6.2 Main Idea and Supporting Details
6.2 Main Idea and Supporting Details
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Identifying the main idea and supporting details of an informational text
Identifying the main idea and supporting details of an informational text
Have you ever tried putting together a puzzle? Each piece is important, but when you step back,
you see the full picture.
Reading an informational text is just like solving a puzzle. Each fact or detail is a piece, and when you put them together, they help you find the main idea, that is, what the text is mostly about.
In this lesson, we will learn how to find the main idea and use supporting details to understand and explain what we read clearly and confidently.
The main idea is the central topic that the entire informational text is mostly about1.
The details given in the informational text tell you more about the main idea. These are called supporting details1.
Watch the video given below to understand the main idea of the informational text, and the details that support it.
Vid 2.1: Main Idea and Supporting Details in an Informational Text
To find the main idea of a text, it is important to use clues provided in the text 3,4.
To find supporting details in a non-fiction text, consider asking these inquiry questions: who, what, when, how, where, why, how much, and how many4.
For example, read the following excerpt given below, and notice how the inquiry questions are asked to find the supporting details.
"The Great Wall of China is an ancient wonder. It was built over 2,000 years ago during the Qin Dynasty. The wall stretches for thousands of miles across northern China. It was constructed to protect against invasions from neighbouring tribes and to control trade routes. Workers used bricks, stones, and even wood to build this colossal structure. Today, it stands as a symbol of China's rich history and engineering skill."
Let us read an informational text to uncover its main idea along with the details that support it.
Engage in this fun game given below to identify the main idea.
Glossary
Glossary
main idea: What a text is mostly about
supporting details: Facts or ideas that tell more about the main idea
topic sentence: The first sentence that tells what the paragraph or text is about
author’s intention: What the writer wants you to know or understand
inquiry questions: Questions like who what when where why and how used to find more information
culinary: Related to cooking and food
Summary:
Summary:
The main idea is the central topic of the text, while supporting details are additional information that helps explain and expand upon the main idea.
To find the main idea of a text:
Identify the title
Examine the topic sentence
First and last sentences
Check headings, subheadings, and pictures
Look for repeated ideas
Ask yourself, “What does the writer want me to know?”
To find supporting details within a non-fiction text, ask the following questions: who, what, when, where, why, how, how much, and how many.
Extension/Further Reading:
Extension/Further Reading:
Refer to some examples given in this video in order to deepen your understanding about the main idea and supporting details.
References
1Identifying Main Idea and Details in Informational Text . Pdesas (n.d.) (link)
2Main Idea and Details in Informational Texts. NUITEQ Snowflake Educational K-12 Content (2021) (link)
3How to Find the Main Idea. ThoughtCo (2019) (link)
4Identifying the Main Idea & Supporting Details of a Text. Gynzy (2021) (link)
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