Two Central Ideas
Aligned to RI.7.2 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
A rich article often develops two or more central ideas that build across it. Track each, notice how they connect, and summarize objectively without opinion.
Worked example
An article on sleep develops two ideas: teens need more sleep, and school start times fight this. Each grows with data; together they argue for later starts. Summary states both, not 'schools are wrong.'
Practice questions
- In an informational text, name two central ideas the author develops.
- Point to a paragraph where each idea gets stronger with new information.
- Write a four-sentence objective summary that includes both ideas and no opinions.
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 centrales
Un buen artículo suele desarrollar dos o más ideas centrales que crecen a lo largo. Sigue cada una, nota cómo se conectan y resume objetivamente sin opinión.
Ejemplo: Un artículo sobre el sueño desarrolla dos ideas: los adolescentes necesitan dormir más, y el horario escolar lo impide. Cada una crece con datos; juntas piden empezar más tarde.
More Reading: Informational lessons
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