Main Idea
What is Main Idea?
What the story is mainly about.
What is theme?
The lesson or moral the story is trying to teach you.
What is author's purpose?
Persuade, inform, entertain
Tom walks into class with a cast on his arm. What happened?
He broke his arm.
Name the 3 types of point of view.
Jenny visited her grandmother in the hospital. She saw how kind and helpful the nurses were to her grandmother. Now she wants to be a nurse when she grows up. She wants to help sick people get well.
Jenny wants to be a nurse.
She sobbed for hours trying to think of a way out of having to tell her father she wrecked her new car. After stewing over it for quite some time, she called her father on his cell phone. "Thank you," he said.
Honesty
Ted was anxious to try out for the basketball team. He had practiced and knew he was ready. Tryouts made him a little nervous, but when he found out he made the team he knew that all the work had paid off.
What is author's purpose?
Entertain
Which sentence from the selection shows that the pet is a cat?
Bryan had to feed his pet every day.
Bryan had to take his pet outside right away after school.
It was Bryan's job to clean out the litter box every 3 days.
Bryanʼs pet never bites.
It was Bryan's job to clean out the litter box every 3 days.
What words do you look for, for first person?
I, Me, We
It was backward day at school. The students had to do things backward. Some of them wore their T-shirts backward. They took a test before they studied the lesson. Dessert was served first instead of last. They tried to walk home backward, but they bumped into each other and fell down. What is the main idea?
Backwards day
Jim was stacking boxes at work. There was a certain height he had to reach. He stretched his body, but could not reach to place the final box at the top. Bill happened to see Jim struggling and came to his rescue, since he was a foot taller.
Teamwork
The Food Group Pyramid tells how to eat healthy. It shows how food is divided into six groups. It is important to eat foods that belong to each group every day. The pyramid helps show how much of each you should eat. What is the author's purpose?
Theme
Joseph and Caitlin were choosing the players for their teams. It was Caitlin's turn to choose, and only Jason was left. Caitlin said, "Jason." Can you infer why Jason was the only one left?
Jason is not a good player.
What words do you look for, for second person?
You, your
Seated on his throne, King Midas wore a golden crown. He had golden rings on each finger and held a golden scepter. His vest was embroidered with golden thread and even his shoes had golden ornaments. He had a golden box filled with gold coins. He named his daughter Marigold. What is the main idea?
Jorge had to go to the eye doctor and get glasses. At school the next day, he took them off for recess and left them outside. When he arrived home that day his mom asked where his glasses were and Jorge told her he lost them at school. She made him mow the yard and take out the trash to earn money for a new pair.
Be responsible
Would you like to come home after a long day and walk into an elephant? You would if you lived in The Elephant House in Margate, New Jersey, which was built in 1881 by James Lafferty. Herbert Green built a chicken-shaped house in 1962. Sarah Winchester spent 38 years building a ghost proof house with fake chimneys, doors that opened into walls, and stairs that led nowhere. And a man named Baldasera spent forty years building an underground house with ninety rooms for about $300. If you think your plans for your house are too unusual, think again! What is the author's purpose?
Persuade
Many breeds of dogs are used for work. In many cultures dogs are used to herd sheep. The dogs keep the flock from being attacked by animals such as wolves. They also keep sheep from wandering off. Sheepdogs are known for their loyalty and gentleness. Based on your reading of the text, you can INFER that:
Sheep dogs are loyal. Sheep dogs are good dogs.
The dew on the grass made my running shoes damp. It didn't bother me. The sound of my feet hitting the street formed a rhythm, a steady pattern of light thumps. I timed my breathing with the rhythm. These sounds filled my head. I thought of nothing other than the next step and keeping my tempo. I soared over the sidewalks like concrete clouds. What is the POV?
First person
Sometime in December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was teaching gym at the YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was raining, and Dr. Naismith was trying to keep his students active. He wanted them playing a rough game that would keep them moving. He didn't like a few ideas that were too rough. Then Naismith had his breakthrough. He wrote out the rules for a game with peach baskets fixed to ten-foot elevated tracks. Naismith's students played against one another, passing the ball around and shooting it into the peach baskets. Dribbling wasn't a part of the original game. Also it took a while to realize that the game would run more smoothly if the bottoms of the baskets were removed. But this game grew to be one of the most popular sports in America today. Can you guess which one? What is the main idea?
The invention of basketball.
Giselle had two best friends, Lindy and Taejah. Lindy ALWAYS said she was Giselle's BEST friend.Giselle had them both over to spend the night. Lindy was on her new phone all night long, ignoring Giselle. Taejah and Giselle watched a movie together, made popcorn, and pranked Giselle's brother. The next day at school, Lindy told the girls what a boring sleepover Giselle had. Taejah told everyone what a fun time she had at Giselle's house.
Friends prove themselves by their actions. Friendship. Choose your friends wisely.
The money spent on political campaign is paltry when compared to expenditures for commercial advertising. If we limited campaign spending, the incumbents would have an unfair advantage. Limiting campaign spending is like limiting free speech, which is embodied in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Maybe we should reform political campaigns, but not limit spending on them. What we really need to ensure is that all candidates who wish to can afford to campaign effectively. What is the author's purpose?
Persuade
Tim looked out the window. The house looked so lonely. Tim's father put the last suitcase in the trunk and started up the car. Thor, his dog, put his head on Tim's lap, like he understood how Tim was feeling. "It's okay Thor," he said, "Dad says we will like California." What is happening?
Tim is moving to california.
April opened the escape hatch. She was afraid to jump, but she realized that the airship was sinking. She looked at Vince, who was strapping on his parachute. Vince locked eyes with her and then he realized the error in his conduct. "I'm sorry, April. That was ungentlemanly of me. Let me help you with yours." He proceeded to attach the other parachute to April's back. This made him feel a little better. What is the POV?
Third person