Finding and Supporting the Main/Central Idea

“Cereal Sales Don’t Crackle These Days”

Main/Central Idea

MAIN IDEA: This is the “Big Picture,” the one MAIN thought s/he is trying to say.  Sometimes this can be found in the first sentence of the first paragraph, sometimes in the last sentence of the first paragraph...and sometimes it’s nowhere to be found and you have to do some serious thinking!   What this means for you is that when you read, you should always be thinking about the “big picture”--what is the one MAIN thought the author is trying to say? DIRECT DETAIL: Without this information, the MAIN IDEA wouldn’t exist. INDIRECT DETAIL: This is good information to have that SORT OF relates to the MAIN IDEA, but the MAIN IDEA would exist without it. NOT A DETAIL: This is information that might not have anything to do with the MAIN IDEA.  It’s put there because it’s nice to know, but the MAIN IDEA can totally exist without it.   (Sometimes people who make tests use this information to purposely distract test-takers--just ask yourself “Can the MAIN IDEA exist without this information?” and you’ll be fine!)	Newsela Passage: Cereal Sales Don’t Crackle These Days Main/Central Idea: Copy and paste from the PDF to the appropriate space below... Direct Detail: What are 3 direct details from the text that support your Main/Central Idea? 1. 2. Indirect Detail: What are 2 indirect details from the text that support your Main/Central Idea? 1. 2. Retell the Main/Central Idea Directions: In your own words--not to be taken directly from the text--explain the main or central idea
Response Questions: Using both the text and the graph, what is disturbing about the top two selling cereals?  Explain. Using the text, find an explanation for these brands being successful. Look up the word “trend.”  Using both the text and the graph, what are some trends for healthy cereals for the coming years? Look up the word “trend.”  Using both the text and the graph, what are some trends for non-healthy/sugary cereals for the coming years? Based on the two main direct details that support the main/central idea of the text, do you agree or disagree with these details as being true? Explain.

Genre Study - Compare & Contrast

Genre Study: “Forms of Art - Watercolor” & “The Painter’s Studio”

PARCC Constructed Response Questions

Literary Text	Informational Text
Can be more entertaining, BUT you usually have much more thinking to do about deciding what the Main Idea is and what information supports the Main Idea.	Can be less entertaining, BUT the information is all there in front of you.  Sometimes there’s so much information, you have to decide what’s most important to the Main Idea.
ReadWorks Passage: The Painter’s Studio	ReadWorks Passage: Forms of Art - Watercolor
“The Painter’s Studio” Main Idea: Copy and paste from the PDF to the appropriate space below Direct Detail: Indirect Detail:	“Forms of Art - Watercolor” Main Idea: Copy and paste from the PDF to the appropriate space below Direct Detail: Indirect Detail:
What’s significantly SIMILAR about these two texts?	What’s significantly DIFFERENT about these two texts?