1a. main idea

8/3/2019 1a. Main Idea

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Thinking Like a Writer!!

The act of reading and writing involvethe same skills. Both require us touse…

• word knowledge

• sentence structure

• paragraph organizationto either convey or to decode a message



Authors Decisions

• What do I know about, care about, or have researched enough about towrite down?

• (TOPIC)• What is my goal in writing this information down? What do I want to

accomplish by writing this information down?

• (PURPOSE)

• Who would benefit from knowing these facts?

• (AUDIENCE) • What would be the best way to share this information with my readers?

• (FORMAT)

• How should I organize the information so the reader can easily read andunderstand it?

• (STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION)• What can I do hook readers’ attention?

• (FEATURES/STYLE)

• How do I know this is my very best writing?

• (CRAFT/CREDIBILITY)



Parts of a Paragraph

• A topic identifies who or what the readingpassage is about.

• A main idea (the most important point theauthor is making about the topic). It is oftenstated in a topic sentence.

• Supporting details (the specific ideas todevelop, explain, or support the main idea).



TOPIC

The topic is identified as either a word or phrase which bestdescribes what the reading selection is about. The topic should

not be too broad (covering more than what is discussed in theselection) or too narrow (not covering everything discussed in theselection).

Q: "Who or what have I just read about?“

Clues for determining the topic of a selection:

A word, name, or phrase that appears as a heading or title.

A word, name or phrase that appears in special type such bold print, italics, or color.

A word, name or phrase that is repeated throughout the paragraph.

A word, name, or phrase that may appear at the beginning of the paragraph

and is then referred to throughout the paragraph by pronouns (or other words).



Topic Sentence

A reader can be sure they have found

the stated main idea if…

the sentence contains the topic

the sentence states the single most important point about the topic

the sentence is general enough to cover all the information in the paragraph

the other sentences explain or tell more about the main idea sentence

the sentence makes complete sense by itself

(the reader can comprehend the selection without reading the rest of theselection).



What is the Topic?

The rules of conduct during an examination are clear.No books, calculators or papers are allowed in thetest room. Proctors will not allow anyone with suchitems to take the test. Anyone caught cheating will

be asked to leave the room. His or her test sheet willbe taken. The incident will be reported to the properauthority. At the end of the test period, all materialswill be returned to the proctor. Failure to abide bythese rules will result in a failing grade for this test.



Topic Sentence Location:

1) First sentence

2) Last sentence

3) Middle of paragraph

4) Combination of two sentences



Defining Main Idea

• Main?.................Idea? – Main Idea – Main Idea Statement – Most Important Idea – Central Idea – Central Thought – Author’s Message – Theme – Thesis

– Critical Understanding – Writer’s Purpose – Paragraph is" Mostly” About…

• Why it is so hard to find?



Main Ideas can be…

Stated: A stated main idea is a sentence which states the topicand the main point or points being made about that topic. This

sentence is referred to as the TOPIC SENTENCE.

Implied: An implied main idea means that the author has chosen

not to use a statement in the selection or passage to tell the reader

the topic and main idea. The reader must read the passage and

determine the main idea from the information that is presented.

The READER is responsible for composing a statement of the mainidea. No topic sentence exists.



Discovering the Main Idea…..

1. What is the topic of this passage?

2. What are the points made about this topic? (Supporting

Details)

3. What point is the writer trying to prove or make? State

that point .

4. Does that statement represent the most important thing

the writer is saying about the topic?



You, along with lions, goats, and bats belong to

a class called mammals. About 4000 species of

mammals live here on earth, and many lookdifferent from each other. But, all mammals

have certain characteristics that set them apart

from other living things. Mammals are allwarm blooded and have fur or hair. They can

survive in cold places because of their warm

blood. Many believe that mammals are the

most intelligent animals on earth.



What is the Main Idea?

Wilma Rudolph was a crippled child who became anOlympic running champion. Wilma was bornprematurely in 1940 and spent her childhood battlingillness, including measles, scarlet fever, chicken pox,pneumonia, and polio, a crippling disease that at that

time had no cure. At the age of four, she was told thatshe would never walk normally again. After years of special treatment and physical therapy, twelve year oldWilma was determined to walk again normally. Butwalking was not enough for Wilma, who was determined

to become an athlete. Before long, her talent earned hera spot on the 1956 Olympics, where she earned a bronzemetal. In the 1960 Olympics, at the height of her career,she won three gold medals.



Topic, Main Idea, or Supporting Detail?

____One common cause of headaches is muscletension.

____Poor posture that tenses the muscles in the neck

and back can trigger a headache. ____Headaches are sometimes the result of stress,anxiety, and depression that cause the muscles inthe neck, face, and scalp to become tense.

____ Common causes of headaches



Defining Central Idea/Thesis

• The central point is the main idea of apassage made up of two or moreparagraphs.

• The thesis statement is a STATEMENT(telling sentence) that states the topicand the author’s controlling point aboutthe topic for a passage of two or moreparagraphs.



What is the Topic?

Most of the policy problems that the federal government

confronts do not lend themselves to simple solutions.

Whether the issue is space travel or hunger in America,

expert knowledge is essential to the development of

effective public policy. Much of the expertise is held by

bureaucrats. They spend their careers working in a

particular policy area. Many of them have had scientific,

technical, or other specialized training.



Knowledge of Text Structure

• Description

• Compare/Contrast

•Cause and Effect

• Chronology/Sequence

• Procedural

•Persuasive

• Question/Answer

• Problem/Solution



Implied MIImplied Main Idea: In some instances an author might choose to

only hint or suggest the topic and main idea rather than state itexplicitly.

An implied main idea is a sentence that the reader composesrather than a statement found in the selection.

This reader developed sentence provides the same information asa topic or stated main idea sentence.

An implied main idea answers the same two basic questions as astated main idea:

1. Who or what did I just read about?

2. What was the main point or points made by the author.



Formulating Implied MI

1. Add essential words or phrases to an existing

sentence from the paragraph.

2. Combine two sentences from the paragraph to

state the topic and main idea.

3. Develop a new sentence that states the topic and mainidea of the paragraph. This sentence will be the generalinference made by the passage.



Monitoring the Inference

A correct implied main idea…

1. is a complete sentence.

2. is an expression of the author's most importantgeneral point about the topic.

3. makes sense by itself (without having to read

the rest of the paragraph).

4. Is supported by the details provided by the author



Genre Differences

Theme is the subject of story, poem,

or piece of literature usually

expressed as a statement about life’suniversal topics. (love, happiness,

grief, etc…)



What is the BIG IDEA??

Many self-help books have been written to show job seekers

how to land the job of their dreams. 2. However, little hasbeen done to help those who wish to stay

unemployed. 3. Baker (2008) has some simple techniques

that almost assuredly will keep one unemployed. 4. His

advice includes arriving 10 minutes late for interviews,

preferably disheveled. 5. He also suggests chewing gum

and wearing excessively strong cologne. 6. Bad-mouthing a

previous employer and using a few four-letter words should

also complete the process.

Baker (2008) has some simple techniques that almost assuredly

will keep one unemployed.



What is the BIG IDEA??

• Why can't many dieters shed those extra pounds? 2. If they

are honest, these dieters will find that they are sabotagingthemselves in a number of ways. 3. For one thing, manydieters underestimate the number of calories in the foodsthat they eat and drink. 4. That mocha latte from Sonicactually had 560 calories! 5. The sausage patty from Burger

King had 200 calories. 6. And the "salad" with the wonderfulcandied pecans and cranberries had 850 calories! 7. Somediet! 8. In addition, some dieters cheat when they are understress. 9. They sneak a candy bar before and after anunpleasant confrontation. 10. Still others lack the motivationto stay on track. 11. If they slip up at lunch, they give up and

continue to eat what they please the rest of the day, thinkingthat they will resume the diet the next day.

• If they are honest, these dieters will find that they aresabotaging themselves in a number of ways.



Determine the key elements of this paragraph

including the major and minor details.

• There are many factors that contribute to student success in college. The first factor for success ishaving a goal in mind before establishing a courseof study. The goal may be as general as wantingto better educate oneself for the future. A more

specific goal would be to earn a teachingcredential. A second factor related to student success is self-motivation and commitment. Astudent who wants to succeed and works toward

that desire will find success easily as a collegestudent. A third factor linked to student successis using college services. Most beginning collegestudents fail to realize how important it can be tosee a counselor or consult with a librarian or

financial aid officer.



• Topic-

• Student Success

• Main Idea-

• There are many factors that contribute to studentsuccess in college.

• Major Details-

•

First factor (goal)• Second factor (self-motivation/commitment)

• Third factor (college services)

• Minor Details-

• Earning a teaching credential

• Desire to succeed

• Seeing a counselor, librarian, or financial aid officer



Write out the implied main idea for each paragraph; Remember that

a statement of the main idea MUST be worded as a complete

sentence. • Always warm up before attempting any strength

training exercises. Failure to warm up can causeinjuries to cold muscles. Remember to use properlifting procedures for safety sake. In addition, to avoid

harm, make sure that you have a spotter with you if you are using free weights. You can also avoid injury byworking within your limits and avoiding the need toshow off. (Adapted from Hahn and Payne, Focus onHealth)

• To avoid injury during strength or weight training,observe several safety precautions. (Adapted from Hahn and Payne,

Focus on Health)



• One technique to manage stress is self-hypnosis. Another relaxation technique is the

“relaxation response.” In this technique, one learnshow to quiet the body and mind. Still another wayto manage stress is progressive muscularrelaxation. This is a procedure in which muscles arecontracted and relaxed systematically. Othertechniques include yoga, quieting, anddiaphragmatic breathing. (Adapted from Hahn andPayne, Focus on Health)

• There are a number of stress managementtechniques.



• People who are obese are likely to develop

type II, non-insulin dependent diabetes. Infact, 90% of obese people develop this

disease. Seventy percent of obese people will

develop heart disease, and 33% will develophypertension. Various cancers are also linked

to obesity. (Adapted from Hahn and Payne, Focus on Health)

• Many diseases are related to obesity.

1a. main idea

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