1. Identifying the Main Idea
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

2. The main idea is what the story is mostly about.
What is a Main Idea?
The main idea is what the story is
mostly about.
The main idea is usually found in
the first or last sentence of a paragraph.

3. Let’s read a passage about squirrels and try to find
Who- Who is the story mostly about?
What- What did the Who do?
Let’s read a passage about
squirrels and try to find
The Main Idea.

4. Squirrels What is the Main Idea of this passage?
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!
What is the Main Idea of this passage?
1)Squirrels love to dig in the park or the woods
2) Squirrels are busy all year long
3)Squirrels “sniff out” their hidden food

5. Remember to find what the passage is MOSTLY about!
Oops! Sorry!
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!

6. Remember to find what the passage is MOSTLY about!
Oops! Sorry!
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!

7. Excellent Job!
You Found the Main Idea. You realized what the passage was mostly about!

8. Details!
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?

9. Squirrels
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!
Check out my details…

10. They store nuts and seeds in summer and fall.
Squirrels
Detail
Main Idea
Detail
In Winter and Early Spring, they “sniff out” their hidden food.
Squirrels are busy all year long.
They store nuts and seeds in summer and fall.
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…

11. Polar Bears are beautiful animals!
Example 1
Detail
Detail
Main Idea
Polar Bears are beautiful animals!
They always look like they are smiling.
Their fur is as white as snow.
Example 2
Detail
Detail
Main Idea
They can be trained to sit, stay, and roll over.
They bark when strangers walk past my house.
Dogs are the smartest animals!

12. That's all folks!
Back to the Beginning!

13. Let's review what we learned yesterday!
* 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. Dogs
Main Idea
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.
1. What is the Main Idea of the story?
2. Where did you find the Main Idea?
Details
3. What does a dog need a dish for?
4. Why should you give a dog a toy?

17. Read the handout about cats
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.
What is the story mostly about?
Where did you find the Main Idea?
1)Many cats have stripes of patches.
1) In the first sentence
2) Cats come in many shapes and sizes
2) In the second sentence
3)Some cats cannot hear
3) In the last sentence
Back to the Beginning!

18. Remember… The main idea is what the story is mostly about.
-The main idea is usually, but not always, found in the first or last sentence of a paragraph. Sometimes, the main idea can be in the middle of a paragraph, or even in the title of an article or paragraph

19. Remember…
*Details explain or support the most important idea in the paragraph.
*Details provide information about the Main Idea
*Details often tell about the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the main idea.

20. Lets read about Giraffes and see if we can find the Main Idea and three 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!

21. An Unususal Animal Main Idea A giraffe is an unusual animal.
Back to the Story
Now it’s your turn!
Detail that describes the giraffe
Detail that describes the giraffe
Detail that describes the giraffe
Giraffes go many weeks without drinking water.
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world.
Giraffes have a tongue that is 15 inches long.

22. 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

23. on Giraffes very carefully. Fill in the graphic organizer
Read the paragraph
on Giraffes very carefully.
Fill in the graphic organizer
by finding the Main Idea
and three details
about giraffes.