Vocabulary
What is Main Idea?
the central idea in a story or text; what a text is mostly about
What is the SUBJECT?
The ability to vote is one of the most important rights in a democracy. People should be able to vote easily, and voting laws should be written to make sure that the largest number of people are able to vote. Voting stations should be easy to get to and should be open early enough and late enough so that everyone has time to vote.
the ability to vote
What is the Subject?
Insects are called "bugs" because they bother people. Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people. Some farmers buy ladybugs for their farms. Ladybugs eat other insects that eat crops. Farmers want the crops to grow. Some spiders also eat bugs that eat plants. Another bug that helps people is the honeybee. They don't eat plant-eating bugs, but bees pollinate flowers so that they grow. They also make honey, a natural sugar that many people love to eat.
Insects/bugs
Identify the effect.
I went swimming today because it was so hot.
I went swimming today
When the author's main goal is to amuse someone his purpose is to
entertain
_________: an individual feature; a small part of something.
(Choose one to fill in the blank)
Detail, evidence, fact, prove, or main idea.
Detail
Which of the following is an example of a main idea of a book?
A. Sparky, a dog who fights fires
B. I read a story about Duke, a police dog.
C. Slap Jake is my favorite comic book hero.
D. Superpup is a brave beagle that fights crime in New York.
D.
What is the main idea?
Insects are called "bugs" because they bother people. Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people. Some farmers buy ladybugs for their farms. Ladybugs eat other insects that eat crops. Farmers want the crops to grow. Some spiders also eat bugs that eat plants. Another bug that helps people is the honeybee. They don't eat plant-eating bugs, but bees pollinate flowers so that they grow. They also make honey, a natural sugar that many people love to eat.
Some bugs are very helpful to farmers and other people.
Identify the cause.
My father took me to movies because I helped him.
BECAUSE I helped my father
True or False - A universal theme refers to a theme of any story, person, or culture.
True
_________: something real or true
(Choose one to fill in the blank)
Detail, evidence, fact, prove, or main idea.
Fact
Which of the following is an example of a subject of a book?
A. Dolphins can communicate with one another.
B. dolphins
C. Whistling is one way that dolphins talk to each other.
D. Have you ever heard a dolphin?
B.
What is the Main Idea?
....boil water in a pot, add salt and oil, pour noodles into water
cooking macaroni
Identify the effect.
Because my dog ran away, now he has to stay on his leash when we walk.
now he has to stay on his leash when we walk
The Author's Purpose is to.....
The giant panda is a bearlike animal that has thick white fur with black markings on its ears, limbs, shoulders, and around its eyes. The giant panda feeds on bamboo forests at high altitudes in western China. It also eats bulbs, roots, eggs, and some small mammals. The cubs are born in late winter. The giant panda is an endangered species and is protected by the Chinese government.
To inform
What is a fact?
Information that is true or real.
The main idea of a book is "plants need sunlight to grow." Which of these is a detail that supports the main idea?
A. My favorite kind of plant is the Venus fly trap.
B. There are many different species of plants on the Earth.
C. Plants that get more sunlight grow taller than plants that sit in the dark.
D. J'Kyah sat in the sun and looked at her garden.
C.
Read the text below and identify the main idea.
PIZZA IS DISGUSTING. I HATE THE CHEESE BECAUSE IT'S MELTED. ALSO I HATE IT BECAUSE OF THE POPULARITY.
PIZZA IS DISGUSTING.
Identify cause and the effect.
He got checked out of school early since he had a dentist appointment.
Cause: he had a dentist appointment
Effect: he got checked out of school early
If the reader sees that the passage is trying to convince or demand someone to do something the author is trying to.....
persuade
The broad topic being discussed, described, or analyzed is called the ____________.
Subject
Descriptions of people, places or things that support the main idea are called ________.
Choose one word to BEST fit the blank.
Details, main ideas, characters, prove or evidence.
Details
Identify the main idea.
Do you ever wonder how you taste things? You owe your sense of taste to your taste buds. We have nine thousand taste buds just on the tongue alone. There are also taste buds on the roof of your mouth. You even have taste buds on the back of your throat.
Taste buds are found in your mouth.
The dog wags his tail when he's happy.
Name the cause and the effect.
Cause: he's happy
Effect: the dog wags his tail
What is the difference between the main idea of a story and the theme of a story?
The main idea is mostly what the story is about (a short summary). The theme is the life lesson or moral that the author wants us to remember. It may have nothing to do with the details of the story itself.