1. Main Idea

2. What is the “big” idea? Main idea: Central concept of a piece. It is the BIG idea that the author wants you to take away from a reading (or political cartoon). The main idea may be one sentence OR the one idea that the author keeps coming back to throughout the piece. What was the main idea of the Joy Cometh in the Morning “This I Believe” essay?

3. PS The main idea is the PS in soaPStone. What is the author’s PURPOSE and SUBJECT (that he/she is focusing on) of the piece of a text? What does the author hope to accomplish by his expression of his opinion? The main idea represents the essential point that the author is trying to make which is his/her PURPOSE for writing a text.

4. BEWARE!! The main idea is supported throughout the whole piece with supporting ideas. Be careful to not mistake those points for the main idea.

5. Identify the Topic Look at the title – If you turn the title into a question, the main idea will be the answer to that question. – Think about the article that we read, “When Flexibility Hurts” How does flexibility hurt? Where does flexibility hurts? Why does flexibility hurt? Who does flexibility hurt? etc. Look at the first and last paragraph Look for KEY words (synonyms) that appear throughout the text. – What is the point about those repeated word? WHY are they being repeated?

6. Remind Yourself Remind yourself: The topic must include all the major details and events from the selection. Caution: Not every detail has something to do with the topic. The topic is the common element or connection between major details. What do all major details share in common?

7. Check Yourself: Not the True Topic If… It’s too general or too big. Totally misses the point. It captures only one or some of the details, for example, maybe you didn’t think about the ending. (Overarching link between the details)

8. Identify All Details/Major Events Authors often plant important ideas in: a.Details that reflect or refer to the title. b.Details at the beginning of a text and/or end of a text. c.Repetition. d.Italicized or bolded text.

9. Check Yourself: It’s Not a Key Detail If… It’s interesting, but it doesn’t develop the topic/lead to the main idea. If you were to remove it from the piece, the piece wouldn’t lose any significant meaning or impact. Questions to Check Yourself: Are all the details related to the topic? How do the key details relate to each other?

10. Identify the Central Focus (thesis) The thesis must make a point about the topic and cover the whole selection. Which details help me decide on the thesis? Why are these details important? The thesis considers how the details relate to one another or lead to one another (what caused or led to what).

11. Check Yourself: It’s Not the Central Focus Statement If… It is so literal and specific it doesn’t allow the reader to apply the main idea to his own life. It is too general. It is true but misses the point of the text. It only fits one/some detail or event, not the whole text.