Early Americans relied on dugout canoes for river travel. They needed to trade goods and help neighboring villages. To make a dugout canoe, they would hollow out large, straight tree trunks that were at least three feet thick. They lit controlled fires to soften the wood for hollowing. Being careful to make even sides ensured the canoe would float level. Once finished, the whole village helped launch the new canoe for transportation.

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ELAGSE5RI2.Determine the Stated Main Idea of a Text
ELAGSE5RI2.Determine the Stated Main Idea of a Text
Grade: 5
Grade 5

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Where do you find the main idea in a paragraph?
Definition
In paragraphs, a stated main idea is called the topic sentence.
The main idea is the central, or most important, idea in a paragraph or passage.
It states the purpose and sets the direction of the paragraph or passage.
The main idea of a story involves looking at the first or last sentence.

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Passage name: Dugout Canoes in North America
• Before people from Spain and England came to North America, there were no roads.
Early Americans used the rivers to travel. Travel was very important for two reasons.
First, people needed to trade with each other to get the goods they needed to live. Second,
different villages helped each other in times of war, sickness, or other kinds of trouble. The
fastest way to send for help was by canoe.
• The early Americans traveled in several types of canoes, one of which was the
dugout canoe. As the name suggests, a dugout canoe was made from hollowing out big
tree trunks. The forests had many huge trees that were ideal for making canoes. Some
of the trees were so large that the finished canoe could hold up to 40 people. Such a
large canoe took many days to make, and everyone in the village helped work on it.

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• The first step in making a dugout canoe was to choose a tree. The best trees were
very straight and at least three feet thick. Once the tree was cut down, all branches and
bumps were smoothed away. At this point, the canoe builders hollowed out the canoe. To
make this process easier, the builders lit small fires on the wood that would be cut away.
Once the wood was burned black, it was softer and easier to chip out. They put wet mud
around the fire to control where it would burn next. To make sure the new canoe would
float without tipping to one side, the builders were careful to make both sides of the
canoe the same thickness.
• Once the dugout canoe was finished, all the people of the village would help to drag
it down to the water. The new dugout canoe was an important part of village life.

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Exit ticket questions
Performance Task question
What is a main reason river travel was important to early Americans?
1. Traveling by river allowed people to exchange necessary materials.
2. It was important to travel by river so that material for new canoes could be found.
3. Traveling by river encouraged people to see new places.
4. It was important to travel by river to get help for sick or injured villagers.

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What is the Main Idea of the passage?
•Early Americans used the river to travel long ago for two reasons.
•First, they wanted to trade with others. Also, different villages could help them
with problems.
•In order to travel, they made dugout canoes.
•To make a canoe, early Americans hollowed out big tree trunks.
• Once it was finished, everyone in the village could use it.

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Inform
Persuade
Entertain
What is the purpose of this text?
Open-ended question
Answer the question below and highlight in PINK the text from the passage
that supports your answer
Question:
Explain how a dugout canoe is made. Use details to support your answer.

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Answer
•The first step in making a dugout canoe was choosing a tree.
•Then, the branches and bumps were smoothed away.
•To hollow out the inside, builders lit small fires that could be scooped out.
•They put mud around the areas to help shade where the
dugout places would be.
CFU Questions
What are the two main reasons for travel in dugout canoes?
Hints:
List the two important reasons to use the dugout canoes.
Why did the early Americans use the rivers to travel?

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Answer
•First, people needed to trade with each other to get the goods they needed to live.
•Second, different villages helped each other in times of war, sickness, or other kinds of
trouble.
2.How was Dugout Canoe made?
Hints:
How was the Dugout Canoe built without tipping?
What was the main thing to be noted in making a canoe?
Answer
•A dugout canoe was made from hollowing out big tree trunks.
•To make sure the new canoe would float without tipping to one side,
• the builders were careful to make both sides of the canoe the same thickness.

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3. Why was choosing a tree a vital step?
Hint:
Name the tree which is suitable to make a dugout canoe.
What are the things to be noted in the tree?
Answer
The first step in making a dugout canoe was to choose a tree.
The best trees were very straight and at least three feet thick.
Once the tree was cut down, all branches and bumps were smoothed away.

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Thank you