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Sorting Important and Sorting Important and Unimportant InformationUnimportant Information

From Reading InnovationsFrom Reading Innovations


What is the difference between What is the difference between Important and Unimportant Information?Important and Unimportant Information?

The important information in a paragraph or The important information in a paragraph or article is related to the main idea or topic. article is related to the main idea or topic.

Unimportant information may be interesting or Unimportant information may be interesting or help help make the writing more colorful, but it is not about the make the writing more colorful, but it is not about the main idea or topic.main idea or topic.


Why is sorting important and unimportant Why is sorting important and unimportant information a useful strategy?information a useful strategy?

When we read a story or article, it is When we read a story or article, it is impossible to remember every word we read. impossible to remember every word we read.

We must decide what the important parts are that help us We must decide what the important parts are that help us understand the main idea, and what parts we don’t need to understand the main idea, and what parts we don’t need to remember. remember.

The important information should give us the The important information should give us the “BIG PICTURE”. “BIG PICTURE”.


How do we sort important from How do we sort important from unimportant information?unimportant information?

The first step is to identify the main idea or topic of what we are reading.The first step is to identify the main idea or topic of what we are reading.

Make sure to set a purpose for reading. What will you learn from the text?

Then, as we read, we should think about how the details relate to the main idea.

Important Information usually answers the questions: who, where, when, what, how and why.


Modeled PracticeModeled PracticeUsing the following passage, I will “think aloud” to decide what Using the following passage, I will “think aloud” to decide what

information is the most important to remember from the text.information is the most important to remember from the text.

Wind PowerWind can make electricity. Do you know what a wind

farm is? Wind farms do not grow corn or wheat. Instead of crops, wind farms have wind turbines. They are giant windmills. Each one is taller than a 20-story building. Wind spins these turbines. That turning runs machines. The machines make electricity.

The United States powers about 4.5 million homes with wind power. Wind farms produce power without making air, land, or water dirty. That's not all. We'll never run out of wind! Article by Beth Geiger , National Geographic Explorer, Sept. Issue p. 18


Modeled PracticeModeled Practice

Step 1: What is the main idea?Step 1: What is the main idea?

Wind Power

Wind can make electricity.

The title helps me

The first sentence helps me

Step 2: What is my purpose for reading?Step 2: What is my purpose for reading?The passage is about wind power, I learned how electricity is made from the wind.



Wind can make electricity. Do you know what a wind farm is? Wind farms do not grow corn or wheat. Instead of crops, wind farms have wind turbines. They are giant windmills. Each one is taller than a 20-story building. Wind spins these turbines. That turning runs machines. The machines make electricity.

Step 3: What are the most important details that support Step 3: What are the most important details that support the main idea? the main idea?

Let’s look at the first paragraph. What information should

we remember?



The United States powers about 4.5 million homes with wind power. Wind farms produce power without making air, land, or water dirty. That's not all. We'll never run out of wind!

Let’s look at the second paragraph. What information should

we remember?



Wind makes electricityWind makes electricity

Step 4: Make a list of the most important details to Step 4: Make a list of the most important details to summarize the text. summarize the text.

Wind farms have turbines (windmills)Wind farms have turbines (windmills)

Turbines spin by wind to run machinesTurbines spin by wind to run machines

Machine makes electricityMachine makes electricity

U.S. powers 4.5 million homesU.S. powers 4.5 million homes

Wind power doesn’t cause pollutionWind power doesn’t cause pollution


Let’s Review the StepsLet’s Review the Steps Find the main idea by looking at the title or other Find the main idea by looking at the title or other

keywords. Look for a topic sentence at the beginning keywords. Look for a topic sentence at the beginning of the text.of the text.

Set a purpose for reading. What will you learn? What Set a purpose for reading. What will you learn? What questions do you have about the topic? What do you questions do you have about the topic? What do you already know about the topic?already know about the topic?

Read each sentence and find information that supports Read each sentence and find information that supports the main idea of the text. the main idea of the text.

Finally, make a list of the important details to summarize the Finally, make a list of the important details to summarize the text.text.


Guided PracticeGuided PracticeUsing the following passage, think about what the main ideaUsing the following passage, think about what the main ideaIs. Write down the important details that support the topic.Is. Write down the important details that support the topic.

Article by Beth Geiger , National Geographic Explorer, pages 10-17 of the April 2006 issue.

The Great Quake of 1906Think back to 1906. It was April 18 in San Francisco. A

woman woke to something strange. Her house rocked. She later wrote, "I was wakened by the crash of falling furniture."

What started the shaking? Blame the San Andreas Fault. It lies below the city. It is 600 miles long. A fault is a crack between two plates. A plate is part of Earth’s surface. Plates fit together like huge puzzle pieces. The plates usually move slowly. Sometimes a plate makes a big move. One plate moved 20 feet that day. It was an earthquake.

The woman and her husband were fine. Then things got worse. The city caught fire! The woman saw flames everywhere that night.


Guided PracticeGuided Practice

People had to escape. They took what they could. Some left by boat. Many went to the edge of the city. They gathered in parks. San Francisco was almost destroyed by fire. Many people lost their homes. So did the woman and her husband. They stayed with friends whose houses were safe. What would they do next?

Some people felt hopeless. Many were glad just to be alive. Help came from all over the world. The U.S. Army set up camps in parks. They kept the camps safe. The city built thousands of green cottages. People rented them for a few dollars. Later, they bought them.

Article by Beth Geiger , National Geographic Explorer, pages 10-17 of the April 2006 issue.

The Great Quake of 1906 continued

Find more details to support the main ideaFind more details to support the main idea



Step 1: What is the main Idea?Step 1: What is the main Idea?

On April 18On April 18thth 1906 San Francisco had an earthquake. 1906 San Francisco had an earthquake.

When Where What

I learned what happened on April 18I learned what happened on April 18 thth when the when the

earthquake hit San Francisco.earthquake hit San Francisco.

Step 2: What is my purpose for reading?Step 2: What is my purpose for reading?

Step 3: Go back and look for the most important details Step 3: Go back and look for the most important details that support the main idea. that support the main idea.



April 18April 18thth in San Francisco in San Francisco

Step 4: Make a list of the most important details to Step 4: Make a list of the most important details to summarize the text. summarize the text.

On April 18On April 18thth 1906 San Francisco had an earthquake. 1906 San Francisco had an earthquake.

San Andres Fault, 600 miles longSan Andres Fault, 600 miles longMoved 20 feet that day causing an earthquakeMoved 20 feet that day causing an earthquake

The city caught on fireThe city caught on firePeople had to escape and lost their homesPeople had to escape and lost their homes

San Francisco was almost destroyed by fireSan Francisco was almost destroyed by fire

U.S. Army set up camps and built green cottages to helpU.S. Army set up camps and built green cottages to help


Independent PracticeIndependent PracticeUsing an article given to you by your teacher, Using an article given to you by your teacher, read the article through once, and then go back to sort read the article through once, and then go back to sort through the important information using the steps below.through the important information using the steps below.

Step 1: What is the main idea? Step 1: What is the main idea? Think about the Big IdeaThink about the Big Idea

Step 2: What is my purpose for reading? Step 2: What is my purpose for reading? Think about what you learnedThink about what you learned

Step 3: What are the most important details that support Step 3: What are the most important details that support the main idea? the main idea? Think about the “W” questionsThink about the “W” questions

Step 4: Make a list of the most important details to Step 4: Make a list of the most important details to summarize the text. summarize the text. Try to use your own Try to use your own

wordswords


SummarySummary

The important information in a paragraph or The important information in a paragraph or article is related to the main idea or topic. article is related to the main idea or topic.

The important information should give us the The important information should give us the “BIG PICTURE”. “BIG PICTURE”.

Important Information usually answers the questions: who, where, when, what, how and why.


Online Resources for Online Resources for Important vs Unimportant InformationImportant vs Unimportant Information

Find more information about this skill:Find more information about this skill:

http://www.readinginnovations.com/Comprehension/ImportantandUnimportantInformation.htmlhttp://www.readinginnovations.com/Comprehension/ImportantandUnimportantInformation.html

Find great articles to use for practicing this skill:Find great articles to use for practicing this skill:

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/pioneer/articles/http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/pioneer/articles/

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wrhttp://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wr

http://www.readinginnovations.com/Comprehension/ImportantandUnimportantInformation.html

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/pioneer/articles/

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wr

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