Main Idea & Details 7.10 A: Evaluate a summary of the original text for accuracy of the main ideas, supporting details and overall meaning. Fig. 19A: Establish purposes for reading selected texts to enhance comprehension.

Main Idea Found in mainly Non-fiction text; also called “central message”; The major thing the author really wants you to understand Sometimes explicitly stated, others you must determine it based on the facts given throughout the text. Makes a statement about the topic of the text. Ex. A topic for the student newspaper may be “public libraries” The main idea could be public libraries help increase literacy. – this is the statement or central message the author wanted you to gain from the article on the topic of public libraries.

Supporting Details Facts, reasons, examples and other details that back up the main idea. So supporting details of the example main idea: “Public Libraries help increase literacy.” Fact – Currently, there are nine branch libraries in our county. Reason – Free books give people more opportunities to read Example – Students in Bedford county increased their reading and writing test scores after they began using their public libraries. Statistics – Reading scores rose by 8% and writing scores rose by 5% as a result of increased library use. Quotation – Famous author Li Chang says, “I wouldn’t be a writer today if I hadn’t used the library as a child.”

Class Practice Tornadoes start wherever conditions are right. A tornado begins as a strong thunderstorm. These are caused when a mass of warm air meets a mass of cooler, drier air. Warm air is lighter, so it rises. In a very strong thunderstorm, the rising air, known as the updraft, can begin to spin. If the movement of air is strong enough, the storm becomes a tornado. The spinning winds can suck up any and all material that might be in a storm’s path. That includes large trees, buildings, and even cars or trucks in the path of the twister. In one sentence, write the main idea of this excerpt. The right conditions cause tornados to form.