Main Idea and Supporting Details
Judy Anderson – St. Louis Park
Adapted for Middle School and High School
TOPIC
Premise:
Subtopic/Details
Subtopic/Details
Subtopic/Details
Subtopic/Details
Main Idea and Supporting Details
© mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
1
TOPIC
Pet Bird Care
Premise:
Pet birds die prematurely because owners are
ignorant about how to care for birds.
Diet = die of malnutrition
 Variety
 50% Starches
 25% Fruits & Vegies
 25% protein IF a hookbill
 Cautions:
o salt poisoning
o too many sweets/fats
o grit
o feeding from mouth
Social Life = need mental stim
 liveliest room
 several birds if small
 one bird if large
o make part of family
 handle your bird
Habitat = need friendly home
 cage long for flying
 perches of different sizes
o no sandpaper
o both vertical/horizontal
 wooden ladders
 chew toys
 clean water for bathing
Health Care = hide illness
 take to vet immediately
 preventive care
 yearly checkups
 vet is member of AAV
Main Idea & Supporting Details
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
2
What your pet bird
wishes you knew
Julie Glass
Good Housekeeping
Americans own 31 million
pet birds, and the number is
on the rise. Yet veterinarians
report that many would live
longer, healthier lives if
owners knew more.
Unfortunately, pet stores do a
poor job of educating people,
says Irwin Ruderman,
D.V.M., director of New
York City’s Animal Clinic of
Staten Island and an active
member of the Association of
Avian Veterinarians (AAV).
Despite recent veterinary
advances, too many birds die
prematurely because owners
Unlike dogs and cats, birds
of exercise can put on
should have table food.
unhealthy excess weight.
“Only half the diet
should be starches,” Dr.
grit you see sold in pet shops.
Ruderman says, “and that
In the wild, small stones
includes seed, but you can
ingested with food act like
give birds pasta, potatoes,
teeth in a bird’s digestive
beans, peas, and corn.
tract; this is important since
Twenty-five percent or more
they must gather food,
should be fruits – raisins,
swallow it quickly, and fly
apples, pears, melon, you
off to avoid predators. But
name it – and vegetables,
pet birds have the leisure to
cooked or raw. Go for the
munch, and studies show that
darkest and brightest: kale,
grit offers no benefits.
beets, red peppers, squash.”
What’s worse, some birds
For hookbill birds –
gorge on it and go on to
parakeets, cockatiels, parrots,
develop blockages that can be
and lovebirds – the rest
fatal.
should be protein” meat,
poultry, fish, eggs (all
cooked), cheese, and yogurt.
A few cautions
Birds are susceptible to salt
of complications resulting
from malnutrition, says Dr.
Ruderman. A diet of seed
and water – what most caged
birds get – is like bread and
water to a person. Wild birds
thrive on an enormous variety
of foods – seeds, blossoms,
fruits, insects – and your bird
needs the same variety.
Main Idea and Supporting Details
© mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
SOCIAL LIFE
Mental stimulation is crucial
to a bird’s psychological
don’t know the basics of care.
DIET
Many pet birds actually die
And don’t buy the boxes of
health. Birds do best when
kept in the liveliest room of
poisoning, so be sure all
the house, close to the action.
people snacks (pretzels,
“In the wild, they do
chips, peanuts) are unsalted
everything together and
or low-sodium. Never feed a
they’re always busy –
bird from your mouth, since
foraging for food, building
some of the benign germs we
nests, raising their young,
carry can wreak havoc on a
grooming each other,
bird’s system. Resist the
showing off for the opposite
temptation to overdo junk
sex,” says Dr. Ruderman.
food or sweets – especially
since birds that don’t get a lot
Consider buying several
birds so they have one
3
another for company. But if
sandpaper perch covers that
drive a sick member away,”
you buy a single bird, plan to
stores sell. “A monstrosity,”
Dr. Ruderman says. “So
make it a member of the
says Dr. Ruderman. “How
schedule yearly checkups, to
family. Parakeets, canaries,
would you like to walk
test for problems while
and finches do particularly
barefoot on gravel your
they’re still treatable.”
well in groups; large birds,
whole life? And the covers
which may become very loud
rarely do what they claim – to
member of the AAV – the
with other birds around, do
keep a bird’s toenails filed.”
main source of continuing
best as one-on-one
Your vet can show you how
education in the field. You
companions to people. And
to clip and file your bird’s
might even ask if he or she
do learn to handle your birds;
nails and beak (which may
keeps birds at home;
should they require medical
become overgrown) or, for a
firsthand experience is a
treatment, they’ll suffer less
small fee, can do it for you.
definite plus.
trauma if they’re comfortable
Be sure also to provide
being held.
wooden ladders and chew
are finicky, high-maintenance
toys; birds need and love to
creatures, but in fact most are
gnaw.
hardy and adaptable, once
HABITAT
“No matter how small the
bird, choose the largest cage
you can, the most important
dimension of which should
be length,” says Dr.
Ruderman. “People are
charmed by tall pagoda
Birds like an occasional
Choose a vet who’s a
It may sound as if birds
you understand their needs.
bath too. Offer a bowl of
And the rewards of their
clean water, or take your bird
intelligent, affectionate, and
into the shower with you.
entertaining companionship
Most birds love water – many
are well worth the attention
will sing and whistle as they
to detail.
bathe.
cages, but birds need space to
fly across.” While cages
with vertical bars are fine for
HEALTH CARE
When you get a new bird,
canaries and finches,
take it to a vet within a few
hookbills – who enjoy
days. “Preventive care is
climbing – should live in
very important because birds
cages with horizontal bars.
are defensive animals. A sick
Provide perches of
848 Words; 7.9 G.E. FleschKincaid
bird hides symptoms for as
varying thicknesses since
long as possible; in the wild,
birds need to exercise their
any sign of illness attracts
flexible feet – but forget the
predators, so the flock will
This article appeared in the
June 1995 issue of Good
Housekeeping on page 161
.
Main Idea & Supporting Details
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
4
Identifying Main Idea
To identify the main idea in any reading assignment, you
must learn to dissect each paragraph, identifying the main
parts of each paragraph and the function of each part:
1.
Topic sentence
summarizes what the whole paragraph is
about.
2.
Supporting sentences
include the specific details (FIRES) that
provide elaboration on and support for the
main idea.
3.
Transitional statements
move the author from one point to another.
4.
Summary sentences
restate or recap a general idea or concept.
Identifying and understanding each part of a paragraph
will help you to understand the main idea and
remember the main idea longer.
Main Idea and Supporting Details
© mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
5
Using 5 W's + H
Identify the Topic Sentence
1.
WHO?
The paragraph focuses on a particular person or group
of people. The topic sentence tells you who this is.
2.
WHEN?
The paragraph is primarily concerned with time. The
topic sentence may even begin with the word “when.”
3.
WHERE?
The paragraph is oriented around a particular place or
location. The topic sentence states where you are
reading about.
4.
WHY?
A paragraph that states reasons for some belief or
happening usually addresses this question. The topic
sentence answers why something is true or why an
event happened.
5.
HOW?
A paragraph that identifies the way something works
or the means by which something is done. The topic
sentence explains the how of what is described.
Main Idea & Supporting Details
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
6
IDENTIFYING THE TOPIC SENTENCE
Page 2
WHAT
You will notice that WHAT is NOT on the list.
“What” is not included because it addresses such a broad range
of possibilities that asking this question will not necessarily lead
you to the topic sentence.
TOPIC SENTENCE TEST
The best test to determine whether you have identified the topic
sentence is to rephrase this sentence as a question. If the
paragraph answers the question that you’ve framed, you’ve
found the topic sentence.
Main Idea & Supporting Details
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
7
IMPROVING COMPREHENSION
R = Read the selection/
Listen to the lecture.
A = Ask questions as you read
P=
•
What's it about?
(Topic/Table of Contents)
•
What is the author/lecturer saying
about the topic? (MI/FIRES)
Put the answer to the above questions
in your own words
Main Idea & Supporting Details
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
8
MAIN IDEA + ELABORATION = TEXT
F = Facts
I = Incidents
R = Reasons
E – Examples/Evidence
S = Statistics
When you ask the 5 Ws + H questions, your
answers are FIRES.
Look for redundancy in the details. All the
details should support the main idea.
Main Idea & Supporting Details
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
9
Topic Sentence Pyramid
Japan: Typhoon Chris hit with full fury today on the central coast of
Japan. Heavy rain from the storm flooded the area. High waves
carried many homes into the sea. People now fear that
the heavy rains will cause mud slides in the
central part of the country. The number
of people killed by the storm
may climb past the
200 mark by
Saturday.
Dark
green, leafy
vegetables such as kale
and spinach are good sources of
vitamin C. Carrots, squash and sweet potatoes are good sources of carotene, which the body
changes to vitamin A. Dark green, leafy vegetables also
supply us with iron. All vegetables are good for us because they
supply us with important vitamins and minerals that build cells and keep
us healthy. Vitamin C, for example, helps to build strong teeth and
helps us to resist infections. Vitamin A helps to keep skin
healthy and protects our eyes. Iron, also an important part of vegetables, build red blood
cells. Without enough iron, we
would suffer from an
illness called
anemia.
If the
wind becomes
gusty after a period
of calm, you should seek
shelter. The sky needs careful
watching, too. Gradual darkening
and "boiling" clouds should quicken your
pace. Lightning and thunder are common enough
storm indicators, but few people realize that the brightness of the lightning is not nearly as important as the number
of lightning flashes. The signs of an oncoming storm are many,
and a person's life may depend on the ability to interpret them.
A paragraph will have a topic sentence 86% of the time, according to research published by the International
Reading Association. Most often you will find the topic sentence as the first or second sentence of a paragraph, but
the topic sentence may also appear in the middle or at the end of a paragraph.
Main Idea and Supporting Details
© mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
10
Lifesaving tips about feeding your
pet bird
Dr. Marty Becker
Knight Ridder Newspapers
The most important thing you can do to keep
your companion bird healthy and content is to
feed it right. In fact, proper feeding takes
priority over all other aspects of avian care.
But the vast amount of nutritional information
available to the pet bird owner today -- through
the Internet, pet shops, commercial
advertisements, or other bird owners -- can be
conflicting, contradictory or even completely
inaccurate. At the very least, it can be confusing,
which makes it difficult to make the right
decisions when it comes to your bird's health.
For centuries, it has been traditional for people
to feed seeds to wild birds at backyard feeders.
So when birds started to become popular as pets,
this seemed to be the logical food, right? Well,
no, according to well-known avian veterinarian,
Greg Harrison from Green Acres, Florida, who
is board-certified in Avian Practice in both the
United States and Europe. Harrison says a diet
of seeds alone lacks up to 32 essential nutrients,
leading to malnutrition in captive birds. And
malnutrition is the leading cause of over 90% of
health problems and death in pet birds. 90%!
Malnutrition involves all of the systems of the
body and is seen as: abnormalities in body
weight and shape; unusual appearances of
feathers, nails, beak and skin; undesirable
behavior; and disturbances in the all the systems
of the body. Nutritional deficiencies appear to
accelerate the aging process of birds, primarily
through the loss of moisture and tissue elasticity.
Often the signs of malnutrition in pet birds go
completely overlooked by the owner simply
because they are not recognized as such.
Healthy, properly fed birds will exhibit certain
features. The ideal pet bird is beautiful and
brightly colored with sleek-looking feathers.
Healthy birds like to sing, play, talk and be
active. They are also affectionate with family
members.
Main Idea and Supporting Details
© mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
Signs of a Healthy Bird according to Harrison,
author of the Avian Veterinary Compendium:
The bird has a proper ratio of muscle, bone and
fat. The beak is smooth and shiny without signs
of peeling. The nares (nostrils) are clean and free
of accumulations " The bird stands erect and
alert on the perch. " The respiration is smooth
and even with no sounds of wheezing. " The
droppings are moist, the urine is clear and the
urates are white. " The feathers fit together like a
garment - there are no bald spots, no picked
feathers, and no tattered, broken or abnormally
colored feathers. " The feet grip the perch
strongly and evenly. The bottoms of the feet
show a definite pattern - they are not smooth;
nor do they show pressure points. " The nails are
the proper length. " The skin on the legs and
face is glistening, smooth, and soft with no signs
of flaking. " There is no sign of swelling or
bleeding on the body. The bird is calm and does
not bite, scream, or behave in an aggressive
manner.
"Avian veterinarians have known for years that a
bird's diet cannot be improved by home cooking,
offering table foods or adding supplements to a
basic seed mixture (even if the seeds are
"vitamin-fortified," colored or pressed into
cakes). Commonly fed cereal grains like
sunflower, millet, oats, safflower, and corn are
deficient in the basic requirements necessary to
keep pet birds healthy. The only alternative that
actually reverses and corrects signs of
malnutrition is a high quality extruded bird food
that is specifically formulated for a parrot or
parakeet.
Although it is an effective bonding technique
with family members, feeding the bird from the
table is not a good idea. Birds should not be fed
"people food" like meat, chicken bones, potato
chips, pizza, pasta, chocolate or beans. Foods
like these often contain excess fats, salt,
caffeine, MSG, refined sugar and refined white
flours. Behavioral problems may also be
associated with the routine offering of these
foods.
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Fun shapes and fancy colored pellets are part an
effective selling strategy used by some pet food
companies to appeal to the pet owner, but it has
been proven that these features don't mean much
to the birds themselves. Because birds eat what
they are taught to eat early in life, birds trained
to eat colored kibbles and flavored pieces are at
a disadvantage since most of these diets are
made from milled white flours and other cereal
by-products that are deficient in nutrients.
According to Harrison, choosing a formulated
diet made with organic ingredients has the added
benefit of eliminating chemical pesticides and
other additives that are potentially toxic to birds.
But it does take some patience and a few
techniques to get your bird to eat a formulated
diet if it's accustomed to seeing only seeds in its
food bowl. The following are some tips to try:
"Schedule an appointment with your avian
veterinarian to make sure your bird is healthy
enough to undergo a diet change. " Monitor total
food consumption carefully so the bird does not
starve to death with the new food in the cage. "
Weigh the bird periodically on a gram scale. "
Start by mixing half familiar seeds and half the
new formulated diet in the food bowl. Over
time, gradually increase the proportion of the
formulated diet. " Place a bowl of the new food
near the highest perch. Most birds will eat from
the highest bowl first. " Let your bird see
another bird eating the nuggets ("birdie see,
birdie do"). " Offer the new food at the same
time that the bird is placed in a new cage or box
Main Idea & Supporting Details
mabarrett@rochester.k12.mn.us
without toys or perches. " For budgies, try
placing a mirror on the bottom of the cage and
place the new food on the mirror. The budgie
will try to get to the food before this "stranger"
in the mirror. Before you know it, the bird is
eating the food. " Pour a small amount of fruit
juice over the formulated diet. If all else fails,
you might want to board your bird at your
veterinary clinic for the diet conversion. Most
birds switch to a new diet quickly when
removed from the "comfort" of home. This also
removes stress from owners who are nervous
about trying to do it themselves.
Feeding a high quality formulated diet and
maintaining an ongoing relationship with an
avian veterinarian will help ensure a long and
healthy life for your bird.
An online list of avian veterinarians in your area
can be found at www.aav.org or to find out more
information about the bird food most vets feed
their own birds, contact
www.harrisonbirdfoods.com.
1091 Words; 9.0 G.E. Flesch-Kincaid
This article appeared in the Rochester Post
Bulletin on Friday, September 10, 2004, on page
4D.
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