4th Grade

Language Arts: Main Idea

Blizzard Bag

What’s the Main Idea? The BIG idea or topic that the text is mostly about. I can

identify the main

idea!

details or information that supports (tells more about) the main idea.

I can find details that

support the main

idea.

Main idea Snowflake Directions: -Cut out the pieces to the snowflake on the following pages. -Read the passage. -Determine the main idea and write it on the “center” of the snowflake. -Go back in the passage and underline “6” supporting details -Write each detail on a snowflake “branch” and glue it to your center. -Color and make it pretty (you can even add GLITTER! ) -Bring in your snowflake to share at school and hang up!

Main Idea:

Snowflake Pieces

Snowflake Pieces

Deta

il

Snowflake Pieces

Deta

il

Do you catch snowflakes with your tongue? This is a fun thing to do! But did you know there’s a science behind how snowflakes form? Snow is a very unique weather occurrence that many of us do not understand. Snow is a form of precipitation like rain and sleet. To snow the temperature must be below 32 degrees. Snowflakes actually start as tiny ice crystals that form from water vapor (water in a gassy form), and freeze in the atmosphere. Each snowflake is made up of about 200 or more of these ice crystals, but the size of snowflakes can vary based on how many crystals connect together. Most snowflakes have 6 sides to them. Snow is not actually white but clear. Snow looks white because of the way the light reflects off of the ice crystals. On average, snowflakes fall from the sky at 3-4 miles per hour, and there can be a few falling at a time, or very many. Heavy snowfalls with high winds over 35 miles per hour with limited visibility are called blizzards. Next time you are catching those cold flakes, or rolling them into a snowman, you’ll know where they came from and how they formed!

What is snow?