CENTRAL IDEA

AND SUPPORTING DETAILS

LESSON OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to determine the
central idea.

Students will be able to identify how a

central idea is conveyed through particular
details.

TODAY
We will learn about central ideas, which can be stated or not.

We will learn about supporting details.

We will practice together.

You will show what you learned about central ideas and
supporting details.

CENTRAL IDEAS AND SUPPORTING DETAILS(Record these notes in your ELA notebook.)

Central Idea- A central idea is the most important point an

author is trying to make. A central idea can be stated or
implied, which means not directly expressed.
Supporting Detail- Supporting details are facts, examples,
reasons, or descriptions that explain the central idea.

Central
Idea

FIND THE IMPLIED CENTRAL IDEA

On our trip to the aquarium, we

found out that dolphins can talk to
each other. We also discovered that
manatees are related to elephants.
What do the two supporting details have in common?

PASSAGES ABOUT AMAZING PLANTS

Cactus
Venus Flytrap
Corpse Flower

CENTRAL IDEA VS.THEME

The theme is the lesson or message that the writer wants to
get across in his or her story.

Usually theme is a statement about life or the way the world

works. People apply these lessons or ideas to their own
lives.

WHERE IS THE CENTRAL IDEA?

(Write these notes in your ELA notebook.)

Like individual paragraphs, an entire passage has a

central idea.
Each paragraph has a central idea, too.

Understanding the central idea of a text and being able

to find supporting details will help you gain a better
understanding of the authors purpose.

HOW DO I FIND THE THEME?

To find the theme, ask yourself: What lesson did the main
character in the story learn or fail to learn?
Other questions to ask yourself:

What is the moral of the story?

What lesson is the author trying to teach?

Which idea in the story can relate to everyday life?