Lesson 1: Main Idea and Supporting Details

Read the passage. Identify the main idea of the passage and the main idea of each paragraph. Circle the details that support the main ideas. Answer the questions that follow.

Amazing Plants

Technology plays a key role in modern society. All around us, we see machines and computers, gadgets and cars. Modern industry has replaced an agricultural society in many locations, and for those of us who live in the city, trees and plants are few and far between. For these reasons, it can be easy to forget the ways in which plants contribute to our everyday lives. But you might be surprised to learn that, whether you live in the country or the city, plants play a vital role in your life.

One of the most obvious benefi ts of plants is that they provide us with food. About 3,000 species of plants have been used as food through the years. Some of the most popular plant foods are rice, wheat, and corn. Fruits and vegetables, important parts of a balanced diet, are both plants. Nuts are plants, as well. Th e peanut butter and jelly sandwich you had for lunch includes a variety of plants: wheat, fruit, and legumes. Plants provide food both directly and indirectly, and their nutrients help to keep us healthy.

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Plants are extremely important in another way: they provide us with the oxygen we breathe every day. Plants create oxygen as a product of photosynthesis. Th ey “breathe in” carbon dioxide and “breathe out” oxygen. Th is process is essential for humans to be able to live on Earth. Plants also greatly aff ect the quality of the air on the planet. Th ey help to create the protective ozone layer around Earth, and they can do other things like stop the movement of dust and other pollutants. Th ey can also aff ect the climate of a region. A large amount of plant cover in the form of forests or marshes can have a signifi cant cooling eff ect on an area.

Plants play a big role in protecting our environment, as well. Th ey help to keep streams, rivers, and lakes healthy by holding back the soil from these waterways. Th ey also prevent soil erosion during heavy rainstorms. In addition, fi sh and wildlife benefi t from the habitats created by plants and plant communities. Plants are key elements of every ecosystem on this planet.

Industrial products are yet another benefi t we receive from plants. Trees provide us with the wood we use to build houses, make furniture and paper, and create many other products. We sew clothing out of cotton that we grow, and we develop important fuel products from vegetables like corn and soybeans.

Plants also provide the necessary ingredients for many diff erent types of medicine. Eighty percent of the medicines today originate in plants. Th ese plants play an important role in preventing and curing diseases around the world.

Finally, as any gardener would tell you, plants create a sense of beauty and harmony for those who are fortunate enough to view them. Th ey have the ability to reduce our stress and help us feel relaxed and happy. For these reasons, it is imperative that we always remember the importance of plants and be grateful that we have them in our lives.

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8 • Unit 1: Key Ideas and Details

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Duplicating any part of this book is prohibited by law

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Lesson 1: Main Idea and Supporting Details

What is the main idea of the passage? How does the author develop this idea?

Explain the main idea of the third paragraph. How does this relate to the passage’s main idea?

Which details in the passage support the idea that plants protect the environment?

How does the mention of industrial products support the main idea about plants?

Explain how the last sentence in the passage summarizes the main ideas of the text.

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Answer these questions about “Amazing Plants.” Write your answers in complete sentences.