Main Idea and Details

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Main Idea and Details

• Lesson 18

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• The main idea is the most important idea in a
  passage or selection.
• Details are facts, reasons, or examples that tell
  more about the main idea.
• The main idea may be stated in a topic sentence.
• A topic sentence may appear at the beginning, in
  the middle, or at the end of a paragraph.

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• One way to find the main idea is to think about
  how all the sentences in a paragraph or passage
  are alike. Look for a sentence that states what
  all the details have in common. This sentence
  will usually be the first or last sentence in a
  paragraph or section of text.

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• We will read the following paragraph and find
  the main idea. Find three supporting details that
  support the main idea. Look for a topic sentence
  that will help identify the main idea.

Ready, Set, Go!!!
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• Silk has been an important material for many
  centuries. Hundreds of years ago in China, silk
  was valuable that it was used as money. Farmers
  used silk to pay their taxes. The government
  gave workers silk instead of money. People also
  used silk to trade with foreign countries for
  other items. The Chinese kept the process of
  producing silk a secret for almost 3,000 years.

• What is the topic sentence in this paragraph?
  Does this tell us the main idea?
• Main Idea
• Silk has been a highly prized material for many
  centuries.
• What are three details that support the main
  idea?
• Supporting Details
• Chinese farmers used silk to pay their taxes.
• The Chinese government paid workers with silk.
• China kept the process of producing silk a
  secret.