Educational worksheet focusing on identifying main ideas and supporting details, with activities on pets and camel adaptations.
A worksheet titled "Main Idea and Supporting Details" featuring exercises on categorizing pet-related statements under main ideas about cats and dogs, followed by a reading comprehension section about camels with questions.
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Step-by-step solution for: Main Idea and Supporting Details. 5th-6th Grade Reading
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: Main Idea and Supporting Details. 5th-6th Grade Reading
Let's solve this worksheet step by step.
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We are given four detail sentences and two main ideas. We need to match the details to the correct main idea.
#### Main Ideas:
- Cats can be nice pets.
- Dogs can be very fine pets.
#### Details:
1. They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls.
2. They will purr when their backs are stroked.
3. They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice.
4. They are sometimes called man’s best friend.
Now let’s analyze:
- "They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls."
→ This describes typical dog behavior (barking, chasing sticks/balls).
✔ Goes under Dogs can be very fine pets.
- "They will purr when their backs are stroked."
→ Purring is a cat behavior.
✔ Goes under Cats can be nice pets.
- "They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice."
→ Playing with yarn and chasing mice are classic cat behaviors.
✔ Goes under Cats can be nice pets.
- "They are sometimes called man’s best friend."
→ This is a common phrase used for dogs.
✔ Goes under Dogs can be very fine pets.
#### ✔ Final Matching:
| Cats can be nice pets. | Dogs can be very fine pets. |
|------------------------|----------------------------|
| They will purr when their backs are stroked. | They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls. |
| They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice. | They are sometimes called man’s best friend. |
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> Camels have special features that help them survive in the desert. They have double rows of eyelashes, hairy ear openings, and nostrils that can be closed down. All of these protect them from blowing sand. Camels also store fat in their humps. They lose body water very slowly. They can go for several days without any food or water.
#### 1. What is the topic of this paragraph?
✔ Camels and how they survive in the desert.
*(The topic is what the paragraph is about — camels’ adaptations for desert life.)*
#### 2. Which sentence gives the main idea of the paragraph?
✔ "Camels have special features that help them survive in the desert."
*(This sentence summarizes the entire paragraph. All other sentences support it.)*
#### 3. Give two detail sentences that support the main idea.
I. They have double rows of eyelashes, hairy ear openings, and nostrils that can be closed down.
II. Camels also store fat in their humps.
*(These are specific examples of how camels survive in the desert.)*
#### 4. Give one special feature that protects the camel from the sand.
✔ Double rows of eyelashes (or hairy ear openings, or nostrils that can close)
*(Any one of these is acceptable.)*
#### 5. Why can camels go several days without water?
✔ Because they lose body water very slowly.
*(This is directly stated in the paragraph. The hump stores fat, not water, but the slow loss of water helps them survive.)*
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#### Part 1: Drag and Match
| Cats can be nice pets. | Dogs can be very fine pets. |
|------------------------|----------------------------|
| They will purr when their backs are stroked. | They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls. |
| They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice. | They are sometimes called man’s best friend. |
---
#### Part 2: Questions
1. What is the topic of this paragraph?
→ Camels and how they survive in the desert.
2. Which sentence gives the main idea of the paragraph?
→ Camels have special features that help them survive in the desert.
3. Give two detail sentences that support the main idea.
I. They have double rows of eyelashes, hairy ear openings, and nostrils that can be closed down.
II. Camels also store fat in their humps.
4. Give one special feature that protects the camel from the sand.
→ Double rows of eyelashes (or hairy ear openings or closable nostrils).
5. Why can camels go several days without water?
→ Because they lose body water very slowly.
---
Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer sheet!
---
Part 1: Main Idea and Supporting Details
We are given four detail sentences and two main ideas. We need to match the details to the correct main idea.
#### Main Ideas:
- Cats can be nice pets.
- Dogs can be very fine pets.
#### Details:
1. They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls.
2. They will purr when their backs are stroked.
3. They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice.
4. They are sometimes called man’s best friend.
Now let’s analyze:
- "They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls."
→ This describes typical dog behavior (barking, chasing sticks/balls).
✔ Goes under Dogs can be very fine pets.
- "They will purr when their backs are stroked."
→ Purring is a cat behavior.
✔ Goes under Cats can be nice pets.
- "They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice."
→ Playing with yarn and chasing mice are classic cat behaviors.
✔ Goes under Cats can be nice pets.
- "They are sometimes called man’s best friend."
→ This is a common phrase used for dogs.
✔ Goes under Dogs can be very fine pets.
#### ✔ Final Matching:
| Cats can be nice pets. | Dogs can be very fine pets. |
|------------------------|----------------------------|
| They will purr when their backs are stroked. | They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls. |
| They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice. | They are sometimes called man’s best friend. |
---
Part 2: Reading Comprehension – Camel Paragraph
> Camels have special features that help them survive in the desert. They have double rows of eyelashes, hairy ear openings, and nostrils that can be closed down. All of these protect them from blowing sand. Camels also store fat in their humps. They lose body water very slowly. They can go for several days without any food or water.
#### 1. What is the topic of this paragraph?
✔ Camels and how they survive in the desert.
*(The topic is what the paragraph is about — camels’ adaptations for desert life.)*
#### 2. Which sentence gives the main idea of the paragraph?
✔ "Camels have special features that help them survive in the desert."
*(This sentence summarizes the entire paragraph. All other sentences support it.)*
#### 3. Give two detail sentences that support the main idea.
I. They have double rows of eyelashes, hairy ear openings, and nostrils that can be closed down.
II. Camels also store fat in their humps.
*(These are specific examples of how camels survive in the desert.)*
#### 4. Give one special feature that protects the camel from the sand.
✔ Double rows of eyelashes (or hairy ear openings, or nostrils that can close)
*(Any one of these is acceptable.)*
#### 5. Why can camels go several days without water?
✔ Because they lose body water very slowly.
*(This is directly stated in the paragraph. The hump stores fat, not water, but the slow loss of water helps them survive.)*
---
✔ Final Answers:
#### Part 1: Drag and Match
| Cats can be nice pets. | Dogs can be very fine pets. |
|------------------------|----------------------------|
| They will purr when their backs are stroked. | They will run, bark, and chase after sticks or balls. |
| They like to play with balls of yarn and will chase mice. | They are sometimes called man’s best friend. |
---
#### Part 2: Questions
1. What is the topic of this paragraph?
→ Camels and how they survive in the desert.
2. Which sentence gives the main idea of the paragraph?
→ Camels have special features that help them survive in the desert.
3. Give two detail sentences that support the main idea.
I. They have double rows of eyelashes, hairy ear openings, and nostrils that can be closed down.
II. Camels also store fat in their humps.
4. Give one special feature that protects the camel from the sand.
→ Double rows of eyelashes (or hairy ear openings or closable nostrils).
5. Why can camels go several days without water?
→ Because they lose body water very slowly.
---
Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer sheet!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of main idea and supporting details worksheets.