Finding the main idea of the given text and distinguishing it from supporting details. The main topic is what the text is about. It is the subject. The main point is what is being said about the topic.
1. Distinguish the Main Idea and Supporting Details from Text 1
2. Main Idea/Supporting Details/ Problem Solution Text Structure Standards Continuum •Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. C.O Students will be able to identify the main idea in a non-fiction/fiction text and relate to other sources. L.O Students will work with a partner to orally and graphically determine the main idea of a text. 2
3. Teacher Explains The main idea is the most important information about the topic. When we know the main idea, it helps us to remember and retell what we read. 3
4. BRAINPOP!!! ⦿ http://WWW.brainpop.com 4
5. Direct Instruction (I Do) In order to understand the main idea you need to know what the topic is. The topic is who or what the paragraph is about.The topic is usually 5 one or two words.
6. Direct Instruction (I Do) The other sentences in the paragraph provide details or more information about the topic. 6
7. Direct Instruction (I DO) ⦿ After we know the topic and understand the details we are ready to find the main idea. ⦿ What is the main idea? ⦿ The main idea is the most important information about a topic. This is where you write a sentence that will sum up all the facts your read. It should answer at least 3 of these questions: who, what, when , where, why, and how. 7
8. Direct Instruction (I Do) Listen and follow along as I read Story After reading, I will find the topic and the main idea. 8
9. Direct Instruction (I Do) Polar bears were added to the list of threatened species and will receive special protection under U.S. law. In his statement, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne noted that the decline of Arctic sea ice is the greatest threat to the bears. Polar bears live in the Arctic and hunt seals and other fatty marine mammals from sea ice. They also travel, mate, and sometimes give birth on the ice. But sea ice is melting as the planet warms, and it is predicted to continue to do so for several more decades."Because polar bears are vulnerable to this loss of habitat, they are—in my judgment— likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future," Kempthorne 9
10. Direct Instruction (I Do) To find the topic, I ask: “Who or what is the paragraph about?” The paragraph is about Polar Bears. So the topic of this paragraph is ‘Polar Bears’. 10
11. Direct Instruction (I Do) To find the main idea, I ask: “What is the most important information the author wants me to know about the topic, which is ‘Polar Bears’?” 11
12. Direct Instruction (I Do) The author has written that Polar Bears were added to the threatened species list. The ice in the Arctic is melting and this is the Polar bears habitat. The author added that they may become endangered soon. 12
13. Do I know what the main idea is? ⦿ So what was the point of the article on Polar Bears? To inform readers that Polar Bears are now a threatened species, and might soon become endangered. If I wanted more information on this topic would I look in ⦿ A encyclopedia ⦿ A newspaper ⦿ A website about threatened animals 13
14. Direct Instruction (I Do) When I am reading can I find the main idea sentence in the story? The main idea is often the first sentence in the paragraph, but it isn’t always the first sentence. 14
15. Direct Instruction (I Do) There may not even be a main idea sentence in the paragraph. In that case, I have to figure out the main idea based on the details in the paragraph. 15
16. Get out of your seat and sing along! 16
17. Guided Practice Remember, the topic is who or what the paragraph is about. What is the topic? The topic is_____________. 17
18. Guided Practice The main idea of a paragraph is the most important information about the topic. What is the main idea of a paragraph? The main idea is __________. 18
19. Guided Practice The other sentences in a paragraph are details about the topic. A detail is part of the information about the topic. What is a detail? A detail is_________________. 19
20. Guided Practice There are two ways to find the main •The main idea can be one of the sentences in the paragraph. • If there is not a main idea sentence, then we figure out the main idea based on the details or information in the paragraph. 20
21. Guided Practice Name one way to find the main idea. One way to find the main idea is to 21
22. Guided Practice Name another way to find the main idea when there is not a main idea sentence in the paragraph. Another way to find the main idea is 22
23. Guided Practice We are going to read another story! WOO HOO!! Make sure to follow these three steps 23
24. Guided Practice First we need to identify our topic! To do this we are going to think about who or what the paragraph is about. 24
25. Guided Practice Next we need to understand the Finally we find the main idea! We are going to think about the most important information about the 25
26. Guided Practice (We Do) Story #2: Read me 3 times! Antarctica is a continent that is covered in ice. It took explorers many years to find Antarctica, for several reasons. For one thing, it is very far away from other continents. The waters around it are very rough, too. Waves can be 40 feet high. Also, it is located at the South Pole, so 26 night hides the land for four months out of the year.
27. Guided Practice (We Do) To find the topic, I ask: “Who or what is the paragraph about?” The paragraph is about__________. 27
28. The topic is Antarctica! Excellent job! 28
29. Guided Practice (We Do) To find the main idea, ask: “What is the most important information about Antarctica?” 29 The main idea is______________.
30. Guided Practice (We Do) The main idea is ‘There are many reasons why it took so long to find Antarctica’. 30
31. Guided Practice (We Do) Is this main idea sentence, ‘There are many reasons why it took so long to find Antarctica,’ in the paragraph? Let’s check Antarctica is a continent that is covered in ice. It took explorers many years to find Antarctica, for several reasons. For one thing, it is very far away from other continents. The waters around it are very rough, too. Waves can be 40 feet high. Also, it is located at the South Pole, so night hides the land for four months out of the No,that’s right. The sentence, ‘There are many reasons why it took so long to find Antarctica’ is not in the paragraph. 31
32. Guided Practice (We Do) So how did we know what the main idea was? We had to figure out the main idea based on the other information/details in the paragraph. 32
33. Guided Practice (We Do) Tell your partner how you figured out the main idea? I figured out the main idea by 33
34. Guided Practice (we do) If I wanted to know more about why Antarctica was hard to find where should I look ⦿ Books from a library or store ⦿ The internet ⦿ Research papers about Antarctica ⦿ A dictionary 34
35. Guided Practice (We Do) We are going to identify the topic and the main idea in another Remember, the main idea is the most important information about the topic. 35
36. Guided Practice (We Do) What is the topic in a paragraph? The topic is who or what the paragraph is about. 36
37. Guided Practice (We Do) What is the main idea in a The main idea is the most important information about the topic. 37
38. Guided Practice (We Do) Two ways to find the main idea 1.The main idea can be one of the sentences in the story. 2. If it is not there, we have to figure out the main idea based on the details or information in the paragraph. 38
39. Guided Practice (We Do) Name one way to find the main idea. One way to find the main idea is to 39
40. Guided Practice (We Do) Name another way to find the main Another way to find the main idea is to ______________. 40
41. Guided Practice (We Do) Get ready to listen to a new story. 41
42. Guided Practice (We Do) Remember your three steps 1. Identify the topic 2. Understand the details 3. Find the main idea 42
43. Guided Practice (We Do) Story #3: We usually see water as a liquid. We drink and swim in liquid water. Sometimes the water gets very cold and turns to ice. When water becomes hard and frozen solid, it is ice. Ice cubes are a solid form of water. When the ice cubes melt, the water becomes a liquid again. Sometimes the water becomes very hot and turns to a gas. When water becomes a gas it disappears into the air. The clouds in the sky are made of this gas or 43 water vapor. Water can be a liquid, solid, or gas.
44. Guided Practice (We Do) To find the topic, ask who or what is the paragraph about. What is the topic or what is the paragraph about? The topic is about_____. 44
45. Guided Practice (We Do) To find the main idea, ask what is the most important information about water. What information did we learn about water? 45
46. Guided Practice (We Do) We learned that water can be a liquid, a solid, or a gas. Yes, this sentence tells the most important information about the topic in this paragraph. 46
47. Guided Practice (We Do) Could this be the main idea sentence? Is this sentence in the story? Where is the sentence in the story? 47
48. Independent Practice (You Do) Read the story passed out to you and use your graphic organizer to find the main Ask: Who or what is the story about? Write the topic at the top of the graphic organizer 48
49. Independent Practice (You Do) Ask: What is the most important information about the topic in the story? Write the main idea in the second box on the graphic organizer (re-read the story if needed) 49
50. Independent Practice (You Do) Ask: What are the details that help me identify the main idea? Write the details in the three columns on the graphic organizer (re-read the story if needed) 50
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