Identify supporting details in informational texts

Learning Objectives Define 'main idea' and 'supporting detail' in their own words. Explain how supporting details act as reasons that prove a main idea is true. Locate at least two specific supporting details for a given main idea in a grade-level paragraph. Differentiate between a supporting detail and an interesting but off-topic fact. Identify signal words (e.g., 'because', 'for example', 'also') that introduce supporting details. Explain why strong supporting details make an author's writing more convincing. Have you ever tried to convince a grown-up to let you stay up late? ⏰ What reasons did you give to support your idea? Just like you use reasons to make a point, authors use 'supporting details' to pro...

TermDefinitionExample Informational TextA type of non-fiction writing that gives you facts and information about a topic.A book about the life cycle of a butterfly or an article about how volcanoes erupt. Main IdeaThe most important point the author wants you to understand. It's the big idea of the whole text or a single paragraph.If a paragraph is about dogs, the main idea might be: 'Dogs make excellent companions for people.' Supporting DetailA sentence with a fact, reason, or example that proves or explains the main idea. It answers 'Why?' or 'How?' about the main idea.If the main idea is 'Dogs make excellent companions,' a supporting detail would be: 'They are very loyal and can make their owners feel safe.' ReasonA specific cause...

The 'Why? How? What?' Test After you find the main idea, ask questions like: 'Why is this true?', 'How do I know this?', or 'What is an example of this?' Use this test to check if a sentence is a supporting detail. The sentences that answer these questions are your supporting details. If a sentence doesn't answer one of these, it might not be a supporting detail. The Topic Sentence Clue The main idea is often stated in the first or last sentence of a paragraph. The sentences in the middle usually contain the supporting details. When you start reading a new paragraph, pay close attention to the very beginning and the very end. This is a great shortcut to find the main idea, which then helps you find the details that support it....