Central Idea will be a complete sentence.
- It will include
- the topic and
- the idea the author wants you to learn about the topic.
- It will NOT be a question. It will be a complete statement.
- It will be broad enough to cover the big idea(s) in the chapter.
- It will be narrow enough so it's NOT including things that are not in the chapter.
- It will NOT include your own opinions about the chapter.
Notes on Finding a Topic
[The topic is what it's about -- the subject.]
[The topic is what it's about -- the subject.]
Use these clues when looking for the topic of a passage :
Look for
Look for
- illustrations, captions
- titles, headings, subheadings
- repeated words
- synonyms
- pronouns that repeat nouns (for example, Bob, he, Bob's, his, Bob, him)
- Ask yourself, "What is the author of this wanting me to learn about?"
Notes on Finding or Creating a Central Idea
- Central Idea = topic + the idea the author is stating about the topic
- Central Idea and Topic Sentence are synonyms.
- We usually talk about the "Central Idea" when we are talking about nonfiction.
- The "central idea" in fiction is called the theme.
- The Central Idea must be a complete sentence.
- The Central Idea will NOT be a question. It must be a statement.
- Ask yourself, "What is the general idea of this passage?"
- Ask yourself, "What does the author want to tell me about this subject?"
Most Common Places in a paragraph or passage to Find the Central Idea:
- Beginning/First Sentence
- End/ Last Sentence
- Middle
- It's not there! This is called Implied or Unstated (Those two words are synonyms.)
Central Idea
Use with Newsela Article.
