Topic
The ______________________ is also known as the _______________.
It is ___________ to _____________ words that describe the subject that the author is
writing about.
1. Consider how many activities you do outside of school. Remember that school
needs to be a priority. It's great to do extra things--as long as they don't rob you
of needed energy for learning. If you feel like you are too busy, ask your parents
if you can cut down to one or two favorite things. We often feel we have to do
everything at once at once, and that can wear us out!
Topic: __________________________________
2. The best selling albums have sold millions of copies. The best seller of all was
Michael Jackson's Thriller. The second best seller was Pink Floyd's Dark Side of
the Moon. Albums by the Beatles, the Eagles, and Mariah Carey are also in the
top ten. So are some movie soundtracks, including Grease. Each of these
albums has sold over 20 million copies.
Topic: ___________________________________
3. Jane was asked to write a poem. It would be in their class paper. Since April is
"Keep America Beautiful" month, Jane wrote a poem about trash. She wanted
people to stop throwing trash on the ground. Every day, she saw litter on the side
of the road. She even saw bags of trash dumped into a stream near her house.
She hated seeing all of it. She hoped her poem would get people excited about
cleaning up. It got her excited!
Topic: ______________________________________
4. People tried honey thousands of years ago. They found out that it was good!
They used honey to sweeten foods and drinks. In some places, honey was used
instead of money. Sometimes it was fed to special animals. It has been used to
soften skin and heal small wounds. Honey is better than sugar for you. They are
both sweet, but honey has some good things in it that sugar does not have.
Topic: ______________________________________
5. Cinderella and Snow White aren't the only fairy tales ever told. The library has
ethnic fairy tales from all around the world! There you can find fairy tales from
other countries such as Russia, China, Sweden, and Africa. You won't believe all
the different stories!
Topic: ______________________________________
6. What makes a dog a good pet? Dogs like to be with people. They are not happy
when left in a yard alone. They like to sleep at your feet. They also like to have
their tummies rubbed. You can train them and play with them. Some are quick to
learn new tricks. A dog can be a good member of the family.
Topic: ______________________________________
7. At first, it seems that the letter Z is not used for much. But, Z is quite amazing. It
adds zip to some words, like crazy! Where would words like zap and zig and zag
be without Z? Zany, zinc, and zilch would not have the same zest, either.
Memorize, agonize, or prioritize surely would sound less smooth off of our
tongues!
Topic: ______________________________________
Main Idea
The ________________________ is the
Topic + what the author is telling about it = Main Idea
1. Consider how many activities you do outside of school. Remember that school
needs to be a priority. It's great to do extra things--as long as they don't rob you
of needed energy for learning. If you feel like you are too busy, ask your parents
if you can cut down to one or two favorite things. We often feel we have to do
everything at once at once, and that can wear us out!
Topic:
What author says about topic:
Main Idea:
2. Jane was asked to write a poem. It would be in their class paper. Since April is
"Keep America Beautiful" month, Jane wrote a poem about trash. She wanted
people to stop throwing trash on the ground. Every day, she saw litter on the side
of the road. She even saw bags of trash dumped into a stream near her house.
She hated seeing all of it. She hoped her poem would get people excited about
cleaning up. It got her excited!
Topic:
Main Idea:
What author says about topic:
3. People tried honey thousands of years ago. They found out that it was good!
They used honey to sweeten foods and drinks. In some places, honey was used
instead of money. Sometimes it was fed to special animals. It has been used to
soften skin and heal small wounds. Honey is better than sugar for you. They are
both sweet, but honey has some good things in it that sugar does not have.
Topic:
What author says about topic:
Main Idea:
4. Cinderella and Snow White aren't the only fairy tales ever told. The library has
ethnic fairy tales from all around the world! There you can find fairy tales from
other countries such as Russia, China, Sweden, and Africa. You won't believe all
the different stories!
Topic:
Main Idea:
What author says about topic:
5. What makes a dog a good pet? Dogs like to be with people. They are not happy
when left in a yard alone. They like to sleep at your feet. They also like to have
their tummies rubbed. You can train them and play with them. Some are quick to
learn new tricks. A dog can be a good member of the family.
Topic:
What author says about topic:
Main Idea:
6. At first, it seems that the letter Z is not used for much. But, Z is quite amazing. It
adds zip to some words, like crazy! Where would words like zap and zig and zag
be without Z? Zany, zinc, and zilch would not have the same zest, either.
Memorize, agonize, or prioritize surely would sound less smooth off of our
tongues!
Topic:
Main Idea:
What author says about topic:
Summarizing Strategies: A summary has about 10-50 words and talks about the whole
passage!
Strategy #1: SWBS
Somebody….
Wanted….
But….
So….
Great for FICTION!
Strategy #2: beginning, middle, and end
Great for narratives!
Strategy #3: Main idea and key supporting details
Great for nonfiction!
Strategy #4: 5W + H
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Great for events and announcements
Brrr….It’s really cold at the North Pole. It’s really cold at the South Pole, too. These two
places are similar, but they are also very different.
The two poles are at opposite ends of Earth. The North Pole is at the top. It is in an area
called the Arctic. The land there is mostly ice. The South Pole is at the bottom. The South Pole
is on a continent called Antarctica.
Life at the poles is difficult because of climate. The North Pole can be 76 degrees below
zero! Polar bears live at the northernmost part of the North Pole. Other animals, plants, and
humans live in warmer areas of the Arctic. The South Pole is even colder than the North Pole.
It can be 90 degrees below zero there! People don’t live at the South Pole. But whales, seals,
and penguins can be seen swimming in its icy waters.
Topic:
What author says about topic:
Main Idea:
Summarize:
Beginning: _______________________________________________________
Middle: __________________________________________________________
End: ____________________________________________________________
Put it together: ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Hoover Dam was built to control the flow of the Colorado River. Before the dam, farms along
the river would be flooded at times. Other times, the river would dry up. Farmers would have no water
for their crops. With the dam, water can also be held back or let go as needed. Hoover Dam also
supplies valuable electrical power. The three states that use this power are Nevada, California, and
Arizona.
Workers began constructing Hoover Dam in 1931. It took several years to build. The dam is in
the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona. It is 726 feet high and 1,224 feet wide.
A huge lake was made behind the dam. It is called Lake Mead. It holds the overflow of water. It
is the world’s largest man-made lake. It is 115 miles long. Many people love to boat, fish and swim in
the lake.
Topic:
Main Idea:
Summarize:
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
What author says about topic:
Styles of clothes have really changed over the years. The way our ancestors dressed might
look pretty odd today! The next time you see a picture of George Washington from the 1700s, check
out his clothing. George wore white silk stockings and pants that ended at his knees. He wore a curly
white wig, too. Wigs for men were common. The wigs showed that the person wearing them was
important.
In 1851 a woman named Amelia Bloomer got lots of attention. She shortened her skirt to just
below the knee. That was quite daring. She also wore huge floppy pants under her skirt. These
oversized pants soon became known as “bloomers.”
The women who weren’t wearing bloomers during the 1850s wore huge skirts that looked like
tents. Under the skirt was a large metal frame holding it in place. These skirts were called hoop skirts.
No one wears these skirts today. They were hard to sit down in!
Topic:
Main Idea:
Summarize:
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
What author says about topic: