1. BIG What’s the BIG idea? Finding a selection’s Main Idea

2. Every reading passage has two parts. A Main IdeaDetails tells what the passage is mostly about tells more about the main idea

3. A reading passage is like a house. M a i n I d e a detailsdetails detailsdetails d e t a i l s

4. The main idea answers the question: What is the passage mostly about?

5. The main idea can’t be: a question more than one sentence a sentence that you just like or think is interesting

6. Let’s practice! We will: 1. Read the passage. 2. Find the main idea. 3. Find details. 3. Answer the questions.

7. When night falls, the desert changes. The heat of the sun gives way to the cool of moonlight. The burning sands begin to cool. The mighty saguaro cactus opens its flowers. Desert animals come out of their daytime hiding places. It is time for them to feed.

8. Which would be a good title for this passage? 1.Life in the Desert 2.Nighttime in the Desert 3.The Saguaro Cactus of the Desert 4.Feeding time in the Desert What is the main idea of the passage? 1.Lots of animals live in the desert. 2.Deserts get very cool at night. 3.Deserts are different at night from how they are during the day time. 4.Deserts are dangerous places.

9. Which is not a detail from this passage? 1.Desert sand cools at night. 2.The flowers of some plants open at night. 3.Some animals come out at night. 4.Deserts are fun at night Which would be a good detail to add to this passage? 1.The desert is also home to the kangaroo rat. 2.Many desert animals hunt at night when it is cool. 3.Pocket mice eat the fruit of the Saguaro cactus. 4.There are four different deserts in the United States.

10. Have you ever been to a desert? Deserts can be beautiful places. But they can also be very dangerous. It can be nice to visit a desert, but you need to know how to keep yourself safe while you are there. You also need to know how you can help to keep deserts safe from people.

11. Which would be a good title for this passage? 1.Life in the Desert 2.Desert Safety 3.Would You Like to go to A Desert? 4.Desert Fun What is the main idea of the passage? 1.You can get killed in a desert. 2.Deserts can be dangerous places. 3.Know about a desert before you go there. 4.Deserts are important places.

12. Why does it rain? Rain comes from clouds and clouds are made up of tiny droplets of water. When clouds get too many water droplets in them, they become heavy and the droplets begins to fall. When this happens, we say that it is raining.

13. Which would be a good title for this passage? 1.Rain on the Parade 2.Rain, Rain, Go Away! 3.Kimmie’s Rainy Day 4.Why does it rain? What is the passage mainly about? 1.How to stay dry on a rainy day 2.Different kinds of clouds 3.Why rain is good for plants 4.Why it rains

14. Have you ever been to a pond? A pond is a lot like a little lake. But compared to a lake, a pond is smaller and not as deep. You very often see ponds on farms. They may be used for fishing, boating, or as a source of water for farm animals.

15. Which is not a detail from this passage? 1.Many different plants grow around ponds. 2.Ponds are often used for fishing. 3.Ponds are not as large as lakes. 4.Ponds are often found on farms. Which would be a good detail to add to this passage? 1.Ponds may smell bad. 2.Ponds often have algae growing on them. 3.Ponds can be dirty. 4.Ponds can also be used for raising fish.