1. Main Idea
What’s the Big Idea?

2. When reading a paragraph, what is the main idea?
Bellwork:
In your journals, copy this question down and answer it in a complete sentence:
When reading a paragraph, what is the main idea?

3. Review Jane Goodall Cornell Notes
Jane Goodall quiz

4. The purpose of the paragraph or text (add this to your glossary)
Main Idea
The purpose of the paragraph or text (add this to your glossary)
All information in the paragraph should connect to the main idea
Some information is not as important
Good readers identify key ideas

5. It’s just a way of asking for the main idea.
Careful!
Test writers may ask you for the main idea like this:
“Another good title for this passage would be…”
It’s just a way of asking for the main idea.

6. Identifying Main Idea Read the whole text.
Ask, “What is the author doing here?”
Pay extra attention to the first and last sentence.

7. Example
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first men to walk on the surface of the moon, but they were not the last. That was Gene Cernan, the last man to step off the lunar surface. In total, there have been twelve men who have walked on the moon—all of whom had done so between 1969 and 1972, which is the most recent non- Michael Jackson moon walk.

8. Understanding Main Idea
You must comprehend the text. Focus on the BIGGEST idea.
Over the years, there have been several moon walkers.
Armstrong & Aldrin
First Men on the Moon
Cernan was the
Last Man on the Moon
12 Men Have Walked
On the Moon

9. Main Idea Practice Sheet
Read each of the passages on your own, one at a time.
Then decide what you think the main idea is.
Next, check in with your group and see if you got the same answer.
If you did, GREAT! If not, reread the passage and try again.
Highlight the supporting details.

10. Practice Activity For the following paragraphs…
Summarize the paragraph by writing one sentence to say what the main idea is.
Be ready to identify the supporting details to demonstrate why you wrote that main idea.

11. An assassination is the murder of a famous person, usually a celebrity or political figure. Many famous assassinations have been attempted, but fewer have succeeded. Here is a brief overview of some famous successful assassins. Lee Harvey Oswald was a former marine who allegedly killed president John F. Kennedy. Ironically, Oswald was himself assassinated a few days later by Jack Ruby. Mark David Chapman was a mentally deranged man who shot and killed John Lennon, lead singer of The Beatles. But, perhaps the most notorious assassin of all is John Wilkes Booth, who killed President Abraham Lincoln while Lincoln attended the theatre.
There have been many assassinations throughout the years.

12. Nicki Minaj, rap phenomenon hailing from Queens, New York, has a new honor to add to her resume: top searched Halloween costume based on a person for the 2011 season. Nicki edged out other popular costume searches such as Charlie Sheen. Though no commercial Nicki Minaj costume kit is available, there are a lot of helpful hints available online that show people how to get that “Nicki look.” The popularity of the Nicki Minaj costume search was only edged out by the Angry Birds costume search, which was the most searched for costume this year.
During Halloween of 2011 Nicki Minaj was and is a popular look.

13. The Greek word “deinos” means terrible, powerful, or wonderous
The Greek word “deinos” means terrible, powerful, or wonderous. Combine this with the Greek word “sauros,” which means lizard or reptile, and you might get “dinosaur,” which refers to huge creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago. The term “dinosauria” was coined by English paleontologist Richard Owen in 1842, which was meant to express the idea that dinosaurs were “terrible reptiles” or “fearfully great lizards.” Over the years, “dinosauria” gradually became “dinosaur,” which is the word we use today to describe those giant beasts from the past.
How the word Dinosaur was coined.

14. Most people think of submarines as amazing underwater naval transports; however, most navies prohibited women from serving on submarines, even after they had been permitted to serve on surface warships. The Royal Norwegian Navy became the first navy to allow female crew on its submarines in The Royal Danish Navy allowed female submariners in 1988. Others followed suit including the Swedish Navy (1989), the Royal Australian Navy (1998), the German Navy (2001) and the Canadian Navy (2002). Women may serve on US submarines this year, but the British Royal Navy still does not permit women to serve on its submarines.
History of Women being allowed to serve on submarines in the military.

15. The next time you get the sniffles, remember that it could be worse
The next time you get the sniffles, remember that it could be worse. SARS is an airborne sickness that killed around a thousand people on and after its discovery in AIDS is one of the most devastating illnesses in human history. It is estimated that there are over two million AIDS related deaths each year in the world. But perhaps the most infamous and devastating outbreak in history was the bubonic plague or Black Death, which is estimated to have killed 75 million people, or one-third of the population of Europe in the 14th century.
When you get a common cold be grateful that you aren’t suffering from something more severe. Or there are worse things than the common cold.

16. People in my family love our dog, Punch
People in my family love our dog, Punch. However, I have several reasons for wanting to get rid of Punch. First of all, he knows I don’t like him. Sometimes he gives me an evil look and curls his top lip back to show me his teeth. The message is clearly, “Someday I’m going to bite you.” Another reason to get rid of Punch is he sheds everywhere. Every surface in our house is covered with Punch hair.
I spend more time brushing it off my clothes than I do mowing the lawn. Last of all, Punch is an early riser, while (on weekends) I am not. He will start barking and whining to go outside at 7 a.m., and it’s my job to take care of him. When I told my family that I had a list of good reasons for getting rid of Punch, they said they would make up a list of reasons to get rid of me.
Reasons for getting rid of Punch

17. Several factors can interfere with having a good memory
Several factors can interfere with having a good memory. For one thing, there can be a lack of motivation. Also a factor is a lack of practice. To stay sharp, memory skills, like any other skill, must be used on a regular basis. Yet another factor that can hurt memory is self-doubt. If you’re convinced you won’t remember something, you probably won’t. In addition, distraction can interfere with memory. If you’re distracted by a television or by conversation nearby, try to find a quiet environment before trying to commit something to memory.
Factors that affect a good memory