MAIN IDEA
What is the main idea ?
What the story is mostly about
Alan had very few responsibilities, but one of them was to clean his room. It did not take long, but Alan still didn't like doing it. One day Alan thought of a way to save some time. Rather than putting everything neatly back in its place, he decided to just throw all the stuff on the floor into his closet. His mom would think that he had cleaned his room, and it would only take a fraction of the time. Alan was pleased with himself for thinking of this brilliant idea. He figured that this would save a lot of time and energy. The next time his room got messy, he piled everything up in the closet and the pile grew. It grew and grew. Then Alan's friend Steve called. "Alan, everyone is playing baseball at the park. Do you want to play too?" Alan loved baseball. "That sounds great, Steve. I'll be right there." Alan went to grab his baseball mitt when he realized that it wasn't in its usual place. Alan thought to himself, I guess it's in the closet. When he opened up the closet door, he was faced with a huge, unnavigable mess, some of which poured out as he opened the door. Alan began digging through the pile in a frantic attempt to find his mitt. He dug and dug, and as he dug his room got messier and messier. Soon his room was the messiest that it had ever been, and he still hadn't found his mitt. Alan sighed in despair. By the time he found his mitt, the boys had long concluded their game and Alan had hours of cleaning ahead of him before he'd be allowed to leave. What is the theme?
a. Cutting corners comes at a cost; do things right the first time.
b. Take shortcuts in life.
c. Do things right the first time to enjoy your friends and family.
What is a. cutting corners comes at a cost; do things right the first time.
Which supporting detail does NOT belong?
-Bears eat fish
-Bears eat berries
-Bears are scary animals
-Bears eat insects
Bears are scary animals
It was backward day at school. The students had to do things backwards. Some of them wore their t-shirt backward. They took a test before they studied the lesson! Dessert was served first instead of last at lunch. They tried to walk home backward, but they kept bumping into each other and fell down. What is the main idea of this passage?
Students had a backwards day.
Pizza is a favorite food in the United States. Pizza is from Italy in the late 1800s. It became popular in the United States after World War II. People like to add toppings. Some toppings are pepperoni, sausage, and vegetables. These toppings give pizza more flavor. Pepperoni is America’s favorite topping. What is the main idea ?
a. Pizza is made from flour. b. Pizza was first made in Italy. c. You should eat the delicious pizza. d. Pizza is a popular meal in the United States.
D
Blaine opened up the present and began pouting. He screamed in a high-pitched voice, "This is Captain Thunder! I wanted Captain Lightning!" His mother looked at him with dismay and handed him another present, which he greedily opened. "Why did you get me a red hat? You know I like blue more," Blaine whined as he threw the hat across the room. His mother straightened her expression and squinted at him. Earlier she had hoped to take some pictures of this moment, but by now she had put away her camera. She sighed and handed him one more present in hopes that this year wouldn't be a total bust. Blaine huffed and opened it. "A Game Box 4000� wow. Where's the Game Box 5000 that I asked for?" His mother could bear his ingratitude no longer. The next time that Blaine returned from his father's house, he was shocked to find that all of these toys and gifts, along with many other of his things, had been generously donated to needy children. What is the theme?
What is be thankful for what you have in life.
Kangaroos are mostly night time creatures. Kangaroos have a long powerful tail. They sleep during the day under a shady tree or bush. What is the supporting detail in the paragraph?
They sleep during the day under a shady tree or bush.
When summarizing a story or a passage, you are tell what the main idea is. True or False ?
True
Living things are organisms with certain characteristics. They need water, food, and air to survive. They grow and change, and they move on their own. Living things reproduce, or make more of themselves. For example, plants and animals are living things. Plants make their own food and animals eat plants or other animals for food.
What is the main idea of the passage?
a. There are four characteristics of living things.
b. Animals make their own food.
c. All living things need sunlight. d. Plants eat other plants.
A
Mr. Pig and Mr. Dog were hanging out at the food court of the animal shopping mall. Mr. Pig was eating a huge feast of pizza and drinking a large jug of fruit punch and Mr. Dog was watching him eat. "Hey, Mr. Pig. If you give me a slice of your pizza, I'll let you have the next bone I find." Mr. Pig declined, even though it hurt his stomach to eat the last three slices of pizza. "I'm sorry, Mr. Dog," Mr. Pig said, "but I paid for this pizza and it's all mine." Mr. Dog sighed and waited for Mr. Pig to finish, and then they left the animal mall together. On the way out, a hunter spotted them and gave chase. Mr. Pig normally could have escaped the hunter but since he was weighed down by such a large meal, Mr. Pig collapsed and the hunter killed him. Mr. Dog easily escaped. Later that night while returning to the scene, Mr. Dog caught the scent of something delicious and began digging around a trash can. He found a large ham bone with lots of meat and marrow still stuck to the bone. Mr. Dog happily ate. What is the theme?
a. Watch out for danger
b. Treat others the way you want to be treated
c. It is better to share than to be greedy.
What is c. It is better to share than to be greedy.
What is the main idea of this passage?
They are building a new school near my house. Every day I watch the workers drive huge tractors and push a ton of dirt. They have big cranes that help them place tall beams in the ground. The workers build walls using bricks. Every day it looks more and more like a school. Mom says I will go there in the fall.
Getting a New School/ Building a new school
The main idea of a story tells us__________________.
what the story is mainly about.
One way to stay healthy is to exercise. Exercise helps you feel better, lose weight, and grow stronger.Taking a walk is a form of exercise. It helps you go outside and get fresh air. Playing a sport is another form of exercise. This is a fun way to be active. Taking classes at a gym is a way to be healthy and fit. There are many types of exercise you can do to improve your health.
What is the main idea of the passage?
a. Choose a fun way to exercise.
b. There are many types of exercise.
c. If you are not happy, exercise will fix it.
d. There are many ways to make yourself feel better.
B
Tammy and Sammy were both students in Mr. Morton's reading class. Mr. Morton wasn't too strict about deadlines, and Sammy took advantage of that. He did all of his homework in his other classes but never bothered to complete Mr. Morton's reading assignments, figuring that he could complete them later. Tammy, on the other hand, completed each assignment Mr. Morton assigned the night that he assigned it. She had to stay up a little later, but she didn't want to get a penalty for turning in her reading work late. Tammy knew reading was a core subject and that she had to keep "C" average for the entire year or she would have to go to summer school. When the end of the quarter came, Tammy and Sammy had both planned on going to the Enchanted Castle amusement park, but Mr. Morton called Sammy's mother, and she grounded Sammy until he turned in all of his work. That weekend was horrible for Sammy. He stayed up until 2:00 AM each night and still couldn't complete all of the assignments. The whole while, Tammy had a great time eating pizza at Enchanted Castle, watching movies late at night, and enjoying her weekend free of stress and pressure. At the end of the quarter, Sammy was lucky to squeak by with a "C" minus in reading while Tammy earned an "A." Sammy still hasn't learned his lesson and probably won't complete this activity either. What is the theme?
a. Do the best you can in school
b. Work hard, play hard.
c. Complete all your assignments to achieve success.
What is b. Work hard, play hard.
Which supporting detail does NOT belong?
-Pets are a big responsibility. -Pets need to be fed every single day -Pets make you happy -Pets should be taken outside to exercise. -Pets need lots of love and attention
Pets make you happy
What is needed to find the Main Idea?
A. supporting points and details B. clues and prior knowledge C. paper and pencil D. comparing and contrasting
Supporting points and details
The tallest tree in the world is a giant redwood located in Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Northern California. This tree is 380 feet (116 m) tall. That's more than twice as tall as the Statue of Liberty! Only a few people know exactly where this tree is. The people who discovered it have kept it a secret so that people will not damage it. What is the main idea ?
The paragraph is all about the tallest tree in the world.
Money Mark was born rich. He never had to work a day in his life and he got everything handed to him on a silver platter. When he was six, Money Mark wanted to go to a basketball game. His father paid the starting five of the Bulls and Celtics to play a private game of Nerf-ball in Money Mark's bedroom. When Money Mark turned thirteen, he wanted to start a band. His father hired the Rolling Stones to play with him every Saturday at the family's private concert hall, though his family was never there. By the time he was twenty-one, Money Mark was bored with life. He was surrounded by a bunch of possessions that he didn't appreciate and Money Mark could find nothing new or exciting in his life. Despite his vast wealth, Money Mark was never satisfied. What is the theme?
What is money can't buy happiness.
Which supporting detail does NOT belong with the main idea of there are many helpers in the community?
-Firefighters help keep people safe -Teachers help students learn -Mail carriers deliver packages and mail -Police officers patrol the streets -Zookeepers have a fun job
Zookeepers have a fun job.
Peter's parents bought a new carpet for the lining room. Now, he has to take his shoes off when he enters the house. He's also not allowed to eat or drink in the living room any more. Peter's furry dog isn't allowed to play ball in there either. When his parents got the new carpet, there were lots of new rules.
Peter's parents made new rules so the new carpet stays clean