1. Central Idea & Details
Driftwood Middle School
2017

2. Central Idea and Supporting Details
gray pink lime colors tan purple
Which word tells you what all the words are about?
#Colors

3. Central Idea
When you read a paragraph, the sentences are all related to one another.
* Very often the Central idea is stated in
the first sentence.
Many places in Africa are more modern than people realize. As with many advances, there are both conveniences and consequences to deal with. Cairo, the largest city in Egypt, has traffic jams that rival those of any city in the United States. Nigeria has more than 50 cities with large populations.
# Many places in Africa are more modern than people realize.

4. Central Idea
Sometimes the Central Idea is stated in the last sentence of the paragraph.
Recently I asked several people what images come to mind when they heard the word Africa. I heard such answers as “wild animals”, “lions”, “starving people”, “jungles”, or “wars”. These answers show how little that many of us know about Africa today. There is more to Africa than what people see in movies or television.
# There is more to Africa than what people see in movies or television

5. Central Idea
Sometimes the Central Idea is not found in any particular sentence. This is called IMPLIED central Idea. You can identify the main idea by thinking about all the different ideas in the paragraph. Then ask yourself, “what is this paragraph mostly about?”
Kenya is located in the central section of eastern Africa. Although the Equator splits the country in two, not all Kenya is hot. This is because the altitude varies in parts of the country. Snow can be found on Kenya’s mountain peaks, while desert sand covers the northern part of the country. Western Kenya is very rainy. The region receives over 70 inches of rain in a year?
What is the Central Idea of this paragraph?
# Kenya has a variety of climate and landforms.

6. Central Idea What is the Central Idea? a. Polacco has good neighbors
Particia Polacco often writes books that recall he childhood. Chicken Soup is based on some neighbors. The books Thunder Cake and Meteor take place on her grandparent’s farm.
What is the Central Idea?
a. Polacco has good neighbors
b. Polacco wrote books about her childhood
c. Polacco’s grandparents had a farm

7. Central Idea
Fads have existed for many generations. Talk to some adults, and ask about the fads they remember from their schools days. You might hear about mood rings, shag hair cuts, untied shoe laces, or pet rocks. Fads may change from year to year and from school to school, but one thing never changes. There will always be a fad ready to take the place of the old.
What is the Central Idea?

8. Supporting Details
The other sentences in the paragraph provide more information about the central idea. These are supporting details.
A detail might be a fact about the main idea or tells about it.
The details make the paragraph more
interesting.

9. Central Idea and Details
Running is a great exercise. But it is also a sure path to foot and/or leg problems. When a person runs, each step sends a shockwave up the leg. With such constant pounding, it is not surprising that problems are common. One of the most common running problems is shin splints. Two types of runners are more likely to get shin splints than others. Runners with high arches get shin splints because their legs take a bigger shock than do legs of runners with lower arches. Runners with flat feet are also susceptible to shin splints. The problem for these runners is that their feet muscles tire more easily. The topic of the passage is ___________________ The Central Idea is ________________________ The details are ___________________

10. Running causes physical Problems
Central Idea
Running causes physical Problems
Detail
Causes Shockwaves
Detail
Causes shin splints
Detail
Causes muscles to tire easily

11. Central Idea What is the central Idea? What are the details?
You might see animals in a African jungle. You might ride the big waves in a pool. You can visit the future too. Theme parks offer many different thrills.
What is the central Idea?
What are the details?

12. Central Idea & Details
Dolphins are good learners. They learn to play games. They learn to do tricks. Trainers have taught dolphins how to save lives. One trainer even taught his dolphins to clean their tank. For each piece of trash they brought him, he gave them a fish.
What is the central Idea?
What are the details?

13. Central Idea & Details
The first U.S. zoo opened in Philadelphia in Visitors were thrilled to see animals from all over the world. The zoo had six giraffes, an elephant named Jennie, and many colorful birds. It also had some animals from Australia. People were amazed at the kangaroos, wombats and dingoes.
What is the central Idea?
What are the details?