Main idea slides

1. © Teaching With A Mountain View

2. © Teaching With A Mountain View
What does it mean
when your teacher asks
you to find the main
idea of a passage?

3. The main idea is what a story
or article is mostly about.
You can find a main idea in
both fiction and nonfiction.
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4. Sometimes, you might hear
the term “main idea” called
by one of its other names,
such as central idea or
main topic.
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5. IMPORTANT: There is a
difference between the topic
and the main idea of a passage.
Finding the topic first can help
you determine the main idea.
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6. © Teaching With A Mountain View
TOPIC MAIN IDEA
The general subject that
is usually 1-2 words long
A sentence that states the most
important points a text is making
Spring Spring is the rainiest season of the year.
Computers Computers help complete tasks quickly and easily.
Bears Bears are mammals that hibernate in the winter.

7. © Teaching With A Mountain View
What is the difference
between the topic and the
main idea of a passage?

8. © Teaching With A Mountain View
What might
the TOPIC
(1-2 words)
of this
picture be?

9. When you’re trying to determine the main
idea, a few things might help you:
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1. Look at the title and subtitle.
2. Look at the first and last sentences.
3. Look for repeated words.
4. Ask yourself, “What is this mostly about?”

10. © Teaching With A Mountain View
You can also use these sayings to help find the main idea:
NONFICTION FICTION
WHO
WHAT
WHY
CHARACTER
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
does
and
has a
and finds a
A

11. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Find the main idea. This is a fictional passage, so remember
this phrase to help you determine the main idea:
It was the start of a new school year, and Claire made a resolution. She was determined
to finish her homework every night before using her phone or watching anything on her tablet.
In the past, she had spent so much time on screens that she would forget to do her homework.
Not this year! Claire set up a special spot in her kitchen where she would sit down and do her
homework as soon as she got home. It was tough at first, but once Claire got into a groove,
she began working on her homework right away without a second thought. Claire felt much
more at ease and was able to get better sleep at night, too! Her grades also improved.

12. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Find the main idea. This is a fictional passage, so remember
this phrase to help you determine the main idea:
It was the start of a new school year, and Claire made a resolution. She was determined
to finish her homework every night before using her phone or watching anything on her tablet.
In the past, she had spent so much time on screens that she would forget to do her homework.
Not this year! Claire set up a special spot in her kitchen where she would sit down and do her
homework as soon as she got home. It was tough at first, but once Claire got into a groove,
she began working on her homework right away without a second thought. Claire felt much
more at ease and was able to get better sleep at night, too! Her grades also improved.
Claire made a resolution to finish her
homework before having screen time.

13. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Find the main idea. This is a nonfiction passage, so remember
this phrase to help you determine the main idea:
There are many ways to keep your teeth healthy and clean. It is important to develop good
oral hygiene habits at an early age. First, brush your teeth twice a day, using a soft toothbrush
and toothpaste. Make sure to brush for at least two minutes, getting all surfaces of your
teeth. Don't forget your tongue and the roof of your mouth! You should also floss daily to
remove food particles and plaque between your teeth that your toothbrush can't reach. Eat
healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, and dairy products, and limit sugary treats to help keep
your teeth strong. Lastly, visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings.

14. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Find the main idea. This is a nonfiction passage, so remember
this phrase to help you determine the main idea:
There are many ways to keep your teeth healthy and clean. It is important to develop good
oral hygiene habits at an early age. First, brush your teeth twice a day, using a soft toothbrush
and toothpaste. Make sure to brush for at least two minutes, getting all surfaces of your
teeth. Don't forget your tongue and the roof of your mouth! You should also floss daily to
remove food particles and plaque between your teeth that your toothbrush can't reach. Eat
healthy snacks like fruits, veggies, and dairy products, and limit sugary treats to help keep
your teeth strong. Lastly, visit the dentist regularly for check-ups and cleanings.
It is important to have healthy
oral hygiene habits.

15. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Topic: Trees
Main Ideas:
1. Trees play an important role in keeping the air healthy.
2. From tiny seeds to towering giants, trees go through an incredible
lifecycle, with each stage serving an important purpose.
3. Squirrels have fascinating behaviors and skills, allowing them to easily
adapt and thrive in different environments.
4. Trees are so much more than just a part of nature– they provide
humans and other animals with valuable resources.

16. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Topic: Trees
Main Ideas:
1. Trees play an important role in keeping the air healthy.
2. From tiny seeds to towering giants, trees go through an incredible
lifecycle, with each stage serving an important purpose.
3. Squirrels have fascinating behaviors and skills, allowing them to easily
adapt and thrive in different environments.
4. Trees are so much more than just a part of nature– they provide
humans and other animals with valuable resources.
This doesn’t make sense! The other sentences
have to do with trees, but this has to do with
squirrels. It could be a great main idea for a
passage with a topic of squirrels, though.

17. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Authors use supporting details to help
readers understand the main idea.
Supporting details are details the
author includes to describe or support
the main idea and make it stronger.

18. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the
main idea and details apart.
To be sure you have
found the main idea, ask
yourself, “Is this what
the whole passage is
about?”
To be sure your details
support the main idea,
ask yourself, “Do all my
details relate back to
my main idea?”

19. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Read the
passage.
What other
details could
the author
have included
to make the
main idea
clearer?
Lions are animals known for their strength and
bravery. They have strong bodies, big heads, and
sharp claws. Lions have beautiful golden fur, and
male lions have a thick mane around their face.
They are very good at jumping and catching their
prey. Lions like to live together in groups called
prides, and they have a leader, usually a big male
lion. Lions work together to hunt and protect their
home. They eat meat, such as antelopes and zebras.

20. © Teaching With A Mountain View
The main idea of this passage is Marcy is
nervous to swim on her own. Underline the details
that support the main idea.
Marcy had her first day of swimming lessons. She was nervous because she had
never swum without a life jacket before. When Marcy got into the pool, she held on
tight to the side of the pool. Her instructor, Kayla, told her to let go, but she was
too nervous. Kayla gave Marcy a kickboard and told her to hold onto it and push off
from the side of the pool. Shaking, Marcy pushed off with hesitation. She stayed
afloat! Marcy spent the rest of the class kicking around the pool and practicing
dunking her head underwater. Maybe swimming wasn’t so scary after all.

21. © Teaching With A Mountain View
The main idea of this passage is Marcy is
nervous to swim on her own. Underline the details
that support the main idea.
Marcy had her first day of swimming lessons. She was nervous because she had
never swum without a life jacket before. When Marcy got into the pool, she held on
tight to the side of the pool. Her instructor, Kayla, told her to let go, but she was
too nervous. Kayla gave Marcy a kickboard and told her to hold onto it and push off
from the side of the pool. Shaking, Marcy pushed off with hesitation. She stayed
afloat! Marcy spent the rest of the class kicking around the pool and practicing
dunking her head underwater. Maybe swimming wasn’t so scary after all.

22. © Teaching With A Mountain View
What is the difference
between the main idea
and the supporting
details in a passage?

23. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Birthday parties are events that
celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
It's a day to have fun with family and friends
and to remember how special that person is.
A birthday party usually has a fun theme with
decorations. The centerpiece of most
birthday parties is the birthday cake, often
covered with candles representing the
person's age. The birthday person typically
makes a wish and blows out the candles.
Guests bring gifts to make the birthday
person feel even more special.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
READ THE PASSAGE. WE WILL WORK
THROUGH EACH QUESTION AS A CLASS.

24. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Birthday parties are events that
celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
It's a day to have fun with family and friends
and to remember how special that person is.
A birthday party usually has a fun theme with
decorations. The centerpiece of most
birthday parties is the birthday cake, often
covered with candles representing the
person's age. The birthday person typically
makes a wish and blows out the candles.
Guests bring gifts to make the birthday
person feel even more special.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
Birthday parties
READ THE PASSAGE. WE WILL WORK
THROUGH EACH QUESTION AS A CLASS.

25. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Birthday parties are events that
celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
It's a day to have fun with family and friends
and to remember how special that person is.
A birthday party usually has a fun theme with
decorations. The centerpiece of most
birthday parties is the birthday cake, often
covered with candles representing the
person's age. The birthday person typically
makes a wish and blows out the candles.
Guests bring gifts to make the birthday
person feel even more special.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
2 What is the main idea of the passage?
Your answer should be a sentence.
(Hint: Ask yourself, “What is this passage mostly about?)
READ THE PASSAGE. WE WILL WORK
THROUGH EACH QUESTION AS A CLASS.

26. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Birthday parties are events that
celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
It's a day to have fun with family and friends
and to remember how special that person is.
A birthday party usually has a fun theme with
decorations. The centerpiece of most
birthday parties is the birthday cake, often
covered with candles representing the
person's age. The birthday person typically
makes a wish and blows out the candles.
Guests bring gifts to make the birthday
person feel even more special.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
2 What is the main idea of the passage?
Your answer should be a sentence.
(Hint: Ask yourself, “What is this passage mostly about?)
Birthday parties are fun events that
celebrate the anniversary of a person’s birth.
READ THE PASSAGE. WE WILL WORK
THROUGH EACH QUESTION AS A CLASS.

27. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Birthday parties are events that
celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
It's a day to have fun with family and friends
and to remember how special that person is.
A birthday party usually has a fun theme with
decorations. The centerpiece of most
birthday parties is the birthday cake, often
covered with candles representing the
person's age. The birthday person typically
makes a wish and blows out the candles.
Guests bring gifts to make the birthday
person feel even more special.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
2 What is the main idea of the passage?
Your answer should be a sentence.
(Hint: Ask yourself, “What is this passage mostly about?)
3 List the details that support the main idea.
Highlight the evidence that proves it.
READ THE PASSAGE. WE WILL WORK
THROUGH EACH QUESTION AS A CLASS.

28. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Birthday parties are events that
celebrate the anniversary of someone’s birth.
It's a day to have fun with family and friends
and to remember how special that person is.
A birthday party usually has a fun theme with
decorations. The centerpiece of most
birthday parties is the birthday cake, often
covered with candles representing the
person's age. The birthday person typically
makes a wish and blows out the candles.
Guests bring gifts to make the birthday
person feel even more special.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
2 What is the main idea of the passage?
Your answer should be a sentence.
(Hint: Ask yourself, “What is this passage mostly about?)
3 List the details that support the main idea.
Highlight the evidence that proves it.
• They have a theme with decorations.
• There is a birthday cake with candles that
get blown out.
• Guests bring gifts to the party.
READ THE PASSAGE. WE WILL WORK
THROUGH EACH QUESTION AS A CLASS.

29. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Read through the passage and give it a title and
subtitle that explain the topic and main idea. Be
prepared to share with the class.
Electric cars and gasoline-powered vehicles are different in many ways. Electric
cars are vehicles that run on electricity instead of gasoline. Just like a cell phone or
tablet needs to be charged, so must electric cars. They have a special battery that
gets plugged in and charged to make them go, whereas gasoline-powered vehicles need
to get filled up with fuel to run. Electric vehicles don’t make loud noises like gasoline cars
because they don’t have a tailpipe or omit gases. Electric cars keep the air clean and
the planet healthy.

30. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Ava got her popcorn ready and dimmed the
lights as she settled into the cozy couch in her living
room. She was excited to watch a good movie and
have a fun time, forgetting all the stresses of
school. The screen lit up in vibrant colors, and
exciting music filled the room. Ava's eyes widened
as the story unfolded. She cheered for the brave
heroes and giggled at the funny moments. Each
scene was like a new page in a favorite book,
bringing smiles and surprises. Ava felt like she was
right there in the movie, a part of the incredible
journey. As the credits rolled, Ava was full of joy
and excitement, already dreaming about the next
movie adventure. She was so glad she was able to
watch a good movie and relax.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
READ THE PASSAGE. DETERMINE THE
TOPIC, MAIN IDEA, AND DETAILS.
2 What is the main idea of the passage?
3 Identify three supporting details.
A. Exciting music makes Ava happy.
B. Ava loves watching a good movie.
C. Ava enjoys eating popcorn.
D. Brave heroes make a movie worthwhile.
4 Give the story a title.

31. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Ava got her popcorn ready and dimmed the
lights as she settled into the cozy couch in her living
room. She was excited to watch a good movie and
have a fun time, forgetting all the stresses of
school. The screen lit up in vibrant colors, and
exciting music filled the room. Ava's eyes widened
as the story unfolded. She cheered for the brave
heroes and giggled at the funny moments. Each
scene was like a new page in a favorite book,
bringing smiles and surprises. Ava felt like she was
right there in the movie, a part of the incredible
journey. As the credits rolled, Ava was full of joy
and excitement, already dreaming about the next
movie adventure. She was so glad she was able to
watch a good movie and relax.
1 What is the topic of the passage?
(Hint: Look at the repeated words!)
READ THE PASSAGE. DETERMINE THE
TOPIC, MAIN IDEA, AND DETAILS.
2 What is the main idea of the passage?
3 Identify three supporting details.
A. Exciting music makes Ava happy.
B. Ava loves watching a good movie.
C. Ava enjoys eating popcorn.
D. Brave heroes make a movie worthwhile.
4 Give the story a title.
Watching a movie
1. Ava was excited to watch a movie and forget about stress.
2. Ava cheered for the brave heroes and giggled at the funny moments.
3. Ava felt like she was right there in the movie as she watched it.
Relaxing With a Good Movie

32. © Teaching With A Mountain View
Create a poster or anchor
chart that teaches another
student about topic, main
idea, and details. Make it
colorful and easy to read!