Two Main Ideas & a Summary
Aligned to RI.5.2 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
A long text often carries more than one main idea. Find each one, notice the details that support it, then sum it all up briefly.
Worked examples
Example 1
An article on bees has two main ideas: bees make honey, and bees pollinate crops. Details like 'one hive visits millions of flowers' support the second.
Example 2
An article on sleep has two main ideas: teenagers need more sleep than adults, and school schedules work against that.
Example 3
A summary includes the main ideas and leaves out your opinion of them. 'And that is unfair' does not belong in a summary.
Practice questions
- Name two main ideas in an informational text.
- List one detail that supports each main idea.
- Write a three-sentence summary of the whole text.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Dos Ideas Principales y un Resumen
Un texto largo suele tener más de una idea principal. Encuentra cada una, observa los detalles que la apoyan y luego resúmelo todo brevemente.
Ejemplo 1: Un artículo sobre las abejas tiene dos ideas principales: las abejas hacen miel y las abejas polinizan cultivos. Detalles como 'una colmena visita millones de flores' apoyan la segunda.
Ejemplo 2: Un artículo sobre el sueño tiene dos ideas principales: los adolescentes necesitan más sueño que los adultos, y los horarios escolares van en contra de eso.
Ejemplo 3: Un resumen incluye las ideas principales y deja fuera tu opinión sobre ellas. 'Y eso es injusto' no va en un resumen.
More Reading: Informational lessons
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