Central Idea
What is the central idea of a text?
The main message or most important point the author wants the reader to understand.
What are three of the most common reasons an author writes a story?
Persuade, Inform, Entertain
Name at least 3 types of text structure
Cause and effect
Compare and contrast
Problem and solution
Chronological order
Description
What is the literary element that describes the time and place of a story?
The setting
I am a very fancy word that describes a special group of people who are considered the best at something. What word am I?
Elite
After reading a story, you can find the central idea by asking yourself, "What is the text mostly about?" What is another question you could ask yourself to help find the central idea?
What does the author want me to learn?
What is the most important point the author is trying to make?
Look at this sentence: "The brave knight, Sir Reginald, was as strong as an oak tree." Is this an example of a simile or a metaphor? Explain how you know.
This is a simile because it uses the word "as" to compare two different things: the knight's strength and an oak tree.
Read the following sentences: "First, you need to gather your ingredients. Next, mix them together in a bowl. Finally, pour the mixture into a pan and bake it." What text structure is being used here, and how do you know?
This is an example of chronological order (or sequence). We know because the author uses transition words like "first," "next," and "finally" to show the steps in a process.
The plot of a story includes a beginning, a middle, and an end. What is another word we use to call these three parts in a story's plot?
The events
The train engineer had to carefully guide the powerful locomotives to their destination. What does the word "locomotives" mean in this sentence?
The engine of a train
Where can look to find the central idea in a text?
-first or last sentence
- repeated words
- visuals
- headings
Imagine you are reading an advertisement for a new video game. The ad shows a group of kids having a blast playing together and describes the game as "the most exciting adventure of the year!" What is the author's purpose in writing this ad?
The author's purpose is to persuade the reader to buy the video game.
You're reading a book about two different types of animals: lions and tigers. The author talks about what they both have in common, like living in prides and having sharp teeth. The author also explains how they are different, like where they live and how they hunt. What text structure is the author using?
The author is using a compare and contrast text structure.
You've just read a story about a little girl who helps her grandmother plant a garden. The girl learns how to pull weeds, plant seeds, and water the new plants. At the end of the story, the grandmother tells her, "The most beautiful things grow with a little hard work and patience." What is the theme of this story?
The theme is that hard work and patience lead to a beautiful result. The author wants to teach the reader a lesson about the importance of these qualities.
The inventor had a workshop full of strange and wonderful gadgets. One of his newest inventions helped farmers irrigate their dry fields. Explain what the inventor was doing.
The inventor was using his small machines or tools (gadgets) to provide water to the crops (irrigate).
Explain the difference between the central idea and a key detail. Why is it important to know the difference?
The central idea is the main message of the entire text, while a key detail is a specific fact or piece of information that supports or proves that main message. It's important to know the difference because the central idea is a big idea, and the key details are the small, specific pieces of information that help you understand that big idea.
Read the following two sentences.
Which sentence uses more "author's craft"? Why?
Sentence A: The dog walked slowly toward the shiny red ball.
Sentence B: The furry brown dog tiptoed stealthily toward the gleaming, cherry-red ball.
Sentence B uses more author's craft. The author chose more specific and descriptive words like "furry," "tiptoed," "stealthily," and "gleaming, cherry-red" to help the reader visualize the scene more clearly and make the writing more interesting.
Explain the difference between a cause and effect text structure and a problem and solution text structure. How are they similar, and how are they different?
They are similar because they both deal with something happening and a result. They are different because a cause and effect structure shows how one event led to another, while a problem and solution structure identifies a specific problem and then explains how that problem was solved.
How would a story's mood change if the author moved the setting from a sunny park during the day to a dark, abandoned house at night? Explain your reasoning.
The mood would change from a feeling of happiness and safety to a feeling of fear and suspense. This is because an abandoned house at night is often associated with scary or mysterious events, while a sunny park is usually a happy place. The author can use the setting to create a certain mood.
Your teacher asks you to write about a person you admire. You choose your grandfather, who is a famous artist. Your teacher wants to know if he is an eccentric person or a passionate person. Explain the difference between these two words.
An eccentric person is a little strange or unconventional, while a passionate person has a very strong feeling or love for something.
Your friend says that the central idea of a story is always the first sentence. Is your friend correct? Why or why not? Give an example to support your answer.
No, your friend is not always correct. While the central idea can sometimes be found in the first sentence (or "topic sentence"), it can also be found in the last sentence or a combination of sentences throughout the text. Sometimes, the reader has to figure out the central idea on their own based on the details in the story.
An author writes a non-fiction book about the history of the airplane. The book includes a lot of facts and dates, but it also has a chapter called "The Thrill of Flight," which tells a story about the first time a person flew a plane. Explain why the author chose to include this story. Was it a good choice?
The author's main purpose is to inform the reader about the history of the airplane. However, they included the story about the "Thrill of Flight" to entertain the reader and make the book more engaging. It was a good choice because it breaks up the text full of facts and makes the topic more exciting for the reader.
You are writing a short report about a time your class put together a fundraiser and raised money for a charity. Which text structure would be the best choice to organize your report, and why?
The best choice would be a chronological order text structure. This is because you would want to tell the story of your fundraiser in the order that it happened. You'd start with how you first learned about the charity, explain how you decided to help them, and then describe the steps you took to do so. A chronological structure would make the most sense to the reader.
You're reading a story where a character, who is always honest and kind, is faced with a difficult choice: tell the truth and get his friend in trouble, or tell a lie to protect him. Which choice do you think the author will have the character make? Why? What does this choice reveal about the character's personality?
The author will likely have the character tell the truth. This is because the character has been introduced as honest. By choosing to tell the truth, even when it's hard, the character's choice reveals that their loyalty to being honest is more important than avoiding conflict, showing a very strong and consistent personality trait.
Your class is learning about how to get out of a dangerous situation. Your teacher wants you to come up with a plan to get your classmates to safety. You decide to create a plan that involves a special maneuver to increase the acceleration of your movements. What do you need to do to complete your task?
You need to create a plan with a clever, skillful movement (maneuver) to increase your speed (acceleration).