Teacher’s copy
Paragraph #1
Directions: Benjamin Franklin was a very famous American. He is known
as a great writer, scientist and statesman. Read the following paragraphs
and choose the correct main idea for each paragraph.
Benjamin Franklin loved to write. When he was
twenty-two, he set up his own printing shop and started a
newspaper. He also printed a book called Poor Richard’s
Almanac. It had funny stories, information about the
weather, and wise sayings.
.
What is the main idea?
Benjamin Franklin loved to write stories and books.
Benjamin Franklin worked very hard when he was young.
Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about the weather.
Benjamin Franklin was very poor.
Paragraph # 2
Benjamin Franklin loved the city of Philadelphia. He
started the city’s first hospital and fire department. Ben also
started Philadelphia’s first public library. Benjamin Franklin
worked very hard to make Philadelphia a better place to live.
2.
What is the main idea?
Benjamin Franklin worked hard to make his city a great
place to live.
Benjamin Franklin worked for the fire department.
Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about books.
Benjamin Franklin went to school in Philadelphia.
Paragraph # 3
Benjamin Franklin was very interested in electricity.
One day he tried a very dangerous experiment to prove that
lightning was electricity. He attached a key to a kite string
and flew the kite during a thunderstorm. When the lightning
hit the kite, sparks flew from the key. Benjamin Franklin
proved that lightning was electricity.
What is the main idea?
Benjamin Franklin liked to play in the rain.
Benjamin Franklin performed an experiment that proved
lightning was electricity.
Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about thunderstorms.
Benjamin Franklin invented a new kind of kite.
Paragraph # 4
Benjamin Franklin invented many things that made
life easier in the late 1700’s. He invented the lightning rod
that saved many homes from fires. He also invented the
Franklin stove. The stove could heat a room better than a
fireplace and saved people a lot of fuel. He also invented a
special kind of glasses called bifocals. This new kind of
glasses helped people to read better.
4.
Benjamin Franklin thought reading was important.
Benjamin Franklin was not afraid of fire.
Benjamin Franklin was a great inventor.
A Franklin stove can heat a whole room.
Passage # 1
Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in
North America. It is on the Niagara River about halfway
between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Niagara Falls is on the
American and Canadian border. The American Falls is 167
feet high. On the Canadian side, the Horseshoe Falls is 161
feet high.
Main Idea: Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful sights in North America.
It is fun to visit a waterfall in the summer.
The American Falls is 167 feet high.
Niagara Falls is on the American and Canadian border.
Passage # 2
The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of
people every year. The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot statue
of a woman holding a book and a torch. It is located on an
island in New York Harbor. It was a gift of friendship from
the people of France. It has become a universal symbol of
freedom.
Main idea: The Statue of Liberty is visited by thousands of people every year.
It is located on an island in New York Harbor.
The Statue of Liberty is a 151 foot statue of a woman holding a book.
Islands are surrounded by water on all sides.
Passage # 3
The Erie Canal changed the way people moved
goods and supplies in the mid 1800's. The 363 mile canal
connected Albany, New York to Lake Erie in Buffalo for the
first time. When the canal opened in 1825, building supplies
and goods could be transported quickly and cheaply across
New York State. Canal boats pulled by mules carried people
and supplies the 363 miles.
Main idea: The Erie Canal changed the way people moved goods and supplies in the
mid 1800's.
The 363 mile canal connected Albany and Buffalo for the first time.
Canal boats pulled by mules carried people and supplies across New York State.
It's lots of fun to travel by boat.