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Finding Topics and Main Ideas Tools for reading nonfiction

Finding Topics and Main Ideas

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Finding Topics and Main Ideas. Tools for reading nonfiction. Finding Topics. To understand a paragraph, it’s important to find the topic The topic is the idea to which all of the details in the paragraph refer A topic is usually expressed as a word or phrase. Can you find the topic?. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Tools for reading nonfiction

Page 2: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Finding Topics

To understand a paragraph, it’s important to find the topic

The topic is the idea to which all of the details in the paragraph refer

A topic is usually expressed as a word or phrase

Page 3: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Can you find the topic?

Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in the world depends upon it. Every creature needs water to survive. Without water, we would not last long. Water makes our world beautiful.

Page 4: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Can you find the topic?

Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in the world depends upon it. Every creature needs water to survive. Without water, we would not last long. Water makes our world beautiful.

Topic = WATER

Page 5: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

We could see that the

topic was water because it was repeated again and again

This is a good way to help us find a topic—looking for repeated words or phrases

Page 6: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Now try this one!

Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.

Page 7: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Now try this one!

Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.

Page 8: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

We could tell that the

topic of the paragraph is Williamsburg because it was repeated several times

Page 9: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Finding the topic

The topic of a paragraph is not always repeated over and over in the same way

Sometimes, you need to look for multiple referents—that is, words or phrases that refer to the same thing

Page 10: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Looking for multiple referents

Here is the Williamsburg paragraph again. Notice how Williamsburg can be replaced by other words or phrases:

Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In this Virginia town, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to this place will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.

Page 11: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Williamsburg is referred to in several different ways

This Virginia town and this place both refer back to Williamsburg

The topic is still Williamsburg

Page 12: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Look for the topic in this paragraph

Assateague Island is a very special place. A long sandy beach stretches into the Atlantic Ocean. Windswept dunes are home to foxes and seagulls. The famous wild horses, or ponies, also live on this small island.

Page 13: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Look for the topic in this paragraph

Assateague Island is a very special place. A long sandy beach stretches into the Atlantic Ocean. Windswept dunes are home to foxes and seagulls. The famous wild horses, or ponies, also live on this small island.

Page 14: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Did you figure out the topic? Authors sometimes refer

to the same idea in different ways

“Assateague Island” and “this small island” are really the same place

When you are trying to figure out a topic, look for different ways of saying the same thing

Page 15: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Using topics to find main ideas

Once we have figured out the topic of a paragraph, we need to find the main idea

The main idea is the main point of the paragraph

MAIN IDEA = Topic + a statement about the topic

Page 16: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Can you find the main idea?

Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in the world depends upon it. Every creature needs water to survive. Without water, we would not last long. Water makes our world beautiful.

Page 17: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Can you find the main idea?

Water is an amazing resource. Everyone in the world depends upon it. Every creature needs water to survive. Without water, we would not last long. Water makes our world beautiful.

Page 18: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Did you find the main idea? The first sentence is the

main idea Water is an amazing

resource The topic = water The main point about the

topic = it’s an amazing resource

Page 19: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Now try this one!

Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.

Page 20: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Now try this one!

Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit. In Williamsburg, you can see how people lived in colonial times. There are guides in costumes who can show you to taverns, shops, and houses. You can even sample some colonial food at the restored taverns! One visit to Williamsburg will make you feel as if you have been transported to the 1700s.

Page 21: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Did you find the main idea? Once again, the main idea

was in the first sentence Topic = Williamsburg Main point about the

topic= it’s a great place to visit

Page 22: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Is the first sentence always the main idea?

What do you think? Talk about it with your partner!

Page 23: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Think about this paragraph

Croak, croak, kerplop! What’s that at the water’s edge? It might be a green frog, a creature that’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge. Green frogs like to live where the land meets the water. This keeps them safe from predators that live on the land. When a predator like a snake comes near, the green frog can quickly leap into the water and get away. Green frogs can eat animals from both places, including crayfish, spiders, fish, and even birds.

Page 24: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Is the first sentence the main idea?

Croak, croak, kerplop! What’s that at the water’s edge? It might be a green frog, a creature that’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge. Green frogs like to live where the land meets the water. This keeps them safe from predators that live on the land. When a predator like a snake comes near, the green frog can quickly leap into the water and get away. Green frogs can eat animals from both places, including crayfish, spiders, fish, and even birds.

Page 25: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

That doesn’t make sense! Croak, croak, kerplop!

can’t be the main idea of the paragraph

This sentence does not express a topic or a main point about the topic

Page 26: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Let’s find the topic first

Croak, croak, kerplop! What’s that at the water’s edge? It might be a green frog, a creature that’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge. Green frogs like to live where the land meets the water. This keeps them safe from predators that live on the land. When a predator like a snake comes near, the green frog can quickly leap into the water and get away. Green frogs can eat animals from both places, including crayfish, spiders, fish, and even birds.

Page 27: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Let’s find the topic first

Croak, croak, kerplop! What’s that at the water’s edge? It might be a green frog, a creature that’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge. Green frogs like to live where the land meets the water. This keeps them safe from predators that live on the land. When a predator like a snake comes near, the green frog can quickly leap into the water and get away. Green frogs can eat animals from both places, including crayfish, spiders, fish, and even birds.

Page 28: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Let’s look at the second sentence

Croak, croak, kerplop! What’s that at the water’s edge? It might be a green frog, a creature that’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge. Green frogs like to live where the land meets the water. This keeps them safe from predators that live on the land. When a predator like a snake comes near, the green frog can quickly leap into the water and get away. Green frogs can eat animals from both places, including crayfish, spiders, fish, and even birds.

Page 29: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Is it the main idea? Do you think that the

second sentence, What’s that at the water’s edge? is the main idea?

This doesn’t make sense either. The paragraph is not mostly about the water’s edge

Page 30: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

What about the third sentence?

Croak, croak, kerplop! What’s that at the water’s edge? It might be a green frog, a creature that’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge. Green frogs like to live where the land meets the water. This keeps them safe from predators that live on the land. When a predator like a snake comes near, the green frog can quickly leap into the water and get away. Green frogs can eat animals from both places, including crayfish, spiders, fish, and even birds.

Page 31: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Is it the main idea? Is the third sentence, It

might be a green frog, a creature that’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge the main idea?

This sentence includes the TOPIC (green frog) and a main point about the topic (it’s well-suited for life at the pond’s edge)

Page 32: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Hooray! The main idea! As you can see, the first

sentence is not always the main idea

To find the main idea, you need to think about the topic of the paragraph

Look at each sentence until you find the best main idea sentence

Page 33: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Now try this one

What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is because the park was built on top of a mountain. From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be seen.

Page 34: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

How do we find the main idea? Start by finding the topic Then look at each

sentence in the paragraph Look for the sentence that

states the topic and gives a main point about the topic

Once you think you have found it, match it against the rest of the sentences

Page 35: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Finding the topic

What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is because the park was built on top of a mountain. From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be seen.

Page 36: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Finding the topic

What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is because the park was built on top of a mountain. From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be seen.

Page 37: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Finding the topic The topic, then, is Kings

Gap State Park To find the main idea, we

need to understand what the paragraph is saying about Kings Gap State Park

Page 38: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Let’s try the first sentence

What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is because the park was built on top of a mountain. From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be seen.

Page 39: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Not the main idea The first sentence, What a

gorgeous view, does not state the main idea

It does not state the topic of the paragraph

Page 40: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

What about the second sentence?

What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is because the park was built on top of a mountain. From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be seen.

Page 41: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Better! The second sentence,

Kings Gap State Park is a great place to see the Cumberland Valley, includes both a topic and a main idea

Let’s see if all of the other sentences in the paragraph relate back to it

Page 42: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Do the rest of the sentences relate? What a gorgeous view! Kings Gap State Park is

a great place to see the Cumberland Valley. This is because the park was built on top of a mountain. From the mountain top, the fields and farms of the valley stretch out far below. The Doubling Gap, a mountain that curves like the letter s, can also be seen.

The rest of the sentences do relate back to the second sentence. It’s the main idea.

Page 43: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

What have we learned?

What is the topic of a text?

The topic is the word or phrase that all of the sentences in a paragraph refer to

What is a main idea?

The main idea of a paragraph is the topic, plus a feeling or attitude about the topic

Page 44: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

What have we learned? Is the main idea of a paragraph always the first

sentence?

No! Sometimes the main idea appears in other parts of the paragraph

How do we find the main idea?

We need to think about the topic, and look for a sentence that includes the topic plus a main point about the topic

Page 45: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Does every paragraph work like this?

A. Yes! Every paragraph in the whole universe is like this and you will never have to think hard again

B. No, some paragraphs are different. Sometimes the paragraph has the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph. Sometimes the author leaves out the main idea altogether, and we need to figure it out

Page 46: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

And the answer is…

The answer, of course, is B While most paragraphs do have a stated main idea,

some do not Sometimes this is because the author wants to

make the reader think more carefully (Dark secret) Sometimes it’s because the author

just didn’t write the paragraph very well!

Page 47: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

But these guidelines usually do work

1. Find the topic of the paragraph

2. See if the first sentence states the main idea

3. If not, check other sentences in the paragraph

4. Find the sentence that includes the topic and states a main point about the topic

5. Make sure that the other sentences in the paragraph relate back to the main idea

Page 48: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Fun stuff for the end…. Can you find the frog in

this picture?

Page 49: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Fun stuff for the end…. What about this one?

Page 50: Finding Topics and Main Ideas

Reflect on what you’ve learned What have you learned

about topics and main ideas?