Blitz Week Activities

Weekly Activities Monday – Main Idea and Supporting Details Tuesday – Point of View and Literary Point of View Wednesday – Summarizing Informational Texts Thursday – Literary and Informational Text Inference Friday – Impact of Tone

Main Idea & Supporting Details Monday Main Idea & Supporting Details

Main Idea & Supporting details The main idea (or central idea) of a passage is what the passage is mostly about. The supporting details in a passage support the main idea. They give the reader more information about the main idea.

What is the central idea of the passage? Using a “mind palace” can help you memorize long speeches or remember when you have a test. The “method of loci” can help a person memorize large amounts of information through visualizing. The ancient Greeks had to memorize large amounts of information since most people could not write. Many people such as the ancient Greeks and a famous TV detective use the “method of loci.”

Reading Passage Sarah Breedlove was born into a family of freed slaves in 1867. She went on to become the owner of a business and the first woman to be a self- made millionaire. During her early adult life, Breedlove washed clothes to earn the $1.50 a day she needed to support herself and her daughter. One day, she came across Booker T. Washington’s book Up from Slavery. The book told the story of how Washington went from being a slave to being a well-known teacher. It inspired Breedlove to change her life. She began selling shampoos and other hair products in 1904. She then changed her name to Madam C. J. Walker and began making and selling her own products under that name. Walker grew her small business into a world-wide company that changed the way hair products were sold. She passed away from blood pressure problems 1919.

1. Which key detail in the article supports the main idea? Sarah Breedlove first began selling her hair products in 1904. Madam C. J. Walker died of blood pressure problems in 1919. Booker T. Washington authored the book Up from Slavery. Sarah Breedlove washed people’s clothes for $1.50 a day.

2. Which of these best shows the main idea of this article? Sarah Breedlove, who is better known as Madam C.J. Walker, became rich because she worked really hard. Sarah Breedlove was inspired to change her life after reading Booker T. Washington’s Up from Slavery. Sarah Breedlove, who was born into a family of freed slaves, went on to become a successful business person. Sarah Breedlove changed her name to Madam C. J. Walker after starting her own hair product business.

Reading passage #2 Arnold Palmer is one of the best men’s professional golfers of all time. He is also one of the most popular. He began playing golf around the time the sport was first being shown on TV in the 1950s. His outgoing manner and good looks made him the sport’s first TV personality. However, many people who do not know about his golf career know his name because it is also the name of a popular drink. An Arnold Palmer is a drink that is made by mixing two-thirds of a glass of iced tea with a third of a glass of lemonade. Palmer, who has been nicknamed “The King,” often drank this mixture when he was golfing. One hot day in 1960, a woman overheard him ordering the drink at a restaurant in Palm Springs, California, and asked a waitress for “that Palmer drink.” After that, the drink was called an Arnold Palmer.

3. Which key detail in the article supports the main idea? Golf was first shown on TV in the 1950s. Arnold Palmer is nicknamed “The King.” Arnold Palmer is one of the best golfers. A woman ordered “that Palmer drink.”

4. Choose the sentence that best restates the passage’s main idea. Arnold Palmer was nicknamed “The King” because he was the best golfer. Arnold Palmer invented his lemonade-and-iced-tea drink in the year 1960. An Arnold Palmer is a popular drink that is named after a famous golfer. The golfer Arnold Palmer was a famous television personality in the 1950s.

Reading Passage #3 Do you spend your days feeling slow and sluggish, still sleepy hours after getting out of bed? If you answered “yes” to that question, you need more exercise, not more sleep. The best way to get rid of that tired feeling that never seems to go away is to begin exercising as soon as you wake up. Now, you don’t have to do a weight lifting routine, go on a 15 mile bicycle ride, or do hundreds of sit- ups. All you have to do is get moving. One of the easiest ways to do that is to go for a walk as soon as you wake up. A walk will clear your head, get your muscles working, and remind you that there’s no chance of going back to bed. After your walk, you will not only be able to think clearly, but you will also have more energy and be prepared to tackle the rest of the day.

5. How does the author develop the central idea of this passage? By telling the reader exercises he or she should avoid By claiming that the reader should try to get less sleep By explaining ways in which exercise can be beneficial By describing the problems that come from being sleepy

6. What is the central idea of the passage? People who feel tired all day should exercise as soon as they wake up. Walking is the best kind of exercise for people who wake up early. Morning exercise prevents people from getting back into their beds. People who exercise in the morning can only do one kind of exercise.

Reading Passage #4- A typical tartan, or plaid, fabric design The pattern that is called “plaid” in the United States and Canada is called “tartan” most other places. When many people think of tartan, they think of Scotland and kilts, but the pattern goes back much further than that. The Hallstatt people of Central Europe made tartan-like fabrics 2,000 years ago. A 3,000 year old mummy that was found in China was wearing tartan-like fabric. The oldest tartan fabric that can be linked to Scotland is the Falkirk tartan. It was found in Stirlingshire, Scotland. It was inside a pot that also contained coins. The Falkirk tartan is made of wool and has a simple light and dark check design. It is thought to be 1,000 years old. Today’s striped and checked tartan was first created in Scotland around the 1500s. The first striped and checked tartan design went through a lot of changes before people settled on today’s common tartan patterns around 1700.

7. How does the author convey the central idea of the passage? By describing the difference between tartan and plaid By explaining what early tartan fabric was made from By discussing the early history of the tartan pattern By telling about how tartan changed during the 1700s

8. Which key detail in the article supports the main idea? The 1,000 year old Falkirk tartan fabric is made of wool. The pot that held the Falkirk tartan also contained coins. The Hallstatt people made their own tartan-like patterns. People in the U.S. and Canada call tartan patterns “plaid.”

Reading Passage # 5 Salami is what is called a “cured” sausage. Curing is the process of preparing meat such as beef and pork to be eaten without cooking it. Among other ingredients, salami includes lots of salt and sugar. Salt and sugar dry out the meat and kill bad bacteria that can cause the meat to go bad and make people sick. After the ingredients are put together, salami are then hung in a warm wet place for three days. This causes them to grow good bacteria that give them more flavor. Finally, the salami is moved to cooler place where it finishes drying out. When completely dry, they are ready to eat. Salami that is made in this way can be stored are room temperature for 30- 40 days without going bad. The fact that salami stays good for so long made is what made it popular among the southern Europeans who first made it 2,000 years ago.

9. How does the author convey the central idea? By explaining how salt and sugar kill bacteria By describing why foods make people sick. By telling the reader how salami is prepared By telling the reader about salami’s history

10. Which key detail in the article supports the main idea? Some people store salami at room temperature. When completely dry, salami is ready to eat The salami sausage was created 2,000 years ago. Both beef and pork can be prepared by curing.

Answers 1. A 2. C 3. D 4. C 5. C 6. A 7. C 8. C 9. C 10. B