= Partner SiteMain or Central Idea
A main idea is the brief summary of the most important concept or concepts in a passage. There can be a main idea, sometimes called a central idea, in a paragraph or a section of a text as well. Be sure to check out our printable main idea graphic organizers and main idea anchor chart too!
The Klondike Gold Rush began in 1896 with the discovery of gold in Alaska and Canada. Over 100,000 people hurried to the area in order to find their own fortune of gold. One of these people was May Kellogg Sullivan, who along with her brother and father, went to get…
Robots-machines capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically- have gone from a science fiction concept to a part of everyday life. These machines show up everywhere from children’s toys to exploration vehicles on Mars. Robots are important in many fields, including the manufacturing, automotive, and medical industries. …
Helen Keller was a remarkable woman. She was born in Alabama in 1880. When she was just a small child, she became very ill. She recovered, but lost her sense of sight and hearing. She was so very young that she had not learned to talk much. She could communicate…
At the time I establish’d myself in Pennsylvania, there was not a good bookseller’s shop in any of the colonies to the southward of Boston. In New York and Philad’a the printers were indeed stationers; they sold only paper, etc., almanacs, ballads, and a few common school-books. Those 78 who…
A Shepherd Boy tended his master’s Sheep near a dark forest not far from the village. Soon he found life in the pasture very dull. All he could do to amuse himself was to talk to his dog or play on his shepherd’s pipe. One day as he sat watching…
At the age of 23, Amelia Earhart took a ten-minute plane ride at a 1920 air show that changed her life-she knew she had to learn to fly. Because of her determination, she became a world-famous pilot. She also became a vice president in the airline industry. As a spokeswoman,…
In Peter Pan, Peter has taken Wendy, Michael, and John Darling to Neverland, his magical home. After many adventures with many interesting people and creatures, the Darling children start the journey home. Peter, however, is not very happy that Wendy is going to leave Neverland. He has a plan. He…
By the President of the United States of America: A Proclamation. WHEREAS, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit: “That…
Orangutan means “person of the forest” in the Malay language. Orangutans are great apes. They belong to the family of primates that includes gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos. Wild orangutans live on two islands-Sumatra and Borneo-in Southeast Asia. Both Sumatran orangutans and Bornean orangutans are primarily arboreal. This means they spend…
Loggerhead sea turtles glide gently through many of the world’s oceans. They are known for their beauty and graceful nature. Once widely hunted, they continue to face threats both in the water and on land. Largest of the hard-shelled turtles, adult male loggerheads usually weigh about 250 pounds. They are…
