Main Idea 1
State the main idea of this passage. Cell phone texting has become a popular
form of communication within the past decade.
It allows us to communicate with others quickly. As people began texting, acronyms and abbreviations became widely used. Phrases like B4N (bye for now), CU L8R, (see you later), DYK (did you know), HYH (have you heard), and JK (just kidding) were acronyms that did not exist before text messaging became so popular. Over 1000 text message acronyms exist... how many could you decode?
What is
Because of text messaging, there are many new acronyms in our language that did not exist previously.
State the main idea of this passage.
When kids hear the word "reading" the act of reading a fiction book is the first thing to come to mind for most of them. However, reading extends way beyond that. Almost everything we do involves some form of reading. Signs and labels surround us. Try to imagine grocery shopping or preparing meals without the ability to read. Descriptions on package labels help us to understand what is inside, and how to prepare it. Some products also contain warning labels, and it is important to be able to read these labels to use them safely. The ability to read also gets us from place to place. Words on signs and maps help direct us on the highway, in the subway, at the airport, even at Disneyland! Today's culture makes reading an important skill for kids to master.
What is
Being able to read helps us in many areas of our daily lives.
The main idea is:
All animals have adaptations that help them live in their habitats.
Which of the following could be a supporting detail:
Camels laugh.
Ducks have webbed feet.
What is
Ducks have webbed feet.
Describe what a summary is and how it helps you as a reader.
What is
A brief account of a reading passage that helps your comprehend what you read and remember the main idea and supporting details.
State the main idea of this passage. A New York hotel kitchen by Chef George Crum. 3 When he invented them, he hoped that they would taste bad. You see, he was irritated with a cranky guest who had complained that Crum’s potatoes were too soggy, thick, and bland. The guest had requested that Crum make him a new batch. Chef Crum wanted to “teach the guest a lesson” about insulting the chef, so he made a batch that was paper-thin, overcooked, and oversalted. To his surprise, the diner loved the second batch! Word spread quickly, and potato chips became a very popular snack.
What is
Chef George Crum invented the potato chips when he was trying to insult a picky diner.
State the main idea of this passage. Penny licks were popular ice cream treats
sold by street vendors in the mid to late 19th
century. Buyers would pay one penny to be given a
tiny serving of ice cream in a special glass container. No spoons were used; buyers simply licked the glass dish clean and returned it to the vendor, who would reuse it. This obviously raised health concerns, and penny licks were banned in London in 1899. However, they were used in the United States into the 20th century until the ice cream cone became popular after the World’s Fair in 1904.
What is
Penny licks were used to serve ice cream before the cone was invented.
Some animals are very social. The beluga whale is one of these animals because it loves being around other beluga whales. Beluga whales live in small groups called pods. They communicate with their friends using special whistles and clicks. Before winter comes and the Arctic waters freeze, beluga whales travel south in herds. Since beluga whales are the smallest type of whale, hanging around other beluga whales helps scare off predators like polar bears and killer whales.
Name a supporting detail that fits the main idea, Beluga whales are social.
What is
They love being around other whales.
They live in small groups.
They communicate with friends using whistles and clicks.
They travel in herds.
When writing a summary what should you include?
What is
The main idea and all the important details.
State the main idea of this passage. Have you ever stood beside a monster truck?
If you have, you know just how massive these
vehicles are! Monster trucks are typically about 11 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Although they have a body that looks like a huge pickup truck, they are actually more closely related to a four-wheel-drive dune buggy. The front wheels are controlled by a steering wheel, while the back wheels are managed by a toggle switch. Monster trucks are equipped with harnesses, helmets, and head and neck restraints to keep the driver safe.
What is
Monster trucks are designed to have certain features.
State the main idea of this passage. What is your favorite way to eat a potato?
Potatoes are one of the most versatile foods in
the world. You can bake a potato and eat it whole, or you can cut it up and roast it in the oven. Many people boil potatoes and then beat them until the potatoes are smooth, creating mashed potatoes that can be covered with gravy. Potatoes can be made into French fries, potato chips, hash browns, soft dumplings, or potato salad. Cooks often use potatoes in soups and casseroles. No one can accuse the potato of being useless!
What is
There are several ways that potatoes can be prepared.
The main idea is:
The ear is made up of three main sections that have different jobs.
Which of the following details support the main idea.
Your outer ear is called the pinna, and it's job is to gather sounds and send them to the middle ear.
Ear wax helps to clean and product the ear.
After swimming, you should shake the water out of your ear so you don't get swimmer's ear.
What is
Your outer ear is called the pinna, and it's job is to gather sounds and send them to the middle ear.
Summarize the following stating the main idea and at least 2 supporting details.
Scientists found bones at a site called Fernvale. The site was once a settlement for Indigenous people. The bones were stained with pigment. This is a substance added to something to give it color. Pigments can be made of things like clay and earth. Pigments can be used to tattoo the skin.
These stained bones are the world's oldest known tattooing tools, said Aaron Deter-Wolf. He's an archaeologist. Archaeologists are scientists. They study the past through the things that people made, used and left behind. Deter-Wolf was part of a team. They studied the bones.
What is
Scientists found bones that are the world's oldest known tattooing tools.
The bounds were found at an old settlement from Indigenous people.
The bones were stained with pigment which can be used to tattoo the skin.
State the main idea of this passage.
Do you enjoy reading books that make you laugh out loud? Barbara Parks was an author who specialized in writing humorous books for young readers. She was best-known for her series of Junie B. Jones books, which describes the comical day- to-day antics of a kindergartener. This popular series spent over 180 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She also wrote books for older kids, like Skinnybones, which features hilarious sixth grader, Alex Frankovitch. Parks once said, “There are those who believe that the value of a children’s book can be measured only in terms of the moral lessons it tries to impose or the perfect role models it offers. Personally, I happen to think that a book is of extraordinary value if it gives the reader nothing more than a smile or two. In fact, I happen to think that’s huge.” Although Barbara Parks died in 2013, her beloved books will surely keep kids smiling and laughing for decades to come.
What is
Barbara Parks was an author who enjoyed writing books that would make kids laugh.
State the main idea of this passage.
Have you consumed any Vitamin D today? Vitamin D is a very important vitamin. It is best known for helping our bodies absorb calcium so that we can have strong bones, but it plays other health roles, too. It is known to boost the immune system, strengthen the heart, and help nerves and muscles work properly. In recent years, however, more and more people have been found to be lacking Vitamin D in their bodies, and this can lead to serious health conditions. Why has this become a problem? Vitamin D is sometimes known as the sunshine vitamin. In humans, exposure to sunlight helps our bodies produce Vitamin D. People are exposed to less sunlight now because we use sunscreen to protect our skin. Also, today’s kids often spend more time indoors than children did in the past.
Luckily, humans have found other ways to acquire Vitamin D. First, you can eat more things that naturally contain Vitamin D, like certain fish, egg yolks, and mushrooms. Many foods are also now being fortified with Vitamin D, meaning it is added to the food. These foods include milk, cereals, and yogurt. How will you acquire your Vitamin D today?
What is
Vitamin D, which plays a very important role in the body, can be obtained in three ways.
The main idea is:
Vegetables keep you healthy.
Which of the following does NOT support the main idea.
Eating green beans can keep your bones healthy.
Eating carrots can keep your skin healthy.
Fruits keep you healthy.
Eating broccoli can improve your kidney function.
What is
Fruits keep you healthy.
Summarize the following passage. Include a main idea and at least 2 supporting details.
Valerie Thomas transformed data so that scientists could understand and use it. She studied data captured by satellites. A satellite is a machine. It travels around, or orbits, a star or planet such as Earth.
These satellites capture images. The images provide information about the Earth's surface and atmosphere. (The atmosphere is the blanket of gases that surrounds the planet.)
Scientists used this information for lots of things. For example, they used it to predict the amount of crops that farmers could harvest.
Thomas was the go-to person for this type of data. She even made a key guide for scientists to understand it. Her work made it possible for scientists to understand and use this information.
What is
Valerie Thomas transformed data transferred by satellites so scientists could understand and use this information.
She studied data captured by satellites.
She made a key guide for scientists to understand satellite information.
State the main idea of this passage.
You sink your teeth into a moist, frosting-covered cupcake and sigh. How luscious! Which body part made that tasteful experience possible? Most people assume that the taste buds on their tongue are allowing them to taste the heavenly cupcake. The tongue can’t take all of the credit, though. Your nose is involved in tasting foods, too.
When you take a bite of a particular food and start chewing, the food releases chemicals that travel up into your nose. The chemicals trigger the olfactory receptors in the uppermost part of your nose. Then, your taste buds and olfactory receptors work together to send messages to inform your brain about the food you are tasting.
Have you ever noticed that when your nose is stuffed up, the food you eat doesn’t have much flavor? This happens because the nose isn’t clear, and the chemicals cannot reach the olfactory receptors. Likewise, has anyone ever told you to try plugging your nose when you have to eat something you don’t like? Again, part of the taste is suppressed. Clearly, the nose is an important body part when it comes to tasting foods.
What is
The nose is a body part that helps you taste food flavors.
State the main idea of this passage.
Despite the 2000-mile distance between the Hawaiian islands and the coastline of California, Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. There were a few key events which led this distant string of islands to become an American state. First, when trade increased between Asia and the United States in the 1800s, Hawaii was an important stop along the trade route. Then, once Hawaii became a U.S. territory in 1898, the United States Navy placed a military base there. This provided the U.S. with a prime location in the center of the Pacific Ocean to monitor things happening in Asia. Finally, in 1959, when Hawaiians voted on whether to remain a territory or become a state, 90% of the Hawaiian population consisted of U.S. citizens, who felt loyalty to the United States. It came as no surprise when 93% of Hawaiian voters cast their votes in favor of becoming a U.S. state.
What is
There were a few key events that caused Hawaii to become a U.S. state.
The main idea is:
Birds are designed to fly.
What is a detail that would support this?
What is
Birds have wings.
Birds have hollow bones.
Birds feathers are light and the shape of their wings are perfect for catching air.
Read the following passage and summarize it including the main idea and at least 2 supporting details.
In 1998, the scientists started working to save the tequila fish. That year, five pairs of the fish came to Mexico. They were from Chester Zoo in England. For 15 years, scientists took care of the fish.
People thought we were absurd, said Omar Domínguez. He worked on the project. Domínguez is a biologist. This is a scientist who studies living things.
In 2012, the team moved 80 tequila fish to a man-made pond. The scientists needed to show that the fish could survive outside. After four years, the 80 fish grew to about 10,000. It was time for the final step: putting tequila fish back in the wild.
What is
Scientists were working to save the tequila fish.
They cared 5 pairs in a zoo for 15 years.
The team moved 80 tequila fish to a man-made pond.
After four years, the 80 fish grew to about 10,000.
The final step was to put the tequila fish back into the wild.