Main Idea
What is the main idea of a text?
What the text is mostly about.
Why are key details important?
They support the main idea.
What are context clues?
Words or phrases in a sentence that help you determine the meaning of an unknown word.
The squirrel is very agile, jumping quickly from branch to branch in the trees. What does agile mean?
The explorer felt exhilarated when she reached the top of the mountain after a long climb. What does exhilarated mean?
excited, very happy, full of energy
How can you find the main idea in a paragraph?
Look at the first few sentences. Ask yourself what it is mostly about.
In the sentence "The cat has soft fur and bright eyes," what are the key details?
The key details are soft fur and bright eyes.
How can context clues help you understand a new word?
They help you understand how the author wanted the word to be interpreted.
The ancient castle was enormous, with towering walls and a moat filled with water. What does enormous mean?
Very large, huge
What is a key detail that supports this main idea: Dogs can do many helpful jobs for people?
Teacher will decide.
Read this passage: "Dogs are great pets because they are loyal and friendly." What is the main idea?
Dogs are great pets.
What is a key detail in the sentence, "Turtles have hard shells that protect them from predators."?
Turtles have hard shells.
In the sentence "The weather was so chilly that I needed a coat," what does "chilly" mean based on context clues?
cold
What is the main idea? "Bees help plants grow by spreading pollen from flower to flower. Without bees, many fruits and vegetables would not grow."
The main idea is that we need bees to spread pollen.
What is the main idea? Dolphins are highly intelligent marine mammals that communicate using clicks and whistles. They live in groups called pods and work together to hunt for food and protect each other.
Dolphins are highly intelligent animals.
What is the main idea? "Trees are important to the Earth. They give us clean air to breathe and homes for many animals."
Trees are important to the Earth.
What is a key detail in the sentence, "The giraffe has a very long neck that helps it reach leaves high up in trees."?
The giraffe has a long neck.
Read this sentence: "The cake was scrumptious, and everyone wanted a slice." What does "scrumptious" mean based on context clues?
delicious, very good
What is the main idea? Penguins live in cold places and have special feathers to keep them warm. They swim well and eat fish to survive.
Penguins have special adaptations to help them survive.
What is a key detail that supports this main idea: "Ice cream changes on hot days"?
Teacher will decide
What is the main idea? "The sun is a star that gives us light and warmth. It helps plants grow and keeps the Earth warm enough for us to live."
The sun is an important star.
Give me a key detail that supports the main idea "Pine trees stay green all year round".
Teacher will decide.
The librarian explained that a biography is a true story about a person’s life. What does biography mean?
A true story about someones life.
The garden was filled with fragrant flowers that smelled very sweet. What does fragrant mean?
Scented
What is the main idea? Earthquakes happen when the Earth's plates suddenly move along faults underground. The shaking can cause damage to buildings and change the landscape, making safety preparations important for people in these areas.
Earthquakes happen suddenly so it is important to have safety plans.