Main Idea
What are the two types of main idea?
What are Explicit and Implicit Main Idea?
You want to know if playing different genres of music helps students finish math tests faster. Name two controlled variables for this experiment.
What are the same math test, same volume of music, same group of students, or same time of day?
The central point or most important message an author wants to communicate about a topic
What is the main idea?
An educated guess or testable prediction, often written in an "If... then... because..." format.
What is a hypothesis?
Butterflies use this body part to taste.
What is their feet?
In a paragraph, the main idea is most frequently stated in this specific sentence, usually located at the very beginning.
What is the topic sentence?
This is the variable that the scientist deliberately changes or manipulates on purpose to see what will happen.
What is the independent variable?
Mia shivered, wrapped her arms around her chest, and saw her breath in the air. The implicit main idea is that it is
What is Mia is cold?
A scientist investigates whether the temperature of water affects how fast a sugar cube dissolves. What is the dependent variable?
What is the time (or how fast it takes to dissolve)?
This human body part stays the same size from birth, however, our nose and ears never stop growing.
What is eyeballs?
When the author does not directly tell you the main idea, you have to do this mentally to figure it out.
What is infer?
To ensure a test is fair, these factors must be kept exactly the same throughout the entire experiment.
What are controlled variables (or constants)?
Ways to find the main idea in a text
What are :
reading the title
Ask who or what the text is about
looking at text features
looking for repeated words
When graphing the results of an experiment, the independent variable is traditionally placed on this axis.
What is the X-axis?
This is the only fruit that bears it's seeds on the outside.
What is strawberry?
Textual evidence that leaves absolutely no room for guessing because it is written in plain sight.
What is explicit?
This variable is the one being measured or observed; it changes in response to whatever the scientist manipulated.
What is the dependent variable?
supporting detail- Jim's dog does not like water. He avoids water at all costs OR He likes to play with other dogs?
What is he avoids water at all costs?
A student tests how different brands of paper towels absorb water. What is the independent variable?
What is the brand of paper towel?
This everyday condiment found in almost every restaurant through out the U.S. was first sold as a medicine.
What is ketchup?
This term describes a main idea that is never explicitly written word-for-word in the text, requiring the reader to use clues to figure it out.
What is an Implicit (implied) main idea?
If a scientist tests how different types of soil affect plant growth, the "type of soil" represents this specific variable.
What is the independent variable?
During winter months, some birds fly thousands of miles to find warmer weather and more abundant food sources.
What is some bird species migrate to survive harsh winters?
A formal hypothesis is most effective when written using this specific three-word conditional sentence structure.
What is an If... then... because... statement?
This city is the oldest capital in the Americas! The people living there were Mayans!
What is Mexico City?