1. BIG What’s the BIG idea? Finding a selection’s Main Idea

2. Every reading passage has two parts. A Main IdeaDetails tells what the passage is mostly about tells more about the main idea

3. A reading passage is like a house. M a i n I d e a detailsdetails detailsdetails d e t a i l s

4. The main idea answers the question: What is the passage mostly about?

5. The main idea can’t be: a question more than one sentence a sentence that you just like or think is interesting

6. Let’s practice! We will: 1. Read the passage. 2. Find the main idea. 3. Find details. 3. Answer the questions.

7. Alabama is home to many different kinds of wild animals. Alabama is home to 93 kinds of reptiles, 420 kinds of birds, and 62 kinds of mammals. There are some kinds of animals in Alabama that are found no where else in the world. Alabama is a wonderful place to see wildlife.

8. Which would be a good title for this passage? 1.Amazing Animals 2.Wildlife in Alabama 3.Come See Alabama 4.What I love about Alabama What is the main idea of the passage? 1.There are lots of snakes in Alabama. 2.People love to visit Alabama. 3.Alabama is home to many kinds of animals. 4.Alabama has many dangerous animals.

9. Which is not a detail from this passage? 1.Life in Alabama is exciting. 2.There are many kinds of birds in Alabama. 3.Alabama has many kinds of reptiles. 4.There are many kinds of mammals in Alabama. Which would be a good detail to add to this passage? 1.Alabama has about 50 miles of beach. 2.There are over 300 kinds of fish in Alabama. 3.Many Indian tribes have lived in Alabama. 4.Alabama is located in the southeastern USA.

10. Would you believe that cougars once roamed Alabama? Alabama was once home to bison and elk too. Even red wolves once lived in our state. Now, all those animals are gone. Although they live in other states, none of them live in Alabama now. Many animals once native to Alabama are now gone.

11. Which would be a good title for this passage? 1.Where Did The Cougar Go? 2.Long Lost Animals 3.Animals Lost and Found 4.Bison, Deer, and Elk What is the main idea of the passage? 1.Many animals are deadly. 2.Elk and bison are gone from Alabama. 3.Many animals once native to Alabama no longer live here. 4.Many animals are now extinct.

12. Which is not a detail from this passage? 1.Cougars are gone from Alabama. 2.The red wolf once lived in Alabama. 3.Elk and bison are gone from Alabama. 4.Coyotes are native to Alabama. Which would be a good detail to add to this passage? 1.Deer are found all across Alabama. 2.One kind of mollusk that once lived in Alabama has vanished as well. 3.Hunting is popular in Alabama. 4.People in Alabama see many kinds of animals.

13. The state of Alabama has a long and interesting history. Indians lived in Alabama for hundreds of years before white explorers ever came. The Spanish were the first white people to come to Alabama. After them came the French and English. Alabama became a part of the United States of America in 1819.

14. Which would be a good title for this passage? 1.Alabama in 1819 2.Amazing Alabama 3.All About Alabama 4.A History of Alabama What is the passage mainly about? 1.Animals in Alabama 2.The French in Alabama 3.Native Americans in Alabama 4.Different groups of people who have lived in Alabama

15. Since the 1800’s, the state of Alabama has had five capitals. Two of them are important cities. They are the cities of Huntsville and Tuscaloosa. Two are ghost towns. Those are the cities of St. Stephens and Cahaba. The last is Montgomery, our present-day capital.

16. Which would be a good title for this passage? 1.Alabama in the 1800’s 2. Alabama’s Five Capitals 3.Ghost Towns of Alabama 4.A History of Alabama What is the passage mainly about? 1.Alabama’s first capital 2.How Alabama became a state 3.How Alabama chose its capitals 4.Different cities that have been the capital of Alabama