Central Idea/Theme
What is the difference between theme and central idea?
Theme = message (life lesson); Central Idea = main idea of nonfiction
What is text evidence?
👉 Proof from the text that supports an answer
What is elaboration?
👉 Explaining how the evidence supports your idea
What is the FIRST thing you should include in a response?
👉 A claim / answer
What should you do if you don’t know the answer?
👉 Eliminate wrong answers
What is the central idea?
“School lunches have improved because more fresh foods are being served, student choice is being considered, and there are more options.”
School lunches are improving.
Which is the BEST evidence?
A. “He was tired.”
B. “His eyelids drooped, and he could barely keep them open.”
B. “His eyelids drooped, and he could barely keep them open.”
What is a good sentence starter for your elaboration sentence?
"This shows"
What is the minimum for a scorable response?
👉 Claim + Evidence + Elaboration + Explanation
What is a good strategy for multiple choice?
👉 Find evidence before choosing
Which is the BEST theme? A. Dogs are fun B. Friendship requires loyalty C. The story is about two friends
B. Friendship requires loyalty.
Why should you use text evidence?
👉 To prove your answer is correct
Which is better elaboration?
A. This shows he is sad. B. This shows he is sad because he lost his only friend and feels alone.
B. This shows he is sad because he lost his only friend and feels alone.
What happens if you copy the passage?
👉 You get little or no credit
Why should you reread the question?
👉 To make sure you understand what it’s asking
What is one strategy to find central idea/theme?
👉 Look for repeated ideas + what the text mostly discusses
What is WRONG with this evidence?
“Because I think so”
👉 It’s an opinion, not from the text
What comes next: claim + evidence +___________________+_____________________
elaboration + explanation
Which is better?
A. 1 sentence
B. 3–4 complete sentences
B. 3–4 complete sentences
What is a common trap answer?
👉 An answer that sounds right but isn’t supported by the text
Why is this NOT a good theme?
“Bullying”
👉 It’s just a topic, not a message
What is some possible evidence for this claim:
Claim: The character is nervous
👉 Any line showing shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, etc.
Why does elaboration increase your score?
👉 It shows deeper thinking and understanding
Why is organization important?
👉 It helps your ideas make sense and flow
What should you do after choosing an answer?
👉 Check it with evidence from the text