Main Idea and Supporting Details

What is a Main Idea?A Main Idea is :

•A general statement about the WHOLE passage that contains the TOPIC .

A detail proves (or supports) the Main Idea. It is a small bit of information from the paragraph

detail

Main idea

A bunch of these m

ake

one of these

Find the topic—First!

Always!

What is ….Topic??

A topic is:

•Who or what the whole selection is about

•The topic is a word or phrase…not a complete sentence

To find the topic ask yourself,To find the topic ask yourself,“In general, who or what is this “In general, who or what is this

WHOLE paragraph about?”WHOLE paragraph about?”

detail

Main idea

A bunch of these m

ake

one of these

The topic would be the name of

the forest

1 Symbols can have a tremendously powerful emotional

impact upon us, instantly conveying many feelings and

ideas. 2 Symbols like the cross, the Star of David, or the

star-and-crescent immediately make us think of the

Christian, Jewish, or Muslim religions. 3 This may be why

burning an American flag often arouses more anger than

does an attack on the values for which the flag actually

stands. 4 Another symbol with terrible power is the

swastika. 5 Until this century, the swastika was an

innocent traditional symbol found in many cultures. 6 Then

it became the symbol of Nazi terror. 7 Today, the very

sight of a swastika can send chills down our spines.

1English-speaking children everywhere are taught Mother Goose nursery rhymes. 2They may assume that the rhymes are all about fictional people and events. 3But some Mother Goose rhymes refer to actual historical events. 4For instance, there is “Little Jack Horner,” about the boy who pulled a plum out of his Christmas pie. 5Little Jack was actually Thomas Horner, who was given the job of delivering a Christmas pie from a wealthy abbot to Britain’s King Henry the Eighth. 6Inside the pie were legal deeds to twelve houses—a gift from the abbot to the king. 7As he went on his journey, Thomas Horner reached under the pie crust and helped himself to the deed to one of the houses! 8Also, the familiar phrase “Ashes, ashes, all fall down!” from the Mother Goose rhyme “Ring Around the Rosy” refers to the numerous deaths caused by the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages.

Stated Main Idea is found within the text

Implied Main Idea must be created by the reader using hints and clues in the passage.

How do you know you have chosen the correct main idea?

1. Does it have the TOPIC?

2. Is it about the WHOLE passage?WHOLE

TOPIC

3. Is it a GENERAL statement?GENERAL

Key words that SOMETIMES (not always) let you know a main idea is coming: In conclusion severalThus many In other words variousHowever

If the passage is discussing a study, research, survey, or experiment, the main idea will be the RESULTS or the OUTCOME of that study

A major study of firstborn children reveals that they tend to be super-achievers who strive very hard to make their families proud. 2 It was discovered that of the country’s first twenty-three astronauts, an amazing twenty-one were firstborn in their families. 3 Also, slightly more than half—52 percent—of our presidents were firstborn children. 4 Less positive is the fact that firstborns are under a lot of pressure to succeed, because their families often pin their hopes and dreams on them. 5 Also, as the eldest, they are expected to “set an example” for their younger brothers and sisters. 6 Furthermore, these firstborns sometimes have trouble with personal relationships because they learned to be very independent and to enjoy doing things on their own—since they were the only children in their families until their younger brothers and sisters were born. 7 The conclusion of the study is that being a firstborn child is a mixed blessing, having positive as well as some negative aspects.

1 In the late 1980s, concern about the deadly effects of illegal drugs became a top national issue. 2 Politicians loudly proclaimed a “war on drugs,” and TV news shows carried regular reports about the fatal toll of drugs, especially “crack” cocaine. 3 These drugs do have a terrible effect on individuals and society, but the facts about them are somewhat different from their popular image. 4 Each year, about two thousand people die from heroin overdoses, and about three thousand die from cocaine-related causes. 5 At the same time, 50,000 people die every year because of alcohol—including thousands of innocent victims of drunk drivers. 6 Additionally, a third of a million people die every year from cancer due to smoking cigarettes.

A. In the late 1980s, politicians proclaimed a “war on drugs.”B. Our “war on drugs” ignores the two deadliest (though legal) drugs, alcohol andtobacco.C. Thousands of people die each year from heroin overdoses and cocaine-relatedcauses.D. More people die each year from alcohol-related causes than from cocaine related causes.

Theory

A Main Idea is a general statement that incorporates all details. This statement must contain the topic. A main idea without a topic

is like a Whataburger with no meat!

Topicdetail

detail

detail

detail

detail

detail

Main Idea

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, has conducted a wide-scale survey in eleven states to determine teenagers’ knowledge about AIDS. Half of the teens surveyed believe a person can get AIDS through giving blood. Almost three-quarters of teenagers think that AIDS can be gotten from a simple blood test. And half believe that the disease can be easily contracted from a public toilet. None of these beliefs is well-founded.

A. According to one survey, many teens have a poor understanding of how people get AIDS.

B. The Center for Disease Control conducted a survey to discover teens’ knowledge about AIDS.

C. Teenagers have a poor understanding of sexually transmitted diseases.

According to scientists, cockroaches evolved about 300 million years ago, which means they saw the dinosaurs come and go and later watched people emerge on Earth. If you wonder how such little creatures have lasted so long, consider the fact that they can live in a refrigerator or in extreme heat. They can develop resistance to poisons faster than scientists can develop new ones. And they can live for two months on water alone or go for five months without water. Furthermore, they are quick to escape from danger. The takeoff time for a threatened cockroach has been timed at 54/1000th of a second.

A. Cockroaches evolved about 300 million years ago.

B. Cockroaches can live in a wide variety of temperatures and quickly develop resistance to poisons.

C. Cockroaches have survived for millions of years because they can adapt to a wide variety of circumstances and react quickly to danger.

Pesticides kill plants and animals other than the pests they are intended for. Pesticides pollute water systems. Some pests develop immunity to frequently used pesticides. Some pesticides such as DDT and its relatives can remain in the environment for many years beyond the time necessary to do their intended job. Some pesticides have been linked to cancer and other health problems in humans.

A. Some pesticides have been linked to cancer and other health problems

B. Pesticides can be very harmful.

C. Pesticides kill plants and animals other than the pests they are intended for.

D. They can be very dangerous to both people and the environment.

Supporting Details

Prove (or support) the Main Idea

Are small bits of information from the paragraph

Reasons

Examples

Facts

Steps

Causes

Advantages /disadvantages

Descriptions

One

First of all

Secondly

Finally

Furthermore

Next

Another

Also

In addition

For example

For instance

Last of all

The final…

If a sentence is a detail, then it cannot be the main idea!

If a sentence is a detail, then it cannot be the main idea!

If a sentence is a detail, then it cannot be the main idea!

Details: Kids get to dress up and pretend on

Halloween night Kids gather lots of yummy candy to eat

from going door to door on Halloween Some children have been poisoned with

Halloween candy. Older children get to spend time with

their friends during Halloween

Which of the following statements best supports the writer’s assertion that “during the 1920’s, intelligence tests were used to prevent many Europeans and others from immigrating to the United States”?

Author’s / writer’s opinion view assertion contention argument

“supports……that”

Which of the following statements best supports the writer’s assertion that “during the 1920’s, intelligence tests were used to prevent many Europeans and others from immigrating to the United States”?

What proves

Which of the following statements best supports the writer’s assertion that these people just graduated?

A. They all look very excited

B. They are posing for a picture

C. They are wearing graduation caps and gowns

What proves

Which of the following statements best supports the author’s point of view that this picture of the Beatles was taken in the 60’s?

A. The Beatles are the best musicians that ever lived.

B. The clothes and hair fashion are typical of the 1960’s.

C. Today, there are only 2 surviving members of the original Beatles.

What proves

A. Sesame Street has been on the air for over 35 years.

B. For the third year in a row, Sesame Street was first in TV ratings nationwide.

C. Sesame Street is designed for children 18months to 10 years of age.

A. A 6.9% raise was approved.

B. The board announced its intent to follow through with a 3 year pay raise plan.

C. Grumbling and complaining was audible among the faculty as soon as the board announced its decision.

Which of the following statements best supports the writer’s assertion that alcohol has a negative effect on domestic violence?A. Alcohol is by far the most destructive drug in

American culture.

B. Social workers report that alcohol is a factor in nearly half of their domestic violence cases.

C. Alcohol, in the form of drinking and driving, is the number one killer of teenagers.