Lincoln Power Point

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A Fun Way to RememberMain Idea

• and Supporting Details too!

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Hi! My name is Daniella.

• My teacher, Mrs. Levy, has been talking about
  main idea and supporting details for months. I
  have to admit, I still dont understand what
  shes talking about. Im too embarrassed to ask
  her, so yesterday I decided to ask my friend
  Trystan.

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This is Trystan.

• He gave me a great strategy for remembering
  main idea. He told me to remember the time last
  week when I got sent to the principals office.
  At first, I thought he was silly. What did going
  to the principals office have to do with main
  idea?

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Heres what Trystan told me.

• He said, Last week, Kamren told the recess
  monitor, Ms. White, that you stole the kickball
  at recess.
• Thats right, I said. Later that day, I got
  called to the principals office to tell my
  story. When I got to Ms. Abramsons office, I
  told her there was no way I could have stolen the
  kickball at recess.

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But I was still confused. What did any of this
have to do with main idea?

• Trystan went on to explain, When you told Ms.
  Abramson, that there was no way you could have
  stolen that ball, you were telling her the main
  reason why you were innocent. At that point, you
  hadnt told her the whole story. You just told
  her one sentence that summed up why you were in
  her office.

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• He continued, Thats what main idea is all
  about. It is a general statement that tells the
  most important idea. But, its not the whole
  story. To learn more, you need some supporting
  details to back up your main idea. When you were
  in the principals office, it wasnt enough to
  tell her you couldnt have stolen that ball. You
  needed proof. You needed some help to support
  your innocence. Thats where Chael and Alex came
  to the rescue.

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Ms. Abramson said I need more information.

• That day when I was in the office, I could
  tell that what I told Ms. Abramson was not
  specific enough. He needed more proof. So I asked
  her to call Tanaya down to the office. She told
  Ms. Abramson that I stayed in from recess to help
  her finish her reading project. She gave her
  specific information about what I was doing to
  help support my story.

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• Having one piece of evidence, is usually not
  enough, so I asked Ms. Abramson if she could ask
  Frances about what happened.
• Frances came down to the office and said
  Its true. Daniella didnt steal the kickball
  because I accidentally kicked it on the roof. I
  was wearing the same color shirt as Daniella that
  day. I bet Kamren got confused and thought I was
  Daniella. Then, when the ball disappeared, he
  probably assumed it was stolen. But you can
  check, its on the roof.

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Now I was starting to understand.

• Trystan said, Alex and Chael supported your
  story. They proved that what you had said was
  true. Thats what supporting details, and good
  friends, do.

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One more thing

• He added, But it wouldnt have made sense to
  ask Adelis to support you, she was in the nurses
  office. She was in a different part of the
  building and had nothing to do with what went on
  at recess. Remember that with details too. When
  you pick a supporting detail, make sure it comes
  from the same part of the story and gives more
  information about your main idea.

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I get it!

• Now I understand main idea and supporting
  details. I dont know why it was so hard. Trystan
  even showed me how I could put my story into a
  graphic organizer like Mrs. Levy does.

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MAIN IDEA Daniella did not steal the ball at
recess.
Supporting Detail Daniella stayed in from recess
to help Tanaya with a reading project.
Supporting Detail Frances accidentally kicked the
ball onto the roof of the school.