Main Idea

Click on Websites Below

Support main idea with textual evidence

QUESTION: What is “evidence” of the main idea?

ANSWER: Standardized tests often ask students to identify evidence for a particular main idea. To teach students how to do this, first clarify three key terms.

TOPIC: The topic is simply the subject of the passage (e.g., panda or panda cub). The topic can be stated in 1-2 words.
MAIN IDEA: Although the topic is a couple of words, the main idea is always a sentence. It’s the most important or overall point the author is making. The topic (e.g., panda cub) is in the main-idea sentence. But the rest of the sentence more narrowly reveals a specific facet or perspective of the topic (e.g., Panda cub is ready for public debut).
EVIDENCE: Evidence of the main idea includes the words, phrases, and sentences within the original text that repeat or reiterate the sentiment of the main idea sentence.

To model how to find evidence of the main idea, reveal a short newspaper article and its headline (e.g., “Panda cub is ready for public debut” from Tween Tribune). Clarify that the headline is a main-idea sentence as it’s what the passage is mostly about. Read aloud the article, pausing to highlight any reference to the panda, cub, ready, public, and debut (all the words from the headline). Any time one of those words—or a synonym—pops up, highlight it.

After reading through the entire article, it may look something like this. Now Think aloud and justify how the evidence you’ve highlighting supports the original main-idea headline (e.g., key points are repeated in different words, they are throughout the article, etc.). Repeat the process with a second short newspaper article and its headline. Facilitate students finding evidence of the main-idea headline.

Eventually, challenge students to do both. Students will read an entire article. Then, they will reread it, stopping to highlight the repetitious words, phrases, and details. Using those words and phrases, they will craft a main-idea sentence inferring what the article is mostly about. Then, all those highlighted details become the evidence to support their main idea.

Main Idea Video For Parents To Go With Above Article

Courtesy of: http://www.smekenseducation.com/

Main Idea - Did I Read It or Not? - Learn about the main idea skill and practice.
Main Idea - Get the Idea - Learn and practice the main idea.
Main Idea - If You Made a Million - Practice the main idea skill using the text If You Made a Million.
Main Idea - In the Days of King Adobe - Practice the main idea skill using the text In the Days of King Adobe.
Main Idea - Main Idea - Learn and practice the main idea skill.
Main Idea - Social Studies Skills Tutor - Click on Main Idea and practice the skill.
Main Idea - Study Zone: Main Idea - Learn about main idea and practice.
Main Idea - Welcome to the Journalist's Desk - Choose a story and identify the main idea.
Main Idea - What's The Big Idea? - Practice the main idea skill.
Main Idea - What's the Big Idea? Chameleon - Practice the main idea skill.
Main Idea - Yippee-Yay! - Practice the main idea using the text Yippee-Yah!
Text Structure - Evelyn Cisernos - Practice the main idea text structure using the text Evelyn Cisernos American.
Text Structure - Oceans 2 - Practice the skill of main idea text structure using the text Oceans.
Text Structure - The Case of the Flying Saucer People 2 - Practice the skill of main idea text structure using the text The Case of the Flying Saucer People.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse