Topic Main Idea and Supporting Details Topic Main

Topic Main Idea and Supporting Details

Topic, Main Idea, and Supporting Details Key Points Ideas Who/what text is about Topic Main Idea Stated implied Supporting. Details A word or phrase repeated in text May appear in title or special font

What is the topic? The topic is who or what (subject) the text is about. The topic of a passage is a word or phrase that labels the subject but does not reveal the specific contents of the passage.

To find the topic of a paragraph or passage, ask yourself: Who or what is this paragraph about?

Clues to Topic Location The topic can. . . Appear as a heading or title: Mae Jemison: Space Scientist Appear in special type such as bold print, italics, or color: "A felony is a serious crime. . . A misdemeanor is a minor offense, . . . " (p. 193 from Opening Doors)

Be repeated throughout the paragraph: "Claustrophobia. Acrophobia. Xenophobia. Although these sound like characters in a Greek tragedy, they are actually members of a class of psychological disorders known as phobias. . " (p. 193 from Opening Doors) Appear once and then referred to by pronouns or other words "Before the age of 13, Isaac Newton had invented the mathematical methods. . . His was a lonely. . . His father died. . . , and after his mother remarried, he was raised by. . . In 1661, he was admitted to Cambridge University, . . . " (pp. 193 -194 from Opening Doors)

"Topics are general categories, like titles, but they are not main ideas. " (from Bridging the Gap: College Reading, p. 124) What is the topic for each set of items? 1) shirt, pants, jacket, sweater CLOTHES 2) history, reading, math, English COURSES

What is the topic for each set of items? 3) Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Virginia 4) corn, peas, oranges, apples STATES FRUITS AND VEGETABLES 5) basketball, volleyball, baseball, hockey SPORTS

What’s the Main Idea? The main idea tells the most important point(s) the author will make about the topic. The main idea is NEVER A QUESTION!! The main idea is a general idea. The main idea can be stated or implied

What is a stated main idea? "A stated main idea is a general sentence in a paragraph that contains both the topic and the author’s single most important point about the topic. " (p. 172, Opening Doors)

To find the stated main idea of a paragraph or passage, ask yourself: 1. Who or what is this paragraph about-Topic? 2. What is the single most important point the author wants me to understand about the topic -the most general sentence?

Where can the stated main idea appear in a paragraph? At the beginning of the paragraph – First sentence of the paragraph At the end of the paragraph – Last sentence of the paragraph Within the paragraph

At the beginning of the paragraph: Soccer players learn many skills when playing soccer. Soccer players learn how to dribble and pass the ball. They also learn how to control the ball so they can eventually score. Most importantly, soccer players learn how to work together with their teammates.

At the end of the paragraph: “. . . Most Anglo-Americans, for instance, see the extensive family obligations of Hispanics as a burdensome arrangement that inhibits individual freedom. Hispanics, in contrast, view the isolated nuclear family of Anglo-Americans as a lonely institution that cuts people off from the love and assistance of their kin. This tendency to view one's own cultural patterns as good and right and those of others as strange or even immoral is called ethnocentrism. " (p. 197, Opening Doors)

Within the paragraph: " Jim always seems to score well on tests. How does he do it? Jim offers these tips for successful studying. The first step is to decide what to study. Find out what topics will be covered on the test. Next, organize your notes and other materials on these topics. Third, make study guides to use as memory aids. Your final step is to review your notes and study guides until you feel confident about taking the test. " (from Becoming a Confident Reader, p. 200)

What is an implied main idea? To imply is to suggest. To find an implied main idea, the reader must read the entire passage and determine the main idea from the supporting details.

What are Supporting Details? Supporting details gives additional specific information to help you understand more about the main idea. Details consists of specific information such as examples, illustrations, facts, explanations, descriptions, proof, comparisons, contrasts, and statistics. Who, what, when, where, why, how? The answers will be in the details.

Summary A topic is who or what (subject) the reading selection or passage is about. topic as heading or title clues to find topic are topic in special type topic repeated in paragraph topic appears once and then referred to by pronouns or other words

Summary A stated main idea is a main idea can be located sentence in a paragraph that expresses the most important point about the topic at the beginning of the paragraph at the end of the paragraph within the paragraph

Summary An implied main idea is Supporing details suggested through supporting details Give information to help you learn more about the main idea. examples, illustrations, facts, within the paragraph explanations, descriptions, proof, comparisons, contrasts, and statistics

Main Idea with Tim and Moby! http: //www. brainpop. com/english/wr iting/mainidea/

Bibliography Cortina, Joe and Janet Elder. (2002). Opening Doors: Understanding College Reading. New York: The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. Kanar, Carol. (2000). Becoming a Confident Reader. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Smith, Brenda. (2000). Bridging the Gap: College Reading. New York: Longman.