Grade 6 · Reading Non-Fiction: Central Ideas · Central Ideas and Structure
Finding the Central Idea
Separate the central idea of an article from its supporting details, and write an objective summary.
Learning objectives
- State the central idea of a short article in one sentence
- Sort details into supporting and non-essential
- Write a three-sentence objective summary
Common Core ELA alignment
RI.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what an informational text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Grade 6 emphasis: work with a single text or clear pairing, with teacher-modelled evidence and summary.
RI.6.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyse its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary. Grade 6 emphasis: work with a single text or clear pairing, with teacher-modelled evidence and summary.
W.6.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research. Grade 6 emphasis: work with a single text or clear pairing, with teacher-modelled evidence and summary.
MYP criteria
- Criterion A — Analysing
- Criterion C — Producing text
ENGAGE
Too many facts
An article about sleep gives you nine facts. If a friend asks what it said, you cannot repeat all nine. You need the one sentence that holds the rest together: the central idea.
Think about it
- What do you usually remember from an article a day later?
- Why is a list of facts harder to remember than one idea?
EXPLORE
Read: Why teenagers sleep late
Teenagers are often accused of laziness, but researchers have found a biological explanation. During adolescence, the body clock shifts by roughly two hours, so the hormone melatonin is released later at night. Teenagers therefore feel alert at eleven and drowsy at seven in the morning, exactly when school begins. Some school districts have moved start times later and reported fewer late arrivals and better test results. Sleep scientists argue that early bells, not lazy students, cause much of the tiredness in secondary schools.
Test the idea
A good central idea sentence should cover every paragraph you read, not only the first one.
Think about it
- Which sentence comes closest to the central idea?
- Which detail is interesting but not essential to that idea?
EXPLAIN
Idea, details, summary
| Element | Question it answers | From the article |
|---|---|---|
| Central idea | What is the whole text saying? | Later body clocks, not laziness, explain teenage tiredness. |
| Supporting detail | What proves it? | Melatonin is released about two hours later in adolescence. |
| Extra detail | What is interesting but optional? | Some districts reported better test results. |
Writing an objective summary
- Sentence 1: the central idea in your own words.
- Sentence 2 and 3: the two strongest supporting details.
- Include no opinions, no I think, no new information.
Common mistake
The first sentence of an article is often a hook, not the central idea. Read to the end before you decide.
MYP_PRACTICE
Criterion A task
Choose any news article of 300 to 500 words. Write the central idea in one sentence, then a three-sentence objective summary, then name one detail the writer could remove without weakening the article.
EXIT_TICKET
Check yourself
Think about it
- State the central idea of this lesson in one sentence.
- How do you tell a supporting detail from an extra detail?
Interactive practice · sort details
Sort the details
Drag each statement into central idea, supporting detail or extra detail.
Items
Buckets
Your answer
This draft stays in this tab only. Copy anything you want to keep into your learning log below.
Key vocabulary
- Central idea
- The most important idea an informational text develops, said in one sentence.
- Supporting detail
- A fact, example or statistic that proves the central idea.
- Objective summary
- A short retelling with no opinions or added information.
- Hook
- An opening line written to catch attention rather than to state the main idea.
Practice questions
0/2 correct
Level 1 · Criterion A
What is the central idea of the article?
Level 2 · Criterion A
Which detail most directly supports the central idea?
MYP criterion tasks
Level 3 · Criterion C
Write a three-sentence objective summary of the article.
Reflect & track
Your learning log
Saved privately in this browser — no account needed.
How confident do you feel?