What's the Big Idea
Clue: The most important point the author is trying to make about a topic; it's the central thought of the text.
Main Idea
Clue: The author's purpose when writing a political speech, a commercial, or an editorial in the newspaper.
Persuade
This text structure organizes events in the order they happened, using signal words like "first," "next," and "finally."
Sequence
"To stay healthy, it's important to eat a balanced diet, get at least eight hours of sleep, and exercise regularly. These habits help your body and mind function at their best." The main idea of this passage is this.
Being healthy is important
Show an image of a simple flowchart with boxes and arrows pointing from one step to the next. "
"This image visually represents this text structure."
Sequence
Clue: These are the facts, examples, statistics, and anecdotes used to prove or explain the main idea.
Supporting Details
Clue: The author's purpose when writing a science textbook, a news report, or an encyclopedia entry
To Inform
Clue: This text structure explains how things are alike and how they are different.
C&C
"My dog, Buster, is the laziest animal I know. He spends most of his day sleeping on the couch. When he's not sleeping, he's waiting by his food bowl. The only time he moves quickly is if someone rings the doorbell." The main idea is this.
What is the main idea that the author's dog, Buster, is very lazy?
Clue: The sentence in a paragraph, often the first one, that states the paragraph's main idea.
Topic Sentence
The main idea of a paragraph that begins: "There are several reasons why regular exercise is crucial. It strengthens the heart, improves circulation, and helps maintain a healthy weight. Furthermore, exercise has been shown to reduce stress and improve mood."
What is that regular exercise is crucial for several reasons (or similar wording)?
Clue: The author's purpose when writing a comic book, a short story, or a novel.
Entertain
Clue: A text explaining why the dinosaurs went extinct would most likely use this structure.
C&E
Clue: "The floor was covered in clothes, old pizza boxes were stacked on the desk, and a layer of dust coated every surface. It was hard to walk without stepping on something." The implied main idea is this.
What is the main idea that the room is extremely messy?
Show an image of a Venn Diagram with two overlapping circles labeled "Cats" and "Dogs." "This graphic organizer is used to plan an article with this text structure."
C&C
Clue: This is the term for a main idea that is not directly stated in the text but must be figured out by the reader using clues and details
Implied
Clue: A travel blogger writes a funny story about getting lost in Paris, but also includes the address and hours of the best bakery they found. The primary purpose is this.
ENTertain
Clue: A text that identifies an issue, like pollution in the local river, and then outlines steps to fix it, is using this structure.
P&S
Clue: An author analyzes the idea of "freedom" by first comparing how it was defined during the American Revolution versus the Civil Rights Movement, and then distinguishing it from the idea of "anarchy." They are connecting what?
Ideas
In a text, the author's attitude or feeling toward the subject they are writing about, conveyed through word choice.
Tone
Clue: In an article about the Civil War, "The Civil War" is this, while "The economic differences between the North and South were a primary cause of the Civil War" is the main idea.
Topic
The acronym often used to remember the three main reasons an author writes: Persuade, Inform, Entertain.
PIE
Clue: This text structure, also called "descriptive writing," is used to create a mental picture of a person, place, or thing by appealing to the five senses.
Descriptive
"The internet was first developed in the 1960s as a way for government researchers to share information. By the 1990s, it became publicly available, leading to the creation of websites like Amazon and Google. Today, billions of people use it daily." The main idea is this.
What is the main idea that the internet has evolved over time from a government tool to a global public network?
This is the author's central position on a debatable issue, which they then support with evidence and reasoning.
Claim / Argument