1. Finding the Main Idea,
Making Inferences,
Drawing Conclusions, and
Summarizing
Ms. Johnson and Mr. Van Treese
2. Main Idea
The main idea of a paragraph is
different from the topic.
The topic: what the paragraph is
about.
The main idea: what the author
says about the subject.
6. Main Idea Formula
Topic
+ What author says about topic
+ Author’s purpose
= Main Idea
7. To find the main idea of a paragraph or
passage, ask yourself:
What is the most important point
the author wants me to understand
about the topic?
8. The main idea is the most general
statement about the topic:
People differ in numerous ways.
They differ according to physical
characteristics, such as height,
weight, and hair color. They also
differ in personality. Some people
are friendly and easygoing. Others
are more reserved and formal.
Which is the most general statement?
Identifying Main Ideas
9. At the beginning of the paragraph:
"Beginning a new job is always exciting and
sometimes intimidating. There is an
invigorating feeling of a fresh start and a
clean slate. You face new challenges and
draw on a renewed sense of energy as you
approach them. But you may also feel
apprehensive . . . "
(p.196, Opening Doors)
10. At the end of the paragraph:
“. . .Most Anglo-Americans, for instance, see the
extensive family obligations of Hispanics as a
burdensome arrangement that inhibits individual
freedom. Hispanics, in contrast, view the isolated
nuclear family of Anglo-Americans as a lonely institution
that cuts people off from the love and assistance of their
kin. This tendency to view one's own cultural patterns
as good and right and those of others as strange or
even immoral is called ethnocentrism."
(p.197, Opening Doors)
11. Within the paragraph:
" Jim always seems to score well on tests. How
does he do it? Jim offers these tips for
successful studying. The first step is to decide
what to study. Find out what topics will be
covered on the test. Next, organize your notes
and other materials on these topics. Third,
make study guides to use as memory aids. Your
final step is to review your notes and study
guides until you feel confident about taking the
test." (from Becoming a
Confident Reader, p.200)
12. "All organisms must insure that their offspring have
a reasonable chance to survive and begin a new
generation. Plants, however, face special challenges.
Plants do not have nervous systems, and they are
not able to run away from predators or pests.
Because nearly all plants live in fixed positions, they
must also manage to find mates without being able
to move around. Therefore they have evolved
strategies for dealing with these problems that are
essentially passive. An important part of such
strategies is a reproductive pattern enabling each
individual to produce large numbers of offspring."
13. Finding the Stated Main Idea
1. Locate the Topic
2. Locate the Most General Sentence /Thesis
(if there is one)
1. Check topic sentences:
2. Topic Sentence First (usually)
3. Topic Sentence Last (second in frequency)
4. Topic Sentence in the Middle
5. Topic Sentence First and Last (last = emphasis)
3. Study the Details—all the sentences in a
paragraph must relate/support/explain the
main idea.
14. Inferring Unstated Main Ideas
1. Find the topic.
2. Decide what the writer
wants you to know about the
topic.
3. Consider the author’s
purpose or perspective on
the topic.
4. Express this idea in your own
words.
Identifying Main Ideas
15. Making Inferences and Drawing
Conclusions
“Reading between the lines.”
Using clues from the text to figure
out what the author is trying get
across.
Some ideas are not stated directly in
the text; YOU have to draw your own
conclusions about what is going on.
16. What conclusions can we draw by making inferences about
this picture?
http://en.beijing2008.cn/photo/
17. What is going on in this story?
“He put down $10 at the window.
The woman behind the window gave
$4. The person next to him gave $3,
but he gave it back to her. So, when
they went inside, she bought him a
large bag of popcorn.”
18. Guided Practice
See “Ordeal by Cheque.”
Work with a partner or small group
to use clues from the checks to
construct a story.
19. Independent Practice
See “Implicit Main Ideas Student
Page.”
Use the skills that we’ve practiced to
make inferences and draw
conclusions about the main ideas in
the two passages on the handout.
20. Summary
What makes a good summary?
Shorter than the main text.
Contains the main ideas.
Does not contain all of the
supporting details.
Follows the text structure and
order of the main text.
21. Modeling
See “Gardening with Native Plants”
handout.
Read article as a class.
What is the main idea?
What supporting details can we leave
out?
What is the text structure?
Now, using these ideas, we can write
a good summary.
22. Summary of “Native Plants” article
Although native plants are beautiful and
important to wildlife, they are
disappearing. People can easily grow
native plants in their gardens because
they are accustomed to the conditions of
an area. When choosing a native plant,
think about the plant’s needs. Be sure
that you have the right amount of
sunlight, moisture, and appropriate space
to accommodate plant size.
24. Guided Practice
Summarize the story “A Room Full of
Silly Clowns”.
Use the “Give Me a Hand!” graphic
organizer.
Trace your hand on a sheet of paper.
On each finger, list a key point from
the story.
After you have five key points, write
a 3-5 sentence summary.
25. Putting It All Together
Individually, look at the article “Bone Up
on Bone Loss! Exercise to Build Healthy
Bones!”
Before reading the article, look at the
subheadings and text boxes in the article.
What inferences can you make about the
main idea of the article? Write down what
you think the main idea of the article will
be.
26. Now go back and read the article.
Was your prediction right? What is
the main idea of the article? How do
you know?
Now read the four summary choices.
Choose the best summary. Why?
For each of the other choices, explain
why it is not the best.
Editor's Notes
Model making an inference. Some possible things to infer about the passage: A man and a woman have gone on a date to the movie. Tickets cost $3 and the man pays for both himself and the woman, getting change back from the ticket cashier. The man’s date tries to give him $3 for her ticket, but he won’t accept it because he’s being nice. So, since she can’t buy her own ticket, the woman buys popcorn to call it even.
Small groups-teacher assisted. Students can construct an outline of the story or write a one-page narrative. Students can share with the class.
Text structures: description, problem/solution, cause/effect, sequence, compare/contrast. Order is important
Remember, the summary must be shorter than the original text, follow the text structure of the original text, and contain all of the main ideas.
Text type: persuasive, then technical. Text structure: problem/solution, then descriptive.
Students can read individually or in pairs. Decide which is the best summary. Discuss as a whole class. Discuss the flaws of the other summaries. Text type: persuasive/expository. Text structure: problem/solution.
Remember: sequence is essential for narrative text. Students should write their key points in order on the graphic organizer, then write summaries. After all groups/pairs are done, some may share with the class.
