Main Idea Implied Main Idea Thesis Statements

1. Main Idea Implied Main IdeaThesis Statements EQs 29-31 Mrs. J.Jackson English II

2. Main Idea • The central point or message of any passage • Can be found in 2 different ways • Directly Stated Main Idea • Implied Main Idea

3. Directly Stated Main Idea • Mockingbirds are common and popular birds in the eastern and southern regions of the United States. The mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. “Mockers,” as they are affectionately called, are known for their ability to mimic other birds, mammals, and insects with song and sounds. Mockingbirds often live close to human homes, nesting in ornamental hedges.

4. Directly Stated Main Idea • Mockingbirds are common and popular birds in the eastern and southern regions of the United States. The mockingbird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas. “Mockers,” as they are affectionately called, are known for their ability to mimic other birds, mammals, and insects with song and sounds. Mockingbirds often live close to human homes, nesting in ornamental hedges.

5. Implied Main Idea • Example: • Outside, the wind was bitterly cold, and the snow was piling up quickly. • What season of the year is it? • Winter! (That’s implied!)

6. What is the implied main idea of this paragraph? • Are you getting enough water? Think of your houseplants. When they are short on water, they droop. The same thing happens to you! Your body is made up of millions of cells, and the principal part of each cell is water. If your cells are low on water, you will function at less than full efficiency. Strive for six to eight glasses of water each day. • A Houseplants need water to survive. B Cells contain a high percentage of water. C Our bodies are made up of millions of cells. D Your body needs water to remain efficient.

7. What is the implied main idea of this paragraph? • Are you getting enough water? Think of your houseplants. When they are short on water, they droop. The same thing happens to you! Your body is made up of millions of cells, and the principal part of each cell is water. If your cells are low on water, you will function at less than full efficiency. Strive for six to eight glasses of water each day. • A Houseplants need water to survive. B Cells contain a high percentage of water. C Our bodies are made up of millions of cells. D Your body needs water to remain efficient.

8. What is the implied main idea of this paragraph? • The San Clemente loggerhead shrike is a small, gray bird that lives only on San Clemente Island, which is located off the coast of California. Although the birds are small, they are fierce hunters. Shrikes eat many different animals including insects, small reptiles, and even other birds. Sometimes these birds hunt for food and store it in a branch or on a fence so they can eat it later. San Clemente loggerhead shrikes are an endangered species, and they can be difficult to locate. One reason for the population declines is the destruction of their natural habitat. These birds prefer to live in grasslands and similar areas. • A Loggerhead shrikes are small but fierce birds. B San Clemente Island has many endangered species. C The destruction of the grasslands harms the loggerhead shrikes. D The population of small reptiles is declining on San Clemente Island.

9. What is the implied main idea of this paragraph? • The San Clemente loggerhead shrike is a small, gray bird that lives only on San Clemente Island, which is located off the coast of California. Although the birds are small, they are fierce hunters. Shrikes eat many different animals including insects, small reptiles, and even other birds. Sometimes these birds hunt for food and store it in a branch or on a fence so they can eat it later. San Clemente loggerhead shrikes are an endangered species, and they can be difficult to locate. One reason for the population declines is the destruction of their natural habitat. These birds prefer to live in grasslands and similar areas. • A Loggerhead shrikes are small but fierce birds. B San Clemente Island has many endangered species. C The destruction of the grasslands harms the loggerhead shrikes. D The population of small reptiles is declining on San Clemente Island.

10. The Thesis Statement • the most important part of the passage, essay, or any piece of writing • tells the argument or position in a single sentence

11. “As President Kennedy implied, knowledge and peace seem to be ideals best looked for somewhere over the rainbow. Human knowledge, the kind found here on earth, often takes the form of new devious technologies meant to destroy. Promising advances in physics in the 1940s resulted in the atomic bomb’s mass destruction. Peace on earth is so rare, that even in utopias no peace could last. Seeking our own destruction seems to be an inescapable part of human nature.”

12. “As President Kennedy implied, knowledge and peace seem to be ideals best looked for somewhere over the rainbow. Human knowledge, the kind found here on earth, often takes the form of new devious technologies meant to destroy. Promising advances in physics in the 1940s resulted in the atomic bomb’s mass destruction. Peace on earth is so rare, that even in utopias no peace could last. Seeking our own destruction seems to be an inescapable part of human nature.” Thesis Statement

13. Which of theses sentences is the thesis statement of the passage? • Birding, or observing birds, is an inexpensive, fun, and rewarding activity. Walking around your neighborhood and searching for remarkable birds is free. All you need to purchase are a book and a pair of binoculars. After spotting a bird, study it with your binoculars, and then look for the description in your book. From reading the book, you will learn about the interesting birds that live in your neighborhood. In time, you will become more aware and appreciative of the wildlife in your environment.

14. A. After spotting a bird, study it with your binoculars, and then look for the description in your book. • B. In time, you will become more aware and appreciative of the wildlife in your environment. • C. Walking around your neighborhood and searching for remarkable birds is free. • D. Birding, or observing birds, is an inexpensive, fun, and rewarding activity.

15. A. After spotting a bird, study it with your binoculars, and then look for the description in your book. • B. In time, you will become more aware and appreciative of the wildlife in your environment. • C. Walking around your neighborhood and searching for remarkable birds is free. • D. Birding, or observing birds, is an inexpensive, fun, and rewarding activity.