Transcript TASP Skill #2 - Adalia Reyna

THEA Objective #2
Main Idea and Supporting
Details
What is a Main Idea?
A Main Idea is :
•A general statement about the WHOLE
passage that contains the TOPIC .
What is a Detail?
A detail proves (or supports) the Main
Idea. It is a small bit of information
from the paragraph
detail
Main idea
Unlocking the Mystery of
Main Idea
First--Find the topic
What is ….Topic??
A topic is:
•Who or what the whole selection is about
•The topic is a word or phrase…not a complete sentence
To find the topic ask yourself,
“In general, who or what is this
WHOLE paragraph about?”
Read the following paragraph:
Pets are often an important part of people’s lives.
Different types of animals can be pets, ranging from
reptiles to horses. One of the most common pets is a dog.
Dogs serve a variety of purposes for humankind. One
way dogs serve humans is they are great just for
companionship. Many an only child has bonded with
his/her “Fido,” thus having a willing and loyal friend to
play with on a daily basis. Additionally, dogs have served
humans as work animals, corralling sheep, conquering
rats, and guarding the homestead. Finally, dogs also assist
people, for example, by leading the blind, alerting the
deaf, and alerting epileptics of impending seizures.
Now that you’ve read the preceding paragraph, ask yourself
the following question. See if you can answer it in one word.
What is this paragraph about?
When you have an answer, then ask
yourself:
“Is this what that whole paragraph is
about?
What’s the topic?
1 Symbols can have a tremendously powerful emotional impact upon us,
instantly conveying many feelings and ideas. 2 Symbols like the cross, the
Star of David, or the star-and-crescent immediately make us think of the
Christian, Jewish, or Muslim religions. 3 This may be why burning an
American flag often arouses more anger than does an attack on the values
for which the flag actually stands. 4 Another symbol with terrible power is
the swastika. 5 Until this century, the swastika was an innocent traditional
symbol found in many cultures. 6 Then it became the symbol of Nazi terror.
7 Today, the very sight of a swastika can send chills down our spines.
What’s the topic?
1English-speaking
children everywhere are taught Mother Goose nursery
rhymes. 2They may assume that the rhymes are all about fictional people
and events. 3But some Mother Goose rhymes refer to actual historical
events. 4For instance, there is “Little Jack Horner,” about the boy who pulled
a plum out of his Christmas pie. 5Little Jack was actually Thomas Horner,
who was given the job of delivering a Christmas pie from a wealthy abbot to
Britain’s King Henry the Eighth. 6Inside the pie were legal deeds to twelve
houses—a gift from the abbot to the king. 7As he went on his journey,
Thomas Horner reached under the pie crust and helped himself to the deed
to one of the houses! 8Also, the familiar phrase “Ashes, ashes, all fall
down!” from the Mother Goose rhyme “Ring Around the Rosy” refers to the
numerous deaths caused by the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages.
Stated Main Idea
vs.
Implied Main Idea
• Stated Main Idea is found within the text
• Implied Main Idea must be created by the
reader using hints and clues in the passage.
2 Steps to choosing the
Correct the Main Idea
TOPIC
1. Does it have the TOPIC?
2. Is it about the WHOLE
WHOLE passage?
Tips and things to remember about
main idea
• Key words that SOMETIMES (not always)
let you know a main idea is coming:
–
–
–
–
In conclusion
Thus
In other words
However
• If the passage is discussing a study,
research, survey, or experiment, the main
idea will be the results or the outcome of
that study
Stated Main Idea
A major study of firstborn children reveals that they tend to be
super-achievers who strive very hard to make their families
proud. 2 It was discovered that of the country’s first twentythree astronauts, an amazing twenty-one were firstborn in
their families. 3 Also, slightly more than half—52 percent—of
our presidents were firstborn children. 4 Less positive is the
fact that firstborns are under a lot of pressure to succeed,
because their families often pin their hopes and dreams on
them. 5 Also, as the eldest, they are expected to “set an
example” for their younger brothers and sisters. 6
Furthermore, these firstborns sometimes have trouble with
personal relationships because they learned to be very
independent and to enjoy doing things on their own—since
they were the only children in their families until their younger
brothers and sisters were born. 7 The conclusion of the study
is that being a firstborn child is a mixed blessing, having
positive as well as some negative aspects.
Implied Main Idea
1 In the late 1980s, concern about the deadly effects of illegal drugs became a top
national issue. 2 Politicians loudly proclaimed a “war on drugs,” and TV news shows
carried regular reports about the fatal toll of drugs, especially “crack” cocaine. 3 These
drugs do have a terrible effect on individuals and society, but the facts about them are
somewhat different from their popular image. 4 Each year, about two thousand people
die from heroin overdoses, and about three thousand die from cocaine-related causes. 5
At the same time, 50,000 people die every year because of alcohol—including thousands
of innocent victims of drunk drivers. 6 Additionally, a third of a million people die every
year from cancer due to smoking cigarettes.
A. In the late 1980s, politicians proclaimed a “war on drugs.”
B. Our “war on drugs” ignores the two deadliest (though legal) drugs, alcohol and
tobacco.
C. Thousands of people die each year from heroin overdoses and cocaine-related
causes.
D. More people die each year from alcohol-related causes than from cocaine related
causes.
Theory
Main Idea
detail
detail
detail
detail
detail
Topic
detail
A Main Idea is a general statement that incorporates all details.
This statement must contain the topic. A main idea without a topic
is like a Whataburger with no meat!
The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia,
has conducted a wide-scale survey in eleven
states to determine teenagers’ knowledge about
AIDS. Half of the teens surveyed believe a person
can get AIDS through giving blood. Almost threequarters of teenagers think that AIDS can be
gotten from a simple blood test. And half believe
that the disease can be easily contracted from a
public toilet. None of these beliefs is well-founded.
A.
According to one survey, many teens have a
poor understanding of how people get AIDS.
B. The Center for Disease Control conducted a
survey to discover teens’ knowledge about AIDS.
C. Teenagers have a poor understanding of sexually
transmitted diseases.
According to scientists, cockroaches evolved about 300 million
years ago, which means they saw the dinosaurs come and
go and later watched people emerge on Earth. If you wonder
how such little creatures have lasted so long, consider the
fact that they can live in a refrigerator or in extreme heat.
They can develop resistance to poisons faster than scientists
can develop new ones. And they can live for two months on
water alone or go for five months without water. Furthermore,
they are quick to escape from danger. The takeoff time for a
threatened cockroach has been timed at 54/1000th of a
second.
A. Cockroaches evolved about 300 million years ago.
B. Cockroaches can live in a wide variety of temperatures and
quickly develop resistance to poisons.
C. Cockroaches have survived for millions of years because they
can adapt to a wide variety of circumstances and react
quickly to danger.
Pesticides kill plants and animals other than the pests
they are intended for. Pesticides pollute water
systems. Some pests develop immunity to frequently
used pesticides. Some pesticides such as DDT and its
relatives can remain in the environment for many years
beyond the time necessary to do their intended job.
Some pesticides have been linked to cancer and other
health problems in humans.
A. Some pesticides have been linked to cancer and
other health problems
B. Pesticides can be very harmful.
C. Pesticides kill plants and animals other than the
pests they are intended for.
D. They can be very dangerous to both people and the
environment.
Review for Quiz over Notes (Objective #2)
1. Define Main Idea.
2. What is the difference between Stated Main
Idea and Implied Main Idea?
3. Define Topic.
4. What question do you ask yourself when
looking for the topic?
5. Explain the difference between topic, main
idea, and details
6. What are the 2 steps to choosing the
correct Main Idea?
THEA Objective 2…continued
Supporting Details
Details…
• Prove (or support) the Main Idea
• Are small bits of information from the
paragraph
Details can be…
Reasons
 Examples
 Facts
 Steps
 Causes
 Advantages /disadvantages
 Descriptions
Key words that let you know a
detail is coming…
One
First of all
Secondly
Another
Also
In addition
For example
Finally
For instance
Furthermore
Last of all
Next
The final…
Remember…
• If a sentence is a detail, then it cannot be the
main idea!
• If a sentence is a detail, then it cannot be the
main idea!
• If a sentence is a detail, then it cannot be the
main idea!
M.I.--Halloween can be fun for kids.
Details:
• Kids get to dress up and pretend on Halloween
night
• Kids gather lots of yummy candy to eat from
going door to door on Halloween
• Some children have been poisoned with
Halloween candy.
• Older children get to spend time with their
friends during Halloween
THEA Sample
Which of the following statements best
supports the writer’s assertion that
“during the 1920’s, intelligence tests
were used to prevent many Europeans
and others from immigrating to the
United States”?
Recognize the question
Author’s / writer’s
– opinion
– view
– assertion
– contention
– argument
“supports……that”
THEA Sample
Which of the following statements best
supports the writer’s assertion that
“during the 1920’s, intelligence tests were
used to prevent many Europeans and
others from immigrating to the United
States”?
Making it Easy
Which of the following
statements best
supports the writer’s
assertion that these
people just graduated?
• A. They all look very
excited
• B. They are posing for a
picture
• C. They are wearing
graduation caps and
gowns
Making it Easy
Which of the following
statements best
supports the author’s
point of view that this
picture of the Beatles
was taken in the 60’s?
• A. The Beatles are the
best musicians that ever
lived.
• B. The clothes and hair
fashion are typical of the
1960’s.
• C. Today, there are only 2
surviving members of the
original Beatles.
Which of the following details best supports the
author’s opinion that Sesame Street is the most
watched children’s educational program in
America?
A. Sesame Street has been on the air
for over 35 years.
B. For the third year in a row, Sesame
Street was first in TV ratings
nationwide.
C. Sesame Street is designed for
children 18months to 10 years of
age.
Which of the following statements best supports
the author’s assertion that the faculty was
displeased with the board’s decision regarding pay
raises?
A. A 6.9% raise was approved.
B. The board announced its intent to
follow through with a 3 year pay
raise plan.
C. Grumbling and complaining was
audible among the faculty as soon
as the board announced its
decision.
Which of the following statements best
supports the writer’s assertion that
alcohol has a negative effect on
domestic violence?
A. Alcohol is by far the most destructive drug in
American culture.
B. Social workers report that alcohol is a factor in nearly
half of their domestic violence cases.
C. Alcohol, in the form of drinking and driving, is the
number one killer of teenagers.