story? a. Rabbits live in nests or burrows b. The mother rabbit uses her own fur to make a warm bed c. A mother rabbit carefully cares for her babies
What is c. A mother rabbit carefully cares for her babies
400

During reading, where do you look for an author's CLAIM or CENTRAL IDEA?

What is the first and/or last sentence of a paragraph or text?

400
Baiting a hook is a messy process. First, you have to dig the worm out of the ground or out of a cup of worms and dirt. Next, slide the worm on the hook, covering the hook so the fish can’t see it. Finally, toss the hook and worm into the water. Good luck! What is the author's purpose? a. inform b. entertain c. explain d. persuade
What is (c) explain?
400
Frank was ALL EYES as he watched Coco the Clown perform his juggling act. Five, six, then seven multicolored balls spun in a circle around Coco's head. How was he able to keep so many balls in the air without any of them falling to the ground? In this passage, the phrase ALL EYES means Frank_______________ a. has more than one pair of eyes b. didn't pay attention c. wears glasses d. watched carefully
What is (d) watched carefully?
400
When I ate Applebee's shrimp last week, I got really sick the next day. I couldn't keep anything down. Is this statement fact or opinion?
What is a fact?
500
Sand is made when rocks break into smaller pieces. Over a long period of time, wind, frost, and rain work against mountain cliffs and break off pieces of rock which fall down the mountainside. As the rock bounces down, it breaks off other pieces of rock it hits, and also breaks into smaller pieces itself. The water of rivers and oceans ruch against rocks, abreaking them into smaller and smaller pieces. The heavy ice of glaciers scrapes and grinds the rocks it moves along. the ice carries the sand it has made and dumps it in other places. All over the world, the ocean waves tear at the rocks along the shore, wearing them down until finally the rocks are so small they become what we call sand. What is this story mainly about? a. wind, frost, and rain b. Making sand c. Journey of a rock
What is (b) Making sand?
500

When answering a test question, what strategy increases your chances of getting a correct answer?

What is eliminating incorrect answer choices FIRST?

500
Do you ever wonder how an e-mail gets from A friend’s computer to yours? When your friend Sends the message, his computer changes it into a Series of electronic blips. These will travel over phone Lines. First, the message goes to your friend’s service Provider. The service provider directs all messages to A routing station, or hub computer. The hub examines The e-mail address and decides on the quickest way to Get the message to your computer. The e-mail travels To another hub, either by satellite or over a superfast Cable connection. Then, the message travels to your Service provider and along your phone line to your Computer. Your computer translates the electronic blips Into your message. Now, you have e-mail. What is the author's purpose? a. inform b. explain c. persuade d. entertain
What is (b) explain?
500
Now that the oil wells had run dry, Michael's life had certainly changed. He was no longer able to LIVE LIKE A KING. He had to do his own work on the ranch, prepare his own meals, and take care of the house. It took him a lot of time to adjust. In this passage, the phrase LIVE LIKE A KING means_____________ a. married to a queen b. sit on a throne c. have someone else do all his work d. ruling a country
What is (c) have someone else do all his work.
500
The Dallas Cowboys will probably win the super bowl next year. Is this a fact or opinion?
What is an opinion?
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