Main Idea
and
Supporting Details

The main idea is the most important idea
of a paragraph, story, article, essay, etc.

It is the main point the author wishes to
make.
Remember:
 When you summarize, you must include
the main idea as part of your summary.
Steps to Take
1. You must first identify the
SUBJECT of the passage.
(What is the passage about?)
2. After identifying the subject
of the passage, you can then
identify the main idea. (What
is the author saying about the
subject?)
Step #1: Finding the Subject
Where to look to find the subject of a
passage:
•Title
or heading
•First
sentence
(However, do NOT rely on ONLY
looking at the first sentence. You must ALWAYS read the
entire passage!)
•Pay
attention to names, key words, and
repeated words.
Read the following passage to practice identifying the
subject.
What clues can you find in the title, first sentence, key words, or
repeated words?
from “The Cowboys Arrive”
As ranching grew in the Southwest in the
mid 1800s, a new figure arose – the cowboy.
Many cowboy stories tell about brave men who
captured wild horses by day and told jokes
around campfires at night. Real cowboys worked
long hours for little pay. They risked their lives
in blizzards to guard herds in the open prairies.
They rounded up cattle and branded them by
burning their ranch’s mark into the animals’
hides. The cowboys drove cattle hundreds of
miles to railroads so that they could be shipped
across the country.
from “The Cowboys Arrive”
As ranching grew in the Southwest in the mid 1800s, a
new figure arose – the cowboy. Many cowboy stories tell
about brave men who captured wild horses by day and told
jokes around campfires at night. Real cowboys worked long
hours for little pay. They risked their lives in blizzards to
guard herds in the open prairies. They rounded up cattle and
branded them by burning their ranch’s mark into the animals’
hides. The cowboys drove cattle hundreds of miles to
railroads so that they could be shipped across the country.
SUBJECT: COWBOYS
Step #2: Finding Main Idea
Once you have found the subject of the passage, it is now
time to identify main idea, or what the author is saying about
the subject.
HOW TO FIND MAIN IDEA:
•Check first sentence.
•Check last sentence.
•Other times, you may need to figure out the main idea
for yourself. This means it is implied, or not stated
directly. You will need to make an INFERENCE.
•Identify what all specific detail sentences relate to.
•To tell a difference between details and main idea, ask
yourself, “Is this what the whole passage is about?”
•In longer text, the main idea can usually be found in the
first or last paragraph.
Use a graphic organizer to help!
Subject
Main Idea
Detail #1
Detail #2
Detail #3
Connection
Make personal connections here; Connect your own
ideas to the text.
Example #1
Read the passage and complete the graphic organizer to identify
main idea.
from “Split Screen View”
If you’ve ever tried to swat a fly, you know it’s hard to hit.
That’s because a fly can detect moving objects extremely well.
Flies view the word through compound eyes – eyes with multiple
lenses. Each lens faces a different direction and views a small
part of a scene. The parts add up to a complete picture in the
insect’s brain, which tells a fly to fly away fast!
Subject
Main Idea
Detail #1
Detail #2
Detail #3
Connection

What is the subject?
Flies

What is the main idea?
Flies are hard to hit.

What are the details?
Flies detect moving objects well.
Flies have compound eyes with multiple lenses.
Lenses face in different directions.
Images are combined in flies’ brains.

Did you make a personal connection?
I have tried to swat a fly and have experienced how
fast they can get away.
Example #2
Read the passage and complete the graphic organizer to identify
main idea.
from “The Birds Peace”
On the day Kristy’s father went off to war she burst out the
back door and ran down the path to the woods. Her eyes hurt.
Her chest burned. She crossed the bridge over the purling
stream and dashed into the lean–to she and her father had built
near the edge of the flower-filled woodland meadow.
Subject
Main Idea
Detail #1
Detail #2
Detail #3
Connection

What is the subject?
Kristy

What is the main idea?
Kristy is very upset that her father is leaving for
war.

What are some supporting details?
Kristy ran into the woods.
Her eyes hurt and chest burned.
She went to a place she and her father had
built together.

Did you make a personal connection?
Kristy wanted to feel closer to her father,
so she ran to a place her father had built
for her.