Determining the Central Idea

March 2018
 Today's Agenda

•Direct Instruction
•Close Reading
•Reflection
COLOSO
• Content Objective: Students will determine how the
central idea of a text is shown through supporting
details.

• Language Objective: Students will tell the difference

between topic and central idea.

• Social Objective: Students will respect the diverse

perspectives of their peers and speak one at a time.
 Central idea and steps to determine it
Central Idea- The central idea of a text is the author's
most important point about the topic.

Step 1: Identify the topic. This is what a text is mostly about.

Hints:
1.Look for repeated words.
2.Look for text features, like headings, subheadings, titles,
and images.
3.Ask yourself- What is this text mostly about?
 Central idea and steps to determine it
Step 2: Ask yourself: What is the most important
point the author makes about the topic?

Step 3: Find supporting details to give more

information about the central idea.
Reading 1
As you read the text-

• Look for repeated words. Underline words, like names

and places, that repeat throughout the text.

• What clues about the topic do you find in text

features? Circle text features that provide clues about
the topic of the article.
Question 1
From which point of view is the article
written? Provide evidence from the text to
support your answer.
Question 2
Reread paragraph 2. According to the text,
what made Dr. King a unique leader in the
Civil Rights Movement? Provide evidence
from the text to support your answer.
Question 3
In the article, the author uses examples of
cause and effect to show how Dr. King's
actions affected Americans?

Fill in the chart. Provide your own example of

cause and effect from the article.
Question 4
The author uses cause and effect to show the
central idea.

What is the central idea of the article. Use

details from the text to support your answer.