Unit 1- Lesson 2

LOCATING MAIN IDEAS

 OBJECTIVES
• Determine the location of main ideas
• Identify strategies in locating thesis statement
and topic sentences
• Apply strategies in identifying the central
information of a text
• Write the identified main ideas in own words
• Create an e-portfolio
 Let’s Warm Up
• Within 5 minutes, write a paragraph about
your idea of LOVE. Make sure that you have a
central idea in your paragraph.
• Then, exchange works with your seatmate.
Read your seatmate’s idea of Love.
• Afterwards, return the paper to your seatmate
and have him/her confirm whether you
correctly underlined his/her main idea.
 Self-audit
• Tell about the following tasks whether you do this USUALLY, SOMETIMES,
SELDOM or NEVER:
• 1. I look for the main idea of a text to understand what it is about,
• 2. I read a paragraph carefully to get its topic sentence.
• 3. I use the title to make inferences about the purpose of the text.
• 4. I look for signal words or phrases to look for the main idea.
• 5. I observe the writing pattern of the author to find the topic sentences in the
paragraph.
• 6. I look for the thesis statement to evaluate the author’s arguments.
• 7. I summarize a text based on its thesis statement.
• 8. I write the main idea in my own words to understand the text better.
• 9. I look for the topic sentence by looking for the sentence which discusses the
key word.
• 10. I look for the topic sentence using the details in the thesis statement.
 Let’s Learn
• Understanding and Locating the Thesis
Statement
- Thesis statement presents or describes the
point of an essay.
- In an academic text, the thesis statement is
usually presented in the abstract or executive
summary at the last part of the introduction.
- It is a declarative sentence.
 Sample Abstract
• Previous studies revealed that meaning-focused introduction (MFI) and form-focused
instruction (FFI) are two of the most effective approaches in developing the overall
language skills of second language learners, separately. However, experimental studies
have been conducted to prove their effectiveness when integrated. This study,
therefore, aims to fill in this gap by investigating the effects of combining MFI and FFI in
developing the speaking, writing and grammar skills of selected secondary ESL students
in public high schools in the Philippines. The participants involved in this study are 480
third year high school students. These students were divided into four groups: Group A
(n=120) received both the MFI and FFI, Group B (n=120) received MFI only, Group C
(n=120) received FFI only, and Group D (n=120) received the standard English
programme for secondary ESL students. Findings revealed that students from Group A,
B, and C significantly improved in their speaking, writing and grammar skills but not
Group D. Based on ANOVA, findings further showed that students from Group A have
outperformed students from Group B, C, and D. From these findings, it is concluded that
combining MFI and FFI is an effective way in significantly improving the language skills
of students. Future directions and implications for teaching are also discussed.
Strategies in Locating the Thesis Statement

• 1. Read the title of the text and make

inferences on its purpose.
• 2. If the text has no abstract or executive
summary, read the first few paragraphs as the
thesis statement is usually located there.
• 3. In other cases, you may also check the
conclusion where authors sum up and review
their main points.
 Understanding and Locating the Topic
Sentences
• Topic sentence presents or describes the point
of the paragraph. It can be located in the
beginning, middle, or last part of a paragraph.
 Examples
No. 1
• The Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) is the agency responsible for human development
concerns such as the provision of social services such as
those provided in day care centers. For instance, DSWD is
implementing the Supplementary Feeding Program (SFP)
nationwide. This is in addition to the regular meals served
to Day Care children as part of DSWD’s program to ensure
that day care children are well-nourished as they attend
classes.
Source: “Education for All, 2015 National Review Report:
Philippines” (2015)
 Examples
No. 2
• Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) plays a crucial
role in ensuring that chuildren are taught the skills and
knowledge essential in building a learner’s interest to acquire
education in life. Recognizing the benefits of ECCD to a person’s
well-being and the country, R.A. No. 8980 or the ECCD Act was
legislated to institutionalize a national ECCD system. Through
the ECCD Act, a comprehensive, integrative, and sustainable
ECCD framework of the country was developed. This ECCD Act
promotes multisectoral and inter-agency collaboration under
the coordination of a national ECCD Council.
Source: Education for All. 2015 National Review Report:
Philippines” (2015)
 Strategies in Locating the Topic Sentence
• 1. Read the first sentence of the paragraph very carefully because
most authors state their topic sentence in the beginning of the
paragraph.
• 2. Browse the sentences in the paragraph to identify what they
describe. The sentence that best describes the topic of the
paragraph is the topic sentence.
• 3. Find the concept or idea being tackled which in colloquial term
is the “big word” in the paragraph.
• 4. Identify the purpose of the paragraph. The sentence that
presence the purpose is the topic sentence.
• 5. Observe the writing style of the author. Focus specifically on
where he/she usually places his/her topic sentence.
 Checking for Understanding
• Write T if the statement is true and F if false:
• 1. A paragraph can consist of two or more topic sentence.
• 2. The abstract presents the thesis of the text.
• 3. By observing the writing style of the author, you can determine the location of
the topic sentence.
• 4. Locating the thesis statement or the topic sentence while reading a text can
save time.
• 5. Most of the time, the author begins the paragraph with a topic sentence.
• 6. Sometimes, the main idea is presented at the end of the paragraph.
• 7. The main idea is always stated in the first part of the paragraph.
• 8. The thesis of a text is in question form.
• 9. When an abstract is not provided, the thesis statement is not evident in the
text.
• 10. You don’t have to read the full text if you know how to spot its main idea.
 Let’s Practice
• I. Read the following text and locate the main idea by underlining it. Then, rewite the
main idea in your own words.

This study examines the viewpoints of Macau and Singapore residents on the
development of casino gambling and the social, economic, and environmental impacts
that are thought to arise. It also assesses whether differences exist between socio-
demographic groupings. The sample comprises 416 respondents from Macau and 409
from Singapore. An analysis using primarily descriptive statistics indicated both sub-
samples had similar viewpoints although Macau residents tended to have higher scores
pertaining to the consequences of gambling. It is suggested that the differences arise
due to thegreater exposure of Macau residents to the influences of casino
development.

Source: Wu, S-T. & Chen, Y.S. (2015)The social, economic and environmental impacts of
casino gambling on the residents of Macau and Singapore Tourism Management, 48,
285-298.
 Let’s Practice
• II. Form a group with four members. Go to any
of the following sites:
- U.P. Diliman Journals Online –
http://journals.upd.edu.ph/
- Philippine Institute for Development Studies-
Research paper Series –
http://www.pids.gov.ph/rps.php
- Kritika Kultural –
http://kritikakultura.ateneo.net/type/issue
 Instructions
• A. Each group member has to find two articles in a field that interests him or her.
• B. Complete the given information below with the texts chosen:
• TEXT 1
Title of the Text: __________________________
Author/s of the Text:_______________________
Title of the Journal/Publication:______________
URL or web address:_______________________
Main Idea: _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Evidence that supports the main idea (provide at least two):
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
• TEXT 2

Title of the Text: __________________________

Author/s of the Text:_______________________
Title of the Journal/Publication:______________
URL or web address:_______________________
Main Idea: _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
Evidence that supports the main idea (provide at least two):
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
• C. Synthesize the main idea of the two articles
by considering the following:
1. New information or ideas found or identified
2. Connection of each article (if the chosen fields
are different from one another)
3. The group’s collective reflection on how these
pieces of information from the texts can be
helpful to them
• D. Then, share your synthesis with the class
for five minutes. Make sure to present the ff:
1. Titles and authors of the articles
2. Journals where the articles were taken
3. Main idea of each article
4. Group’s synthesis
• E. Submit a report on your performance
through an e-portfolio. Set up a group blog on
blogging platforms such as Wordpress or
Blogspot. Design your blog creatively; you may
add related photos or videos if necessary.
• F. Make sure your group’s e-portfolio contains
the following contents:
1. Information about the texts (see item B)
2. Synthesis report of the group in essay form
(see item C for the required content of the
synthesis)
 Reinforcement Activity
• Write a magazine article about locating a thesis
statement and topic sentences in a text. Make
sure you use at least one text as an example.
• Lay out your article creatively and submit it
following the basic format below:
- 1.5 spacing
- 1” margin on all sides
- Font size (for the content) - 12
 E-link
• Hone your skills in locating the main ideas and topic sentences by checking
the websites below:
Exercises: Locating Main Ideas

http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0073123587/student_view0/chapt
er8/locating_the_stated_main_idea_multiple-choice_exercise.html

What is the main idea activity?

http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/language_arts/main_idea/quiz1510.ht
ml

Reading Exercises: Locating Main Ideas

http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-worksheets/main-idea.pdf
 Let’s Reflect
• Reflect on the learning gained from this lesson by
completing the ff:
• What were your misconceptions about the topic
before taking up the lesson?
I thought…
• What new or additional learning have you had
after taking up this lesson in terms of skills,
content and attitude?
I learned that…