Central Idea and Supporting Details

The Central Idea is the BIG IDEA in the passage you read.  It is one sentence that tells what the passage is all about.

You may hear the central idea  called different names. central idea main idea topic sentence gist  essence key point main point what it's all about (Often a conclusion will restate the main idea.)

A helpful review of the relationship between a central idea and its supporting detail is on our Fishbowl PowerPoint. 

This paragraph is from that PowerPoint:   Paragraph 2014. Writing Great Paragraphs 

Central Idea and Supporting Details

     Sandals are the best kind of footwear to wear when it rains. First, getting your feet wet when it rains is unavoidable, and sandals dry much faster than thick, stiff, close-toed shoes. Would you rather have your feet wet for ten minutes or an hour? Sandals also eliminate the problem of muddy, soggy socks. Your exposed toes might be colder at first, but they will be dry and toasty ten minutes later. Socks and shoes can take hours to fully dry, leaving your toes squelching and damp all day. A third reason you should wear sandals in the rain is because getting wet is no longer a worry when you wear them. You no longer have to take long, tricky, and dangerous jumps off curbs to avoid puddles you could be happily splashing in. Wearing sandals when it rains frees you to enjoy the rain and puddles without long-lasting damp and soggy consequences.

Green is for central idea.

Yellow marks some transition words (signal words) that signal supporting details. 

Red marks the conclusion. 

Topic Sentence/Central Idea: Using our fishbowl analogy, this topic sentence is the fishbowl itself.
                            Sandals are the best kind of footwear to wear when it rains.

Supporting Details: 

Sandals dry much faster than thick, stiff, close-toed shoes.

Sandals eliminate the problem of muddy, soggy socks.

Getting wet is no longer a worry when you wear sandals.

The supporting details fit in the fishbowl.  Each supports the central idea/topic sentence.

Another Example 

One of the central ideas for the chapter on King Tut from How They Croaked is this:
"King Tut's body has been dug up to be examined many times since his death."
What details would support that? 

Chapter on King Tut Central Idea:  King Tut has been dug up to be examined many times since his death. Evidence: In 1922 Howard Carter found Tut's tomb and performed an "autopsy" (4). In 1968 experts X-rayed Tut's remains (5).  In 2005 experts used a CT scan on him (5).   There are several more, but we just collected three for now.

And we can add this!
This is about why King Tut was physically impaired:  (and lets us know that they've pulled him out again!)
http://sciencealert.com.au/news/20142710-26397.html


Another way to look at it  (another analogy) is as a building with a roof (the central idea) and pillars (supporting details)  to hold it up. 

A Central Idea for ________________________ by ________________________

                                      ^{title                                                                      your name, first and last}

	Topic (What’s It About?)
Write a complete sentence that includes the topic and tells what the author is saying about it.
Supporting Details – Write one on each pillar.

 

A Central Idea for  "Why You Should Wear Sandals in the Rain"  by Sally Scarecrow

                                                                                                     

	Topic (What’s It About?)  the best footwear to wear in the rain  or wearing sandals in the rain
Write a complete sentence that includes the topic and tells what the author is saying about it.  Sandals are the best kind of footwear to wear when it rains.
Supporting Details – Write one on each pillar.

Sandals dry much faster than thick, stiff, close-toed shoes.

Sandals eliminate the problem of muddy, soggy socks.

Getting wet is no longer a worry when you wear sandals.

After that would come an effective conclusion!