The central or main idea of
a nonfiction text is the
point the author is making
about a topic.
For instance, the main idea of an anti-smoking commercial may be
that smoking is harmful to the health of the smoker and those around
the smoker.
The central or main idea of a
nonfiction text is not always stated,
but hints at the main idea can be
found in the title, the topic sentence
of each paragraph, or the conclusion
sentence of each paragraph.
HINT: Underline the topic (usually the first sentence in a paragraph)
sentence and conclusion sentence (usually the last sentence in a
paragraph) of EVERY paragraph in a text to help you find the main
idea of the ENTIRE text.
The central or main idea of a
nonfiction text is not the same as the
topic. A topic is usually a single word
or phrase. A main idea is the point
the author is making about a topic.
For example, cheetahs can be the topic of a documentary. The main
or central idea would be that cheetahs run fast.
The point of view of a story tells us
about the narrator. 1st person is being
told by a character from within the
story. 3rd person is coming from
outside the story.
First person key words:
I, me, my, us, ours, we,
mine...
Remember, we never look INSIDE of quotes for key words. ONLY
use keywords found outside of quotation marks!!!
Third person key words:
He, she, it, they, them, hers,
his, their, and always
calling the main character
by their first name.
Don’t forget, if it is a tie between first and third person words,
because BOTH are used, FIRST WINS!
The difference between third person
omniscient and third person limited
is that in third person limited, the
narrator only knows the thoughts of
ONE character.
HINT* Omniscient means “all-knowing.” Third person omniscient
means that our narrator knows everyone in the story’s thoughts and
feelings.
The ways we can learn about a character’s
traits are:
1. Words of the character
2. Words of other characters
3. Actions of the character
4. Actions of other characters
5. Author’s description
We need to analyze these events when asked to find a character’s
traits.
Summaries of nonfiction
texts should include main
ideas and important details,
but should not contain
personal opinions.
HINT* When asked to write a summary, first find and restate the main
idea (use clues from title, first sentence, and last sentence) in your
own words and then add only important details without mentioning
your personal thoughts about the topic.
The reason an author writes
is called the author’s
purpose.
Think about if the author is trying to persuade you, inform you of a
historical or scientific event, or express emotion.
When we summarize
fictional texts, we should
include important details
and avoid personal
opinions.
Remember fictional means it is a FAKE story! Nonfiction means it is
real.
When we summarize fictional texts, we should include
the plot. An easy way to remember this is to use the tool:
Somewhere
Somebody
Wanted
But
So
Then
Use this tool when asked to summarize a fictional text and you will most likely include all the important
details.
Somewhere- the time or
place of a story
Somebody- the main
character of a story
Wanted- what the main
character wants
But- the main conflict
throughout the story
So- what the main character
does to try to solve the
conflict.
Then- how the conflict was
finally solved.
Compare means to explain
the similarities .
Contrast means to explain
the differences .
To discover the theme of a
story:
1. Look at the problem or challenges the character faces
2. Look at how the main character reacts to the conflict or
main problem
3. Think about how the main character changes
throughout the story.
4. Describe the big messages the wants you to remember
or the lesson you should learn.
Connotation is a word’s
emotional meaning.
Denotation is a word’s
dictionary definition.
The three charges are:
positive +
neutral ~
negative Remember we used thumbs up, thumbs down, and mas o menos! =)