Main Ideas and Details

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. Read the short paragraph. What is the main idea?

Our school garden grows vegetables that students plant and care for. Gardening lessons teach responsibility, science skills and teamwork.

The vegetables taste better than supermarket ones.

The school garden helps students learn responsibility and teamwork.

Gardening takes a lot of water.

Only teachers should plant vegetables.

2. Read the short paragraph. What is the main idea?

Disposable coffee cups are used for just a few minutes but can take decades to break down in landfill. Reducing single-use cups helps protect the environment.

Coffee tastes better in reusable cups.

Disposable cups are cheaper to buy in bulk.

Disposable cups contribute to long-term environmental harm and reducing them helps protect nature.

Landfill sites are close to schools.

3. Read the short paragraph. What is the main idea?

Many native birds in Aotearoa face threats from introduced predators and habitat loss. Conservation efforts like pest control and habitat restoration help these species survive.

All introduced species are harmless.

Native birds need conservation because predators and habitat loss threaten them.

Birds prefer city parks to forests.

Pest control is always harmful to native species.

4. Read the short paragraph. What is the main idea?

Training for a marathon includes consistent weekly long runs, gradual increases in distance, and adequate rest. Rushing training increases the risk of injury.

Running a marathon is impossible without a coach.

Consistent, gradual training and rest reduce injury risk for marathon runners.

You must run every day to prepare for a marathon.

Only long runs matter in marathon training.

✏️ Part 2: Short Answers

5. Read this paragraph. Write the main idea in one sentence (use your own words):

Classroom technology — such as shared documents and video calls — can improve student collaboration when used thoughtfully. Teachers should organise tasks so technology supports discussion and group problem solving.

6. Read this paragraph. List two supporting details that back up the main idea:

The after-school kapa haka group meets twice a week and includes students from Years 9–11. Participants practise waiata, haka and choreography, which strengthens cultural identity and provides regular physical activity.

Supporting detail 1: ____________________________

Supporting detail 2: ____________________________

7. Combine the ideas from questions 5 and 6. Write one-sentence summaries for each paragraph (two sentences total):

Paragraph from Q5 summary:

Paragraph from Q6 summary:

8. Reflection: Which two strategies from today's lesson help you find the main idea? (Examples: look for topic sentence, note repeated words, ask "What is the author telling me?")