Identifying the
Main Idea and Supporting Details
Nonfiction text is so exciting and interesting. It requires us to read slower so that we can identify what is important information and all the fascinating details that make that information so interesting. If you missed the lesson on 'Main Idea and Supporting Details' or need a review, please continue reading...
Please
read the following paragraph:Ugh! My camera is all slimy. I was trying to photograph a humpback whale as he blew from his blow hole. It was too close! When a humpback whale breathes, it blows air and water vapor out its blow hole on the top of its head. The whale's breath, forced out the hole at 450 kph, is composed of air and water vapor; it can reach 5 meters high and seen from 2 kilometers away on a clear day. It contains a fishy smell and oily substance, which can leave a residue on a camera lens, if too close. Whale's breathing or 'the blow' is usually the first sign that a whale is present.
What is the main idea of the paragraph? What is the paragraph telling us about the whale? What idea keeps being explored?
Please
re-read the paragraph again ... focus on what idea keeps being discussed.Ugh! My camera is all slimy. I was trying to photograph a humpback whale as he blew from his blow hole. It was too close! When a humpback whale breathes, it blows air and water vapor out its blow hole on the top of its head. The whale's breath, forced out the hole at 450 kph, is composed of air and water vapor; it can reach 5 meters high and seen from 2 kilometers away on a clear day. It contains a fishy smell and oily substance, which can leave a residue on a camera lens, if too close. Whale's breathing or 'the blow' is usually the first sign that a whale is present.
The yellow highlighted words, above and listed below, all refer to the breath of the whale.
blew
breathes
whales' breath
breathing
'the blow'
After
looking at the words listed above, what is the main
idea?
All the words have to do with the whale's breath or 'the blow'.
If
that is the main idea, then there should be supporting details. Can
you find them?Please
re-read the paragraph to locate the supporting details.Ugh! My camera is all slimy. I was trying to photograph a humpback whale as he blew from his blow hole. It was too close! When a humpback whale breathes, it blows air and water vapor out its blow hole on the top of its head. The whale's breath, forced out the hole at 450 kph, is composed of air and water vapor; it can reach 5 meters high and seen from 2 kilometers away on a clear day. It contains a fishy smell and oily substance, which can leave a residue on a camera lens, if too close. Whale's breathing or 'the blow' is usually the first sign that a whale is present.
Do the words highlighted in blue give you further information about the main idea: the whale's breath or 'the blow'?
If
you were making notes, you might write
them the following way:
Whale's breath
air
and water vapor
fishy smell
oily residue
5 meters high
visible - 2 kilometers
force - 450 kph
expels from blow hole - top of head
first sign whale nearby
Reading nonfiction text usually means reading more than once to understand the information being presented.
?
Read to see if the information is what you need.? Re-Read to identify the main idea
? Re-Read to identify the details that explain the main idea.