Main Idea
What is a main idea?
A main idea is what the article is mostly about.
What is a supporting detail?
Supporting details are details that tell you more about the main idea.
Cross-training is a way of adding variety to your exercise program by doing two or more different types of exercise in one workout. It's not a new fad. Athletes have been cross-training since the days of the Olympic decathlons and pentathlons of ancient Greece.
Is "Cross training is a way of adding variety to your exercise program" the main idea OR a key detail?
What is the main idea?
True or false: The main idea is always the first sentence in a written text.
False
Hybrids’ gas engines also shut off while the cars are stopped. "The car goes silent when waiting at lights, while the other cars around it continue rumbling and rattling," hybrid driver May Kuroiwa of Havre de Grace, Maryland, told Senior Edition.
The system lets hybrids travel farther on less fuel. Some hybrids can go about 500 to 600 miles on a single tank of gas. That’s about twice as far as a regular gas-powered car.
Is "Some hybrids can go about 500 to 600 miles on a single tank of gas." the main idea OR a key detail?
What is a key detail?
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America. It is on the Niagara River about halfway between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Niagara Falls is on the American and Canadian border. The American Falls is 167 feet high. On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161 feet high. Which sentence is the main idea of the paragraph?
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America.
Kangaroos protect themselves in many ways. If a kangaroo senses danger, they will bang their tail on the ground to warn the others. A newborn joey is only the size of your thumb. "Kangaroos protect themselves in many ways" is the main idea. Which sentence is the supporting detail?
If a kangaroo senses danger, they will bang their tail on the ground to warn the others.
Cross-training reduces the risk of injury. When you run all the time, you stress the same muscles. If you alternate running with swimming or cycling, you use different muscles, and give the running muscles a rest.
Is "When you run all the time, you stress the same muscles" the main idea OR key detail?
What is a key detail?
There are many different kinds of bears in the world. Black bears live in North America. Grizzly bears also live in North America. They are very dangerous. The white Polar bear lives in the Arctic. The biggest bear is the Kodiak bear that is found in Alaska. What is the main idea of the paragraph?
There are many different kinds of bears in the world.
Hybrids have been popular because they conserve gasoline. The cars use their gas-powered engines on highways, where less fuel is required to move. Their electric motors kick in on hills or in stop-and-go traffic, when regular cars would burn up extra gas.
Is "Hybrids are popular because they conserve gasoline." the main idea OR a key detail?
What is the main idea?
On April 14, 1865, well-known actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln while he was attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Because he was an actor, Booth was immediately recognized by many at the theatre. What is the main idea of this paragraph?
Abraham Lincoln was fatally shot while attending a play.
Harriet Tubman risked her life to help free countless other slaves. Rather than remaining in the safety of the North, Tubman made it her mission to rescue her family and others living in slavery. After laws changed, the Underground Railroad was changed to lead directly to Canada. Tubman later became a spy. What detail supports, "Harriet Tubman risked her life to help free countless other slaves"?
Rather than remaining in the safety of the North, Tubman made it her mission to rescue her family and others living in slavery.
Overcoming shyness takes time and effort, Gilbert says. Taking small steps is the key to becoming more and more comfortable in new social situations. She says it worked for her.
Is "Overcoming shyness takes time" the main idea OR key detail?
What is the main idea?
Bats are fascinating animals. They are not birds, they are flying mammals. Some bats eat fruit, others eat insects. Bats are experts at flying. They use a system called echolocation to fly quickly in the dark. Which is the main idea of the paragraph?
Bats are fascinating animals
Once you start cross-training, you'll have to think about your shoes. Although each sport has a shoe made especially for it, you don't have to have a shoe for each activity that you do. Cross-training shoes have wide bottoms to provide stability for your feet. They have durable soles, so you can wear them inside and outside. When you choose a cross-training shoe, be sure to get one with the most cushioning per square inch.
Is "Cross training shoes have wide bottoms to provide stability for your feet." the main idea OR key detail?
What is a key detail?