Central Idea & Details

Student Concept Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	Animal adaptations (or "Adaptations") Accept any 1-2 word topic related to how animals adapt to survive.
2	B. Animals have developed adaptations to survive in their environments. This is the main point; the other options are specific details that support it.
3	B. Polar bears have blubber to stay warm in the Arctic. This directly supports the central idea by showing a specific adaptation that helps an animal survive.
4	This detail supports the central idea because it shows how camels have adapted to survive in the desert. Storing fat in their humps lets them go without water for weeks, which helps them survive in a dry environment.

Practice Worksheet Answers

Question	Answer
1	Sleep (or "Sleep for students")
2	B. Sleep is essential for students to do their best at school.
3	C. Students who get enough sleep perform better on tests and remember more. This directly supports the idea that sleep helps students do their best at school.
4	This detail shows that lack of sleep hurts students' performance, which supports the central idea that sleep is essential for doing well at school.
5	C. Plastic pollution in the ocean is a serious environmental problem.
6	Any two: Over 100,000 marine animals die from plastic each year / Sea turtles mistake plastic for jellyfish / The garbage patch is twice the size of Texas / Microplastics enter the food chain
7	KEY detail - It directly supports the central idea about pollution being a serious problem by showing a specific harmful effect on marine life.
8	The California Gold Rush dramatically changed California and the United States.
9	C. Gold seekers were called "forty-niners." This is interesting trivia but doesn't directly support how the gold rush changed California/the U.S.
10	It shows how the gold rush changed California by causing it to become a state quickly (in 1850). This is a major, lasting change that resulted from the gold rush.
11	C. Reading regularly provides many benefits for school and life.
12	Academic benefits and personal benefits
13	Any two: Learn new vocabulary / Improve writing skills / Build background knowledge
14	B. Honeybees are important because they pollinate our food, and we need to protect them.
15	This statistic shows just how important bees are to our food supply - if one out of three bites depends on bees, that proves they are truly essential, which supports the central idea.
16	Sample: Honeybees are important for pollinating our food, and we need to protect them. They pollinate many crops including apples and almonds. Unfortunately, bee populations are declining due to pesticides and habitat loss, so scientists are working to protect them.
17	Trees provide many essential benefits to our environment.
18	B. Trees produce oxygen that we breathe.
19	The central idea is the MAIN point the author makes - the most important message. Key details are specific facts that SUPPORT and PROVE the central idea. The central idea is like the umbrella; key details fit underneath it.
20	Sample: 1) Read the whole passage first. 2) Ask "What is this mostly about?" 3) Ask "What is the most important point?" 4) Check if most details support this idea. 5) Look at the title, first, and last paragraphs for clues.

FAST Format Quiz Answers

Question	Answer
1	B. Elephants are remarkable animals known for their intelligence and emotional depth. This captures both aspects covered in the passage; other answers are specific details.
2	C. Elephants comfort each other when upset and celebrate when reunited. This directly shows emotional depth - comforting and celebrating are emotional behaviors.
3	B. It proves that elephants have self-awareness, which is a sign of intelligence.
4	B. Wind turbines are an important source of clean energy that converts wind into electricity.
5	C. Offshore wind farms are more expensive to build. This is interesting but doesn't support the main point about wind turbines being important clean energy sources.
6	C. Healthy soil is a living ecosystem that supports all life on Earth.
7	See rubric and sample response below.
8	B. Healthy soil / soil ecosystems
9	See rubric and sample response below.
10	See rubric and sample response below.

Question 7 Scoring Rubric

Score	Criteria
2	Clearly explains how the detail about microorganisms proves that soil is a living ecosystem
1	Partially explains the connection; lacks clear reasoning
0	Does not explain how the detail supports the central idea

Sample 2-Point Response:
This detail supports the central idea by showing that soil is full of life. If billions of tiny living things are in just one teaspoon, that proves soil is a living ecosystem, not just dirt. These microorganisms help plants grow, which supports all life on Earth.

Question 9 Scoring Rubric (Summary)

Score	Criteria
2	Includes accurate central idea AND at least two relevant key details in student's own words
1	Includes central idea but only one key detail, OR details don't clearly support central idea
0	Missing central idea; just lists details; copies text instead of summarizing

Sample 2-Point Response:
Elephants are remarkable animals known for their intelligence and emotional depth. They have the largest brains of any land animal and can remember things for decades. Elephants also show strong emotions - they comfort each other when upset and seem to mourn when family members die.

Question 10 Scoring Rubric

Score	Criteria
2	Correctly defines all three terms AND provides accurate examples from a quiz passage
1	Defines terms but examples are weak or missing; or confuses central idea with topic/detail
0	Cannot distinguish between terms; examples are incorrect or missing

Sample 2-Point Response (Elephants passage):
Topic: Elephants (what the text is about - just 1-2 words)
Central Idea: Elephants are remarkable animals known for their intelligence and emotional depth. (the main point the author makes - a complete sentence)
Key Detail: Elephants can remember events for decades. (a specific fact that supports the central idea about intelligence)

Quick Reference: Topic vs. Central Idea vs. Key Detail

Passage	Topic	Central Idea
Elephants	Elephants	Elephants are remarkable for their intelligence and emotional depth.
Wind Turbines	Wind turbines / Wind energy	Wind turbines are an important source of clean energy.
Soil	Soil / Healthy soil	Healthy soil is a living ecosystem that supports all life on Earth.