What's the big idea?
What is main idea
The main point of a passage
This is the lesson or message a character learns in a story.
theme
Authors use these to organize nonfictional passages
text structures
This text feature is found at the top of an article and tells you what you are going to read about.
Title
How do we know when to use the plug-in strategy?
when the questions asks, "what does this word mean"
Where do we look for main idea?
Title
First 2 sentences
The message is typically only in what kind of passage?
fictional passages
When we have an event that happens and why it happens is explained, what type of text structure is being used?
cause and effect
What is a heading?
"little titles" that tell the topic of different sections of a nonfictional passage
What does synonym mean?
2 words that have similar meanings
"Sandwiches make some of the best lunches. Making the best sandwich is easy if you follow this steps.
1. get your favorite bread
2. find your tasty toppings like ham, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard
3. load up like slice of bread with your favorite toppings
4. put the other slice of bread on top
Sandwiches are great and chips go really well with them. Sandwiches are even better if you make them yourself!"
What is the main idea?
You can follow steps to make a sandwich.
What is the first step in finding what the theme is, according to what we learned in class?
What was the character like in the beginning?
If a passage has steps or tells you a process, what text structure can you say is being used?
Sequence
Why do author's use text features?
to give information in a different way
Mrs. Harvey was cautious when she explained John Brown and Nat Turner because students get them confused.
What is an antonym for cautious?
careless or similar
Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world because people everywhere love to play and watch it. Big events like the World Cup bring millions of fans together to cheer for their favorite teams. Many children join local soccer teams and practice every week. Families often watch important matches together on TV. Soccer continues to grow in popularity across many countries.
Question:
What detail supports that "people everywhere love to play and watch soccer"?
Big events like the World Cup bring millions of fans together to cheer for their favorite teams.
Many children join local soccer teams and practice every week.
Families often watch important matches together on TV.
Soccer continues to grow in popularity across many countries.
True or False
Theme is found in the first 2 sentences of the passage
False
Baseball and Cricket are two similar sports that are very competitive. Both use a bat, although Cricket's bat is flat. Both use a ball. In Cricket, the ball is bounced on the ground before the player hits the ball. Baseball has four bases unlike Cricket where they run from one line to another. Both sports are very much entertaining for their fans.
What is one way Cricket is different than baseball?
Cricket's bat is flat
Cricket's ball is bounced
Cricket players run from one line to another
What is the purpose of a photograph?
to show what the topic of the passage looks like
The hikers had been trekking uphill for three hours, and their water bottles were nearly empty.
What does trekking mean, as used in the sentence?
walking or similar
Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world because people everywhere love to play and watch it. Big events like the World Cup bring millions of fans together to cheer for their favorite teams. Many children join local soccer teams and practice every week. Families often watch important matches together on TV. Soccer continues to grow in popularity across many countries.
Question:
What would be a good title for this passage?
Soccer or something similar
Marcus was building a tall tower out of blocks during free time. His friend Jordan was working carefully on his own smaller tower nearby. Marcus finished first and looked over at Jordan’s tower. “Mine is better,” Marcus said. Then, without thinking, he reached over and knocked Jordan’s tower down. Jordan frowned and started to rebuild it. Later, Marcus tried to add more blocks to his own tower, but it became wobbly and crashed to the ground. Marcus felt bad and realized he should have been kinder to his friend.
Question: What is the theme of this passage?
Plants need sunlight, water, and air to grow. When a plant does not get enough sunlight, it cannot make the food it needs. As a result, the plant may grow slowly or even start to wilt. Because the plant continues to lack sunlight, it can eventually die. This is why people often place plants near windows or outside where they can get enough light.
What text structure is this?
Cause and Effect
If I wanted to find where a particular word was in a text book, what text feature would I use?
index
A clock is a machine that helps people tell time. Inside many older clocks, a spring is an important part that helps the clock work. When the spring is wound up, it stores energy. That energy is slowly released to move the gears inside the clock. These gears make the hands of the clock move at a steady pace so the time stays accurate. Without the spring, the clock would stop working.
Dictionary Entry: spring
spring /sprɪŋ/
noun
1. The time of year between winter and summer when plants begin to grow.
2. A place where water comes up naturally from the ground.
3. A twisted piece of metal that returns to its shape after being pushed.
verb
4. To jump or move upward or forward suddenly.
Which definition of spring is being used in the paragraph above?
3. A twisted piece of metal that returns to its shape after being pushed.