How Big is Your Topic?

Narrower Topics	Broader Topics	Broader Topics Still
baseball cap	hats	things people wear
table fork	utensils or silverware	things we use when we eat
rose	flowers	plants
the student to your right in English class	seventh graders	junior high students
Doritos	snack chips and dips	snacks

A Narrow or a Broad Topic?

Which of the above topics fits the following paragraph?

            As soon as many students come through the door from school, they hurry to the kitchen looking for a snack.  A favorite after-school snack is chips with some sort of dip.  Some students prefer corn chips such as Doritos with salsa.   Others would rather have potato chips with a dip.  Students looking for a healthier alternative might go with pita chips served with hummus, or simpler yet, dried banana chips.  Recently you can also find other vegetable chips, including sweet potato chips.   Whichever sort of chips they are, these snacks help students satisfy their appetite enough to wait for dinner.   The students might even get some homework done while they wait for their evening meal, such as writing this paragraph about _____?_____.  

Which of the following would be the main idea?
a. Chips and dip.
b. A favorite after-school snack is one of several types of chips with some sort of dip.
c. These snacks help students satisfy their appetite enough to wait for dinner.
d. I love several sorts of chip with dips.