1. The Effective Reader (Updated Edition) by D. J. Henry
Chapter 4:
Supporting Details
PowerPoint Presentation
by Gretchen Starks-Martin
St. Cloud State University, MN

2. Supporting Details
Supporting details explain, develop, support, and illustrate the main idea.
A major detail directly explains, develops, illustrates, or supports the main idea.
A minor detail explains, develops, illustrates, or supports a major detail.

3. Find a major detail.
Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphin’s beak-like nose. A second difference can be seen in their sizes. Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet long and weigh from to 1,500 pounds.

4. Find a major detail.
Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphin’s beak-like nose. A second difference can be seen in their sizes. Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet long and weigh from to 1,500 pounds.

5. Find a minor detail.
Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphin’s beak-like nose. A second difference can be seen in their sizes. Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet long and weigh from to 1,500 pounds.

6. Find a minor detail.
Porpoises and dolphins are so similar in general appearance that many people mistake one for the other. However, they possess distinct differences. One difference is their shape. Porpoises are smaller and plumper than dolphins, which have long, streamlined bodies. In addition, the porpoise has a rounded head and a blunt snout in contrast to the dolphin’s beak-like nose. A second difference can be seen in their sizes. Porpoises rarely grow to be more than six feet in length or weigh more than 300 pounds. In contrast, dolphins can be four to twenty-six feet long and weigh from 70 to 1,500 pounds.

7. Creating A Summary from Annotations
A summary is a brief, clear restatement of the most important points of a paragraph or passage.
To create summary, annotate, or mark, your text during reading.

8. Chapter-End Questions in a Textbook
If provided, chapter-end questions help you identify and remember the most important points.
Some students look at the chapter-end questions before they read as a guide to their reading.

9. Chapter Review
Supporting details explain, develop, and illustrate a main idea.
To locate supporting details, an effective reader turns the main idea into a question.
A major detail directly explains, develops, or illustrates the main idea.
A minor detail explains, develops, or illustrates the major detail.

10. Chapter Review
In a paragraph or passage, ideas usually flow from general to specific.
A summary is a brief, clear restatement of the most important points of a paragraph or passage.
To paraphrase means to restate the ideas in your own words.
To create a summary, you can annotate or mark your text during reading by underlining main ideas and important supporting details.

11. Practice Complete the Applications, Review Tests, and Mastery Tests for Chapter 4 in your book. * Remember to complete your scorecard for the Review Tests in this chapter.