Topics, Main Ideas and Topic Sentences

recognizing them as we read

UNIT 4

You will need your book tonight

Unit 4 Seminar Agenda

•Discussion Board assignment & reminders

•Unit 4 Project description & review•My Reading Lab reminders•KU 085 reminder•Topic, Main Idea, Topic Sentence, Details•Paraphrasing & Summarizing•Review•Q & A

Unit 4 Discussion Board• After the presentation on Main Ideas (located in

your MRL Study Plan):1. Discuss the tips and suggestions offered in summarizing a passage.  2. How will these tips and suggestions help you to identify the main idea and supporting details of passages? 3. Think of a book, article, or passage you have read.  This can be something you read for enjoyment, or to a child.  What was the title of the book?  What was the main idea?  What were some of the supporting details in the book?

Discussion Reminders - Content• Please respond to each questions in at least 1–2 well

thought out paragraphs of 5–7 sentences each. • For each question, you must respond to a minimum of two

peers in at least 5-7 sentences each. For additional information on discussion requirements, please see the discussion rubric in the syllabus.

Discussion Reminder - Quality

• Because professional presentation of writing is critical to your success, please compose all discussion posts and responses to peers in MS Word, even if you are asked to cut/copy and paste rather than attach.

•  At a minimum, you must run grammar and spelling check before submitting all work. You should also proof carefully for typos and other noticeable mistakes.

•  You also must employ a formal, professional writing style. Do not use chat lingo. For example, do not use "i" for "I.” Do capitalize the first letter of each sentence, and do not use abbreviations like IMHO, TY, etc.

•  Note: As part of standard netiquette, we discourage posting of any overly personally identifiable information such as your phone number and home address.

Discussion – Samples and Hints

Using My Reading LabEach week there are two tabs – Reading Skills and Reading Level. Reading Skills are required that week.For example, this week you complete the Unit 4 Skills

Using My Reading LabYou have exercises to complete at your own pace under the Reading Level tab.  Please work on the exercises under the Reading Level tab during units 2-7.  The Reading Level exercises are different for each student.  They are assigned based on your initial Lexile level.  Please have all of your exercises under the Reading Level tab completed by the end of Unit 7. This is a sample – yours may have different topics.

Unit 4 Supporting Details TestUnit 4 Supporting Details Test This week in My Reading Lab, you will complete the Unit 4 Supporting Details Test.  This is located under the Reading Skills tab.  Note, there are two sections for Unit 4 under the Reading Skills tab.The Supporting Details test is located under the second MRL section in unit 4.

KU 085

•Found on your My CAMPUS page with KU 120 and 121.•Certain activities are assigned in certain units•You will earn points in Unit 9 for completing the KU 085 Activities

Identify the topic of a paragraph•This is the subject of the paragraph•Ask this question to aid in discovering the

topic of the paragraph: Who or what is most frequently mentioned or referred to in the paragraph?

•Topic must be general enough to include everything in the paragraph but specific enough to exclude anything not discussed in detail.

•PAGE 107

Practice Identifying TopicSocrates was a philosopher, a person

who searches for the truth and meaning of life. A well-known teacher in ancient Athens, his method of teaching was to pose questions that made his students examine and question their beliefs. Socrates’ method, however, upset many Athenian leaders. Socrates was eventually sentenced to death.

A. philosophyB. the Athenian leadersC. Socrates’ method of teaching

Practice Identifying TopicIf two people with sharply different

spending styles commit to a relationship, problems usually arise. For example, the conflict of “his” and “her” money may come into play, and whoever earns the larger salary may want to tell the other how to spend. In disagreements over money, the larger earner may think or say “I earned it and I’ll spend it.”

A. Conflicting spending stylesB. MoneyC. Fights about “his” money

Main Idea•We use the topic to help us identify the main

idea of the paragraph•This is the central message or point of the

paragraph.•It is the underlying thought that connects the

individual sentences (supporting details) together.

•Main Idea is the author’s comment on the topic.

•Think of Main Idea as a headline for the paragraph/passage

•PAGE 106

Using Topic to find Main Idea•Page 114 – Shopaholics

•Page 116 – group 1 & 2•Page 118 – psychology textbook

Topic Sentences

What is a topic sentence?How do they set the paragraph up for us as

readers?

PAGE 111

Finding the topic sentence• A topic sentence puts the main idea into words.• Don’t confuse the main idea which is the thought

that unites or links all the sentences in the paragraph.

• The topic sentence is the author’s words that explain the main idea.

• The topic sentence includes the main idea.• Let’s review the blue box on page 152 that explains

what a topic sentence is.

• PAGE 119

Where are topic sentences?

•Topic sentences can be found anywhere in a paragraph▫2nd sentence after an introductory sentence▫After a reversal transition sentence▫After a transitional sentence▫After an opening question▫Even at midpoint▫As the last sentence▫Of course, as the first sentence in a

paragraph too!

Practice Identifying Topic Sentences•Page 126

Supporting Details

•All other sentences in a paragraph will be supporting details. These are the sentences an author uses to support/prove the main idea. They can be examples, descriptions, reasons, definitions, statistics, non-examples…

•PAGE 160•Major and Minor details – PAGE 163

Transitions

•Transitions are phrases used to connect 2 ideas, sentences, paragraphs. They are words that signal pattern of organization. Transition phrases give sentences and paragraphs unity and order.

REVIEW

•What is the topic?

•What’s the difference between the topic and the main idea of a paragraph?

•What’s the difference between the main idea and the topic sentence?

Creating A Summary from Annotations•A summary is a brief, clear restatement of

the most important points of a paragraph or passage.

•To create summary, annotate, or mark, your text during reading

•PAGES 167-168 (explanation) •PAGES 660-661 (text example)

Paraphrasing

•This term is used a lot in writing, but we don’t hear it often in reading

•After reading a paragraph, we should be able to paraphrase the paragraph into our own words

How to do this•Paraphrasing is not taking what we just

read and rephrasing it; it is writing down our understanding of the passage we just read.

•Paraphrasing is explaining what you read to someone so he/she will better understand it.

•An accurate paraphrase uses different language to say the same thing the author says.

Practice Paraphrasing

•Page 187 – paragraph #2

•Page 190 – Exercise 10

So reading involves…• Identifying the topic• Identifying the main idea• Recognizing the topic sentences• Noting the transition phrases and supporting

details • Paraphrasing what we just read in our own

words so we understand it better• Thinking critically about what we just read and

deciding if we agree or disagree with the topic and why

Recap• Discussion Board assignment & reminders• Unit 4 Project description & review• My Reading Lab reminders• KU 085 reminder• Topic, Main Idea, Topic Sentence, Details• Paraphrasing & Summarizing• Review• Q & A

•Email or post questions!!!!!