Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Created by: Melissa Levin

The main idea is what the story is mostly about.

The main idea is usually found inthe first or last sentence of a paragraph.

Let’s read a passage about squirrels and try to find

The Main Idea.

One Hint to help you find the Main Idea is to find the

2 W’s…Who- Who is the story mostly about?

What- What did the Who do?

Squirrels are busy all year long. They store nuts and seeds in the summer and fall. That is when food is easy to find. They bury the food. Or they hide it in hollow logs or holes in trees.

In Winter or early Spring, squirrels “sniff out” their hidden food. That is when food is hard to find.

Watch for squirrels in a park, the woods, or your own yard. Maybe you will see them hiding food or digging it up!

1)Squirrels love to dig in the park or the woods

2) Squirrels are busy all year long

Squirrels

3)Squirrels “sniff out” their hidden food

What is the Main Idea of this passage?

Squirrels loving to dig in the park or the woods is not what the whole passage is about. We call that a detail. It gives us evidence to support the Main Idea.

Go back and try again. Remember to find what the passage is MOSTLY about!

Squirrels “sniffing out” their food is not what the whole passage is about. We call that a detail. It gives us evidence to support the Main Idea.

Go back and try again. Remember to find what the passage is MOSTLY about!

You Found the Main Idea. You realized what the passage was

mostly about!

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Details in a story help support the Main Idea. That means it gives the

reader more information about the Main Idea of the passage!In the story Squirrels, we found the

Main Idea of the passage in the first line. It was Squirrels are busy all year long. Now we want to find details that tell us how we know Squirrels are busy all year long…

Click on the squirrel, reread the passage, and ask yourselves: How do we know Squirrels are busy all year long? QuickTime™ and a

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Squirrels are busy all year long.Squirrels are busy all year long. They store nuts and seeds in the summer and fall. That is when food is easy to find. They bury the food. Or they hide it in hollow logs or holes in trees.

In Winter or early Spring, squirrels “sniff out” their hidden food. That is when food is hard to find.

Watch for squirrels in a park, the woods, or your own yard. Maybe you will see them hiding food or digging it up!

Squirrels

Check out my details…

Main IdeaDetail Detail

Squirrels are busy all year

long.

In Winter and Early Spring,

they “sniff out” their hidden

food.

They store nuts and seeds in

summer and fall.

Squirrels

Now its your turn! I want you to think of your favorite animal. In the chart you were given, write the Main Idea and Details about your favorite animal.

Here are some examples…

Main IdeaDetail Detail

Polar Bears are beautiful animals!

They always look like they are

smiling.

Their fur is as white as snow.

Main IdeaDetail Detail

Dogs are the smartest animals!

They bark when strangers walk past my house.

They can be trained to sit, stay, and roll

over.

Example 2

Example 1

Back to the Beginning!

* The most important idea in a story is called the Main

Idea.

* The Main Idea tells us what the story is mostly about.

* The Main Idea is usually found in the first or last

sentence of a story.

Does anyone remember what a detail is?

A detail gives the reader evidence to support the Main Idea. Look for sentences that answer who, what, where and why questions. Lets read a story about dogs and see if we can find the Main Idea and some supporting details.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressorare needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

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Dogs A pet dog needs many things. A dog needs a soft bed. It also needs special food made for dogs and a dish for food and water. You might also want to give your dog a toy to play with. Dogs love to play.

A pet dog needs many things. A dog needs a soft bed. It also needs special food made for dogs and a dish for food and water. You might also want to give your dog a toy to play with. Dogs love to play.

Dogs1. What is the Main Idea of the story?

2. Where did you find the Main Idea?

3. What does a dog need a dish for?

Main Idea

Details

4. Why should you give a dog a toy?

Read the handout about cats. As you read, ask yourself, “What is the story mostly about?” Then answer the questions. *Underline the Main Idea of the story.

1)Many cats have stripes of patches.

2) Cats come in many shapes and sizes

3)Some cats cannot hear

What is the story mostly about? 1) In the first sentence

2) In the second sentence

3) In the last sentence

Where did you find the Main Idea?

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Back to the Beginning!

Remember…Remember…The main idea is what the story is The main idea is what the story is mostly about. mostly about.

-The main idea is usually, but not always, -The main idea is usually, but not always, found in the first or last sentence of a found in the first or last sentence of a paragraph. Sometimes, the main idea can paragraph. Sometimes, the main idea can be in the middle of a paragraph, or even in be in the middle of a paragraph, or even in the title of an article or paragraphthe title of an article or paragraph

Remember…Remember…*Details explain or support the most *Details explain or support the most important idea in the paragraph.important idea in the paragraph.

*Details provide information about the *Details provide information about the Main IdeaMain Idea

*Details often tell about the who, what, *Details often tell about the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the main where, when, why, and how of the main

idea.idea.

Lets read about Giraffes and see if we can Lets read about Giraffes and see if we can find the Main Idea and find the Main Idea and threethree details. details.

An Unusual Animal

What animal has the longest neck in the world? Did you say “giraffe?” Then you are correct! A giraffes is an unusual animal in many other ways. It is the tallest animal in the world. It stands 16 feet high and has a tongue 15 inches long. Giraffes like to eat leaves that grow high in the trees. They can even go weeks without drinking water!

Main Idea

Detail that describes the giraffe

A giraffe is an unusual animal.

Giraffes are the tallest animals in

the world.

An Unususal Animal

Back to the Story

Detail that describes the giraffe

Detail that describes the giraffe

Giraffes have a tongue that is 15

inches long.

Giraffes go many weeks without

drinking water.

Now it’s your turn!

An Unusual Animal

What animal has the longest neck in the world? Did you say “giraffe?” Then you are correct! A giraffes is an unusual animal in many other ways. It is the tallest animal in the world. It stands 16 feet high and has a tongue 15 inches long. Giraffes like to eat leaves that grow high in the trees. They can even go weeks without drinking water! Back to G.O