ANALYZING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRAL IDEAS

ELA State Test Prep

Prior Knowledge What have you learned about analyzing

key details to determine the central idea of a text?

What is a central idea? A central idea tells what a whole paragraph or

section is mainly about What are details?

Details are facts, evidence, and other information that supports the central idea

Continued… You will be learning more about how the

authors use details to develop central ideas

Authors don’t always state the central idea directly

How do you figure out what the central idea is if it is unstated? Pay attention to supporting details Ask yourself what those details tell more

about

Continued… Example: To be an Emergency Medical

Technician, you must keep your head in emergencies. You will be trained to check people for signs of injuries and to perform certain procedures. Then you must decide if advanced medical care is necessary and transport people to hospitals

What might be the central idea of this paragraph? To become an Emergency Medical Technician

takes medical training and the ability to stay calm in emergencies

Continued… What are supporting details?

They are clues to help you determine a stated or unstated central idea in the text

Identifying central ideas can help you understand the points an author is making

Genre Focus In this lesson, you will read two

biographies What is a biography?

An informational text that tells about the events in the life of a real person, written by another person

Biographies usually share these characteristics: Include facts, anecdotes, and details about all

or part of the person’s life history May tell about a famous person who achieved

great things or may tell about anyone Highlight important experience in a person’s life

to reveal more about his or her personality, thoughts, opinions, and motivations

Lesson 1 – Page 3 Read the first paragraph that includes the

definitions of central idea and supporting details

Then, study and read the illustration and read the caption

Think about what central idea is shown and circle parts of the illustration and caption that are details supporting this central idea

Continued… The web shows a central idea and how it

is supported by details Read the central idea and both

supporting details, and compare them to the parts of the illustration or caption you have circled

Share the connection between each supporting detail and the central idea

Lesson 1 – Page 4 Read aloud “Deep-Sea Treasure Hunters” What is the central idea of paragraph 2?

The author doesn’t directly tell the central idea of the paragraph, so you’ll determine the central idea by thinking about what all the supporting details have in common

What details are given to support it? Paragraph 1 names two types of career divers Paragraph 2 begins by discussing divers who

study sunken treasure This paragraph tells more about that type

of diver

Continued… Complete the idea web, and remember

that it shows a central idea and how it is supported by details

Review the answers Central Idea: The goal of some deep-sea

divers is to gather important information from sunken treasures

Supporting Detail #1: The divers study artifacts, like jewelry and coins

Supporting Detail #2: Often locate, map, and study shipwrecks OR learn many things about the lives of the ship’s passengers

Lesson 1 – Page 5 You will continue reading the account

about deep-sea divers and find details that support the account’s central ideas about deep-sea diving

Close reading helps you recognize that each paragraph in an account may have its own central idea *Hint: look for details that support specific

ideas Read the account and circle the first

central idea and underline the second central idea Explain the ideas you chose and why they are

the central idea

Continued… Text details develop the central ideas of

divers searching for profit The details develop the central idea by

describing more about this type of diver Complete the multiple-choice question

Choice C is correct Identifying legal sites before collecting artifacts

shows respect for ocean treasures All of the other answers were incorrect

because they were all facts from the text Even though the choices are true, they

don’t necessarily answer the question

Lesson 1 – Page 5 You will read a biography twice about

Suni Williams. After the first reading, you will be asked

three questions to check your comprehension of the text

Read the biography silently without referring to the Study Buddy or Close Reading text

Answer the following questions to ensure you comprehended the text: 1. What did Suni Williams dream of doing

when she was a child? She dreamed of walking on the moon

Continued… 2. How did Suni Williams follow in her

brother’s footsteps? They both went to the U.S. Naval Academy

3. What did Williams eventually train to become? She trained to become a member of the

International Space Station crew Reread the text and answer the questions

and follow the directions in the Close Reading Hint: Close Reading directs you to a quote from

Suni Williams. Understanding what the person said is important to reading a biography. Paying attention to quotes will help you better understand the person’s attitudes and motivations

Lesson 1 – Page Read questions 1-3, using the Hints to

help you answer the questions (GRASP #3)

Hint: Question 3 requires you to determine a central idea in the text and its supporting details. Remember to pay attention to details that describe William’s actions, feelings, and motivations to help you answer the question

Discuss the correct answers. 1. The correct choice is A

One central idea of the text is that Suni Williams had difficulty identifying her career path

Continued… 2. The correct choice is C

The quotes tells about Williams not believing in herself

3. Sample response: A central idea is that you have to believe in

yourself if you want to achieve your dreams. Supporting details include that Williams watches Neil Armstrong and wants to walk on the moon, she says she’s the only one holding her back from becoming an astronaut, and she becomes a member of the International Space Station crew.

Continued… Organization chart Draw the chart below where there is

room on your packet Fill in the boxes, using information from

the text

Central Idea:

Supporting Detail: Supporting Detail: Supporting Detail:

Continued…

Homework: Complete the Common Core Practice (Pages 8-10)

#4 – GRASP (Separate writing grade)

Central Idea: You have to believe in yourself if you want to achieve your dreams

Supporting Detail: Williams wants to walk on the moon

Supporting Detail:Williams says she

is the only one holding her back

Supporting Detail: Williams become a

member of the space station crew