0:00:00.290,0:00:01.140 - [David] Hello readers. 0:00:01.140,0:00:03.340 Today I'm in this peaceful forest 0:00:03.340,0:00:04.980 to tell you all about the skill 0:00:04.980,0:00:07.820 of figuring out the main idea of a text. 0:00:07.820,0:00:10.330 - [Squirrel] Say, what's the big idea? 0:00:10.330,0:00:11.470 - [David] Yes, exactly. 0:00:11.470,0:00:12.303 Wait, what? 0:00:12.303,0:00:13.570 Oh, hello squirrel. 0:00:13.570,0:00:14.690 - [Squirrel] You heard me, big legs. 0:00:14.690,0:00:15.930 What's the big idea? 0:00:15.930,0:00:18.310 Were you tromping all[br]over my patch of forest 0:00:18.310,0:00:19.860 without so much as a how do you do? 0:00:19.860,0:00:20.693 - [David] I'm sorry. 0:00:20.693,0:00:22.050 How do you do?[br]- Hello. 0:00:22.050,0:00:23.150 - [David] How can I make it up to you? 0:00:23.150,0:00:24.150 - [Squirrel] Well, okay. 0:00:24.150,0:00:26.010 I'm working on a school assignment. 0:00:26.010,0:00:26.843 - [David] Squirrels have school? 0:00:26.843,0:00:28.030 - Yeah.[br]- All right, all right. 0:00:28.030,0:00:28.863 Sorry, go on. 0:00:28.863,0:00:30.290 - [Squirrel] So I've got[br]this newspaper article, 0:00:30.290,0:00:32.520 and Mr. Badgerton says I have to draw out 0:00:32.520,0:00:34.430 what the main idea is. 0:00:34.430,0:00:36.480 How is that different from a summary? 0:00:36.480,0:00:38.160 - [David] Okay, a summary is all of 0:00:38.160,0:00:40.590 the key details of an article or a story, 0:00:40.590,0:00:43.340 but a main idea is bigger than details. 0:00:43.340,0:00:45.510 It's what those details add up to. 0:00:45.510,0:00:48.310 A main idea is the key information 0:00:48.310,0:00:49.890 that the author wants you to know 0:00:49.890,0:00:52.520 after you've finished reading the text. 0:00:52.520,0:00:54.800 So, for example, what's[br]going on in your article? 0:00:54.800,0:00:56.320 - [Squirrel] It's about[br]the creek in the forest, 0:00:56.320,0:00:58.370 and how everyone wants to drink from it, 0:00:58.370,0:01:01.600 but the otters wanna swim in[br]it, the bears wanna fish in it, 0:01:01.600,0:01:03.630 and the beavers wanna build a dam in it 0:01:03.630,0:01:05.300 and turn the whole thing into a pond. 0:01:05.300,0:01:06.650 - [David] Not as peaceful of a forest 0:01:06.650,0:01:07.680 as I thought, huh? 0:01:07.680,0:01:08.970 - [Squirrel] Not so much, no. 0:01:08.970,0:01:09.803 - [David] What you just told me 0:01:09.803,0:01:12.440 is a summary of the[br]events of the news story. 0:01:12.440,0:01:16.340 But the big idea there is that[br]there's a conflict or fight 0:01:16.340,0:01:18.710 over who has access to the creek. 0:01:18.710,0:01:21.270 - [Squirrel] So you just zipped[br]all the supporting details 0:01:21.270,0:01:24.080 out of my summary, and made[br]it more about the ideas? 0:01:24.080,0:01:25.120 - [David] Yeah, exactly. 0:01:25.120,0:01:28.260 The main idea is that different[br]animals wanna use the creek. 0:01:28.260,0:01:30.360 - [Squirrel] Can you give me[br]a more complicated example? 0:01:30.360,0:01:31.860 - [David] I would love to. 0:01:31.860,0:01:34.570 Why don't we take a look at[br]this text about brain growth? 0:01:34.570,0:01:36.930 So here's a passage about[br]training your brain. 0:01:36.930,0:01:39.690 I'm going to read it,[br]I'm gonna make notes, 0:01:39.690,0:01:42.970 and then I'm gonna[br]summarize each paragraph. 0:01:42.970,0:01:44.610 And then, I'll take all those summaries, 0:01:44.610,0:01:46.040 put 'em together, and that'll help us 0:01:46.040,0:01:47.830 come up with a main idea. 0:01:47.830,0:01:49.970 So, here we go. 0:01:49.970,0:01:52.770 Your brain gets stronger[br]when you exercise it, 0:01:52.770,0:01:56.070 just like muscles get stronger[br]when you exercise them. 0:01:56.070,0:01:59.040 Training your brain isn't[br]always easy or comfortable. 0:01:59.040,0:02:01.330 In fact, your brain uses up 20% 0:02:01.330,0:02:03.410 of the oxygen and blood in your body 0:02:03.410,0:02:05.490 because it works so hard. 0:02:05.490,0:02:10.490 Okay, so, your brain can get[br]stronger, but it's not easy. 0:02:11.630,0:02:13.740 Here are some examples[br]of how your brain grows 0:02:13.740,0:02:15.290 when you learn new things. 0:02:15.290,0:02:17.650 Learning math strengthens[br]the parts of the brain 0:02:17.650,0:02:20.610 that are linked to memory,[br]thought, and action. 0:02:20.610,0:02:21.770 Imagine that! 0:02:21.770,0:02:24.490 Remember when you first learned[br]how to add and subtract? 0:02:24.490,0:02:27.280 You got faster and faster[br]with more practice. 0:02:27.280,0:02:29.910 That's because your neurons,[br]those are brain cells, 0:02:29.910,0:02:32.180 your neurons were learning[br]how to work with each other, 0:02:32.180,0:02:34.380 and then your memory improved. 0:02:34.380,0:02:37.080 But memory is useful[br]for more than just math. 0:02:37.080,0:02:38.960 I'm gonna underline more than just math. 0:02:38.960,0:02:40.130 That same part of your brain 0:02:40.130,0:02:43.250 helps you remember basketball[br]plays, dance routines, 0:02:43.250,0:02:46.250 and even nice memories with[br]your friends and family. 0:02:46.250,0:02:47.960 So it's not just about math. 0:02:47.960,0:02:51.910 Learning and practicing things[br]helps your brain work faster. 0:02:51.910,0:02:54.880 Learning or practicing[br]anything, yes anything! 0:02:54.880,0:02:56.810 Learning and practicing helps strengthen 0:02:56.810,0:02:58.723 and change our brains. 0:02:59.600,0:03:04.180 Your brain is changing and[br]creating new neural pathways, 0:03:04.180,0:03:05.606 which is just another way of saying 0:03:05.606,0:03:07.983 brain connections, right? 0:03:08.890,0:03:12.020 Neural is similar to neuron. 0:03:12.020,0:03:16.100 So it's like, having[br]to do with brain cells. 0:03:16.100,0:03:18.860 Your brain is changing and[br]creating new neural pathways 0:03:18.860,0:03:21.300 when you struggle to learn something new. 0:03:21.300,0:03:23.020 So struggle is important. 0:03:23.020,0:03:25.480 In other words, there's a[br]lot happening in your brain 0:03:25.480,0:03:26.810 when you're learning. 0:03:26.810,0:03:29.720 All learning can build[br]new information pathways, 0:03:29.720,0:03:31.920 but learning things that[br]are challenging for you 0:03:31.920,0:03:34.630 can supercharge your brain growth. 0:03:34.630,0:03:36.340 In other words, the[br]more you're challenged, 0:03:36.340,0:03:37.513 the faster you learn. 0:03:38.850,0:03:42.010 So here are my paragraph summaries. 0:03:42.010,0:03:44.450 Your brain can get[br]stronger, but it's not easy. 0:03:44.450,0:03:46.970 Learning and practicing[br]helps your brain work faster. 0:03:46.970,0:03:50.450 And the more you're challenged,[br]the faster you learn. 0:03:50.450,0:03:51.880 Putting those three things together, 0:03:51.880,0:03:54.710 I would say that the[br]main idea of this passage 0:03:54.710,0:03:58.620 is that learning new information[br]can strengthen your brain. 0:03:58.620,0:04:00.680 Let's get our little[br]thinky pinky back in there. 0:04:00.680,0:04:03.470 What I did was I took[br]something from each paragraph 0:04:03.470,0:04:05.560 and found what they all had in common. 0:04:05.560,0:04:07.030 There were some details, for example, 0:04:07.030,0:04:11.410 about math or dance[br]practice, that are important, 0:04:11.410,0:04:12.470 but aren't so important 0:04:12.470,0:04:14.800 that they need to be[br]included in the main idea. 0:04:14.800,0:04:16.520 All of that can just sort of be pushed 0:04:16.520,0:04:20.340 into this broader idea of[br]learning new information 0:04:20.340,0:04:23.153 makes your brain stronger,[br]can strengthen your brain. 0:04:24.120,0:04:27.040 - [Squirrel] So how should I[br]be thinking about main ideas? 0:04:27.040,0:04:27.873 - [David] All right. 0:04:27.873,0:04:29.677 So, are you familiar with the expression, 0:04:29.677,0:04:31.780 "You can't see the forest for the trees"? 0:04:31.780,0:04:33.640 - [Squirrel] David, I live in a forest. 0:04:33.640,0:04:34.750 Of course I'm familiar. 0:04:34.750,0:04:35.790 - [David] So it means, right, 0:04:35.790,0:04:37.610 don't get so hung up on details 0:04:37.610,0:04:39.310 that you can't see the big picture. 0:04:39.310,0:04:42.560 The trees, one by one, are[br]all part of the forest. 0:04:42.560,0:04:43.780 They make up the forest. 0:04:43.780,0:04:44.960 Right, you with me?[br]- Yes. 0:04:44.960,0:04:46.370 - [David] A summary of the forest 0:04:46.370,0:04:48.310 is all the important details. 0:04:48.310,0:04:51.210 There's a stream here,[br]there's a birch tree here, 0:04:51.210,0:04:55.840 a Douglas fir tree here, a red[br]oak tree here, a rock there. 0:04:55.840,0:04:58.830 But the main idea is this is a forest. 0:04:58.830,0:05:00.150 All of those things together 0:05:00.150,0:05:03.510 add up to the idea of a forest. 0:05:03.510,0:05:04.345 - [Squirrel] But do they add up 0:05:04.345,0:05:06.670 to you doing my homework assignment? 0:05:06.670,0:05:07.700 - [David] They do not. 0:05:07.700,0:05:08.860 - [Squirrel] Aw, nuts. 0:05:08.860,0:05:10.230 - [David] You can learn anything. 0:05:10.230,0:05:11.063 David, out.