Idea Detectives Worksheet
Idea Detectives Worksheet
Reading Comprehension • Finding the Main Idea
Name:
Date:
Detective Formula:
Topic + Key Point = Main Idea
Ask: "What is the whole text mostly about?"
Case File 1 Science & Nature
Honeybees have a neat way to talk to each other. When a worker bee discovers sweet flowers, it flies right back to the hive. It performs a special wiggle dance in a circle. This dance tells the other bees which direction to fly and how far away the food is. By watching the dance, the hive knows where to go.
1 What is the main idea of this passage?
A Honeybees like to look for sweet flowers outside. B Honeybees communicate food locations by dancing. C Worker bees fly very fast when they leave the hive.
2 Write one clue sentence from the story that proves your answer:
Case File 2 Ocean Animals
Deep at the bottom of the ocean, sunlight never reaches the water. Many deep-sea animals make their own glowing light to survive. Lanternfish use tiny glowing lights on their bellies to hide from predators. Anglerfish wave a glowing tip above their mouths to lure dinner. This natural glow helps sea creatures live in total darkness.
1 What is the main idea of this passage?
A Deep-sea creatures make their own light to survive in the dark. B Sunlight cannot reach the bottom of the ocean floor. C Anglerfish like to hunt for dinner during the evening.
2 Write one clue sentence from the story that proves your answer:
Idea Detectives • Level 1 Page 1 of 2
Idea Detectives: Continued Practice
Name:
Case File 3 Outdoor Skills
Building a safe campfire requires simple but important safety rules. First, clear all dry leaves and twigs away from a fire pit. Next, surround the pit with heavy rocks so embers cannot escape. Finally, always keep a bucket of cold water nearby before lighting any wood. Following these steps keeps everyone in the forest safe.
1 What is the main idea of this passage?
A Rocks are heavy and should be stacked high in the woods. B You must follow safety rules when building a campfire. C Dry leaves catch fire very quickly in the summertime.
2 Write one clue sentence from the story that proves your answer:
Case File 4 Earth Science
Storm chasers are brave scientists who drive toward severe weather to study storms. They use special trucks equipped with radar dishes and wind sensors. By getting close to tornadoes, they gather important information that weather satellites cannot see. Their dangerous work helps meteorologists warn people earlier when storms strike.
1 What is the main idea of this passage?
A Storm chasers travel close to storms to study them and help warn people. B Special trucks have satellite dishes installed on top of the roof. C Tornadoes are dangerous weather events that occur during thunderstorms.
2 Write one clue sentence from the story that proves your answer:
Detective Self-Check
How did you figure out the main idea? Check the detective clues you used:
Looked at first sentence Noticed repeating words Looked at last sentence
Idea Detectives • Level 1 Page 2 of 2
Idea Detectives Answer Key
Idea Detectives Answer Key
Teacher Guide
Master Key, Text Evidence Quotes & Resource Prompts
Grade 6 • Resource Reading
4 Practice Cases
Case File 1: Honeybees Correct Choice: B Honeybees communicate food locations by dancing.
Acceptable Text Clues (Students write one):
- "Honeybees have a neat way to talk to each other."
- "This dance tells other bees which direction to fly and how far away..."
Distractor Alert:
Choice A is a true detail, but too narrow to be the main point.
Case File 2: Deep Sea Correct Choice: A Deep-sea creatures make their own light to survive in the dark.
Acceptable Text Clues (Students write one):
- "Many deep-sea animals make their own glowing light to survive."
- "This natural glow helps sea creatures live in total darkness."
Distractor Alert:
Choice B describes the ocean setting, not what animals do.
Case File 3: Campfire Correct Choice: B You must follow safety rules when building a campfire.
Acceptable Text Clues (Students write one):
- "Building a safe campfire requires simple but important safety rules."
- "Following these steps keeps everyone in the forest safe."
Distractor Alert:
Choice C is an isolated fact that explains why care is needed.
Case File 4: Storm Chasers Correct Choice: A Storm chasers travel close to storms to study them and help warn people.
Acceptable Text Clues (Students write one):
- "Storm chasers are brave scientists who drive toward severe weather to study storms."
- "Their dangerous work helps meteorologists warn people earlier..."
Distractor Alert:
Choice B only names one piece of equipment they use.
Resource Intervention & Prompting Stems
If Student Picks a Small Detail:
"That sentence is true, but is the entire story only about that one sentence? What does everything else connect to?"
If Student Struggles to Find Clues:
"Check sentence #1 and the very last sentence. Do either of those sound almost identical to the main idea you chose?"
Accommodation Note:
For students with writing accommodations, allow them to highlight or underline the clue sentence directly in the text box instead of rewriting.
Idea Detectives • Teacher Resource Page 1 of 1
