The never ending homework assignment…
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Your reading assignments are an essential
component to the course because of the large
amount of material covered in APUSH.
The Main Idea Log will accompany each reading
assignment and is designed to help you:
◦ retain more information (and thus, be able to provide
more SFI on an essay)
◦ practice condensing chapters & sections of text into
main idea sentences (or thesis statements)
◦ think of each chapter of a book as in the same way
you think of the structure of an essay you’re writing
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Main idea logs require you to synthesize
information from a dark-typed heading and
express it in a clear concise sentence.
You are not to summarize, instead, you are to
express the main point the author is trying to
make in each section.
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You are to write out and underline the darktyped heading for both the red and blue
headings (include the chapter # for red typed
headings)
Skip one line
Write one clear concise sentence expressing the
main idea for the entire section
For blue-typed headings only select the three
most important bits of information (SFI) that
support the main idea and write them out
(these do not have to be complete sentences)
Do not simply copy from the textbook! Writing
the main ideas and SFI in your own words will
help you understand it!
Chapter Heading: The Planting of English America
1.
Thesis (Main Idea) – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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A. Section Heading: England’s Imperial Stirrings
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information (don’t need a sentence)
support information (don’t need a sentence)
support information (don’t need a sentence)
B. Section Heading: Elizabeth Energizes England
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information (don’t need a sentence)
support information (don’t need a sentence)
support information (don’t need a sentence)
C. Section Heading: England on the Eve of Empire
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
D. Section Heading: England Plants the Jamestown Seedling
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
E. Section Heading: Cultural Clashes in the Chesapeake
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
F. Section Heading: The Indians’ New World
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
G. Section Heading: Virginia: Child of Tobacco
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
H. Section Heading: Maryland: Catholic Haven
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
Section Heading: The West Indies: Way Station to
I.
Mainland America
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
J. Section Heading: Colonizing the Carolinas
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
K. Section Heading: The Emergence of North Carolina
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
L. Section Heading: Late-Coming Georgia: The Buffer
Colony
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
M. Section Heading: The Plantation Colonies
Main Idea – written in 1 clear, concise sentence
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support information
support information
support information
N. Concluding Sentence: Thesis (Main Idea) – written in 1
clear, concise sentence
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Ask yourself, “What is the author’s main point
in this section of text?”
Do not simply summarize the section
Instead, restate the main idea, or intent of the
section, in your own words
Don’t forget – 1 clear, concise sentence
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Ask yourself, “what details from this section
support the overall thesis, or main idea?”
Think of the support information as the S.F.I.
(specific factual information) needed for your
essay
For large sections of the textbook, there may
easily be ten pieces of support information…
so what do you do?
◦ Find the three most important pieces of support
information that link well to thesis statement
Chapter 2 – The American Pageant – page 27
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Title of Chapter (red):
◦ The Planting of English America
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Thesis (main idea in one clear sentence):
◦ North America remained relatively untouched by
Europeans until the early seventeenth century, when
the Spanish, French, and, most importantly, the
English established distant claims on the new land.
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Title of section (blue):
◦ England’s Imperial Stirrings
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Thesis (main idea in one clear sentence):
◦ In the sixteenth century, English endeavors in the
Americas were weak until religious conflict between
Catholics and Protestants led Elizabeth I’s troops to
destroy an Irish rebellion.
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Supporting information:
1. England & Spain were allies = less likely to compete in
Americas
2. Henry VIII split with Catholic Church (1534) –
Protestant Reformation occupied England’s attention
3. Elizabeth I defeated Catholic Ireland’s attempt to revolt
(1570’s – 1580’s)
Grading:
◦ Counts as a homework grade
◦ Each chapter will count as 100 points
Due Date(s):
◦ Main Idea Logs are due the same day that your
reading should be complete
◦ In other words… if chapter 1 of The American
Pageant (pg. 2-25) must be completed by next
class, that means your Main Idea Log for Ch. 1 is
also due next class.
◦ Check HW page on website