Main Idea Activity

Main Idea Worksheet Bundle!

Teach your students how to identify the main idea of an informational text using this main idea worksheet bundle. Students will learn how to locate the main idea of a passage and how to correctly identify the main idea of a multiple choice question. This is a great resource for test-prep too!

Included in this bundle is:

• A How-To Visual for teaching students how to locate the main idea of text
• 5 information mini-passages
• Written Response Spaces
• Multiple Choice Questions for each mini-passage
• Answer Key
• PDF-Format
• Print and Go!
• 7 pages total
• Aligned to RI4.2 and RI5.2
• Perfect for students in grades 4-5!

Students will:

• Read each paragraph
• Identify the main idea and supporting details
• Write the main idea and supporting details
• Answer multiple choice questions
• Support their answer with details from the text (great for practicing text-evidence skills!)

Topics include:

• Air Pollution
• Pluto
• Clouds
• Fingerprinting a Crime
• Calcium

Ideas for Use:

Direct Instruction: Use the page titled “Finding the Main Idea” to teach students how to determine the main idea of informational texts. Display or project the page for students to see. Review the handout with students before using the main idea worksheets.

Differentiation: For students who need support with identifying the main idea, guide them to highlight the overall idea in one color and then highlight supporting details in another color.

Stations: Set up stations using the resources provided in this bundle. Then, have students rotate from station to station to complete each activity.

Test Prep: This resource is a perfect way to teach students the skills they need to identify the main idea on a test.