MAIN IDEA

BY
TRACI STUART
 Main Idea
What is it?
How do we find it?
How do we remember it?
Lets try it.
What is main idea?

Main idea tells what a story is mostly

about.

When looking for main idea we must

think of what FINALLY happened in
the story.
How do we find the main
idea?

Lets use our hands!

How do we find the main
idea?
The thumb stands for who.
The who of a story is very important,
without knowing who the story is
about we cant find the main idea.
How do we find the main
idea?
The pointer finger stands for did
what.

What did the main character finally

do?
How do we find the main
idea?

The middle finger stands for where.

Where did the main character do it?

How do we find the main
idea?
The ring finger stands for when.

When did the main character do it?

How do we find the main
idea?
The pinky stands for why.

Why did the main character do it?

How do we remember main
idea?
Remembering is easy!!!
Just look at your fingers.
Thumb - Who?
Pointer - Did what?
Middle finger - Where?
Ring finger - When?
Pinky - Why?
Lets try it!!
Using the book Too Many Tamales and
our five fingers lets find the main
idea.
Remember to think about the word
FINALLY.
What finally happened in the story?
Too Many Tamales

Who?
Maria and
her
cousins.
Too Many Tamales

Did what?
Ate all the
tamales.
Too Many Tamales

Where?
In the
kitchen.
Too Many Tamales

When?
On
Christmas
day.
Too Many Tamales

Why?
To try to
find
Marias
mothers
ring.
Too Many Tamales
Using all the information, write one
sentence that tells the main idea of
the story.

Maria and her cousins ate all the

tamales on Christmas, in the
kitchen, because she was trying
to find her mothers ring that she
had lost.
Fair Use Guidelines
Certain materials are included under the
fair use exemption of the U.S.Copyright Law
and have been prepared according to the
educational fair use guidelines.