Please write or type the definitions of each word below.
Central ideas -
Supporting details -
Topic -
Central ideas - The main or most important points or themes in a text, speech, or any form of communication. These ideas are usually the main focus or thesis of the message being conveyed.
Supporting details - Facts, evidence, examples, or other information that provide further explanation or proof for a central idea or main point. These details support and strengthen the main argument or thesis of a text.
Topic - The subject or main idea of a piece of writing or discussion. It is the overarching theme that provides a general direction or focus for the content being presented.
STUDENT 1 is reading a notebook and is approached by STUDENT 2.
STUDENT 2: What’re you reading?
STUDENT 1 looks at the camera as she answers while STUDENT 2 paces back and forth behind her in frustration.
STUDENT 1: I know the topic of my article is biometrics but my friend wants to know more about what I’m reading. And since biometrics isn’t exactly the easiest thing to understand, I’ll use features from the article to tell them about the central ideas of the article. This will be a much more digestible route to take. Let me think about the best way to explain what I’m reading. Just give me just a sec.
STUDENT 1: The title of an article can be very useful. Most of the time, it can help identify a central idea. The title of this article is Biometrics: New IDs that are uniquely you. The article tells about new ways of identifying people.
STUDENT 2 interrupts STUDENT 1 and waves to attract her attention. STUDENT 1 continues addressing the camera.
STUDENT 2: Hello!
STUDENT 1: The introductory paragraph or tagline may explain central ideas in the article as well. This tagline explains that identifying people by their fingerprints could eventually become a thing of the past. Instead, eyebrows or heartbeats could be new ways to identify people.
STUDENT 1 addresses STUDENT 2.
STUDENT 1: I'm thinking about different features of the article in order to figure out the central ideas. I’m almost finished though. Subheadings are also a good way to figure out what an article is about. Supporting details in each section give information about the central ideas. The first three sections of this article tell about three new ways to identify people. The last section is different. It discusses the reasons that it may be useful to identify people using new methods.
STUDENT 1: You know how people can be identified using only their fingerprints?
STUDENT 2: Aha.
STUDENT 1: Well, this is an article detailing the new ways we can now identify people through technology. It also focuses on benefits on using new methods to identify people.
STUDENT 2: That’s so cool! What are some ways?
STUDENT 1: Believe it or not, we can use eyebrows and heartbeats to identify people.
STUDENT 2: My heart just skipped a beat.
STUDENT 1 laughs.
Fade to black and a copyright notice appears on screen, which reads: