1. What is true about a central idea?
Objective: Understand how Salak develops & shapes a central idea with specific details in “The Cruelest Journey – 600 Miles to Timbuktu”.
Directions:
Get a dry erase board, paper
towel, & marker for your team.
Write 1-4 going down.
Read both columns for #1.
Write “A” or “B” next to
each number for which ever statement is true about a central idea.
Your whole team should agree.
What is true about a central idea? A B
1. It’s one sentence.
1. It’s multiple sentences.
2. It’s about the whole passage.
2. It’s about descriptive parts of the passage.
3. It uses the most interesting words from the passage.
3. It groups together similar details from the passage.
4. It’s like a whole movie.
4. It’s like a movie trailer.

2. Details 1 & 2 share a similarity. This similarity is how the author
Objective: Understand how Salak develops & shapes a central idea with specific details in “The Cruelest Journey – 600 Miles to Timbuktu”.
Here’s how this works:
Details 1 & 2 share a similarity.
This similarity is how the author
develops & shapes the specific details
into a central idea.
A. How are details 1 & 2 developed & shaped?
Details 1 & 2 are developed & shaped by the author’s explanation of _________________________.
With your group, answer on your dry erase: “How are details 3 & 4 shaped & developed?”
2A. Details 3 & 4 are developed & shaped by the author’s explanation of __________________________.
3. The central idea is what ALL the details have in common.
Specific Detail 1:
Hurricanes can cause a lot of damage to homes.
Specific Detail 2:
Volcanic eruptions can kill entire cities instantly.
Specific Detail 3:
Hurricanes are measured by wind strength.
Specific Detail 4:
People who study volcanos are volcanologists.
types of natural disasters
weather science (meteorology)
A. There are different types of natural disasters that people study.
B. There are several types of natural disasters that can be devastating.

3. "I never saw myself as a smart person. Definitely not book smart.
Objective: Understand how Salak develops & shapes a central idea with specific details in “The Cruelest Journey – 600 Miles to Timbuktu”.
"I never saw myself as a smart person. Definitely not book smart.
Maybe smart in other ways. I never liked school all that much.
No matter how hard I tried, I could never reach past a B.
I even got a tutor in high school, and she was great, but
my grades didn't really improve. I was intimidated by how
well other students could write and speak. I didn't think I'd ever
reach that level. I figured that college just wasn't for me.
2. After graduation, I took a year off and backpacked through Southeast Asia. I loved it so much. I didn't want to leave. When I came home, I decided to major in history, because at least I could keep learning about Asia. I'm almost finished now. I made it through with about a 'B' average.
3. Last term I even got nominated for an award by my favorite professor. His name is Arne Kislenko. He's a little of a hard [teacher]. He expects a lot. He doesn't even post lecture slides. But he has stories and tidbits for everything. Even though I almost failed his class, I registered for two more because I learned so much. I wrote my final paper on Thai Foreign Policy from 1932 to 1945.
4. He handed it back with a note that said: 'See me.' He told me that he was nominating me for the Dean's List Essay Award. I was the only student he chose. I didn't win, but I didn't care. It showed me that I could do it if I write about a subject I care about. It was the first time I'd ever been recognized for something academic, and it came from the smartest person I know."
(Toronto, Canada)
1. Now, count off 1-4 in your group.
2. Agree upon a detail that shares similarity between each group members’ paragraph.
3. Write the details (1-4) on your dry erase.
4. Write what they have in the top.
What is similar about these details?
All of these details discuss:
______________________
____________________________________________
Review the qualities of a central idea.
When people believe in themselves, anything can happen, even if they think they can’t.
School is hard, but encouragement & belief in yourself can show you what you can do.
Central ideas are shaped & developed by:
___________________________________________.
A. her beliefs about herself as a student
grouping together similar
details from the passage
B. her teachers’ thoughts about her
C. her studying habits & how hard she tried