Uncovering Central Ideas in Texts for Analysis

RI 7.2 We have so much to do and so little time to do it Today we will find an idea

RI 7.2 (Write this) Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. Why do we need to learn how to do this? 1. We need to be able to follow how an author develops a central idea to determine the very basics of the text. Purpose, connotation, and organization are all focused on an ideas development (how, why, what is used to support conclusions, etc.) 2. Objective summaries allow us to create a cheat sheet of important information that will allow us to move through analysis at a much quicker rate

Critical vocabulary Summary Main idea Central idea Supporting detail Objective Subjective

Basic info (Write this) Central Idea What the entire text is all about. Everything. All of it. Main idea what each individual section is about Supporting detail the stuff in the individual sections that support the main idea\ Each part flows into each other from the smallest to the largest Detail (smallest) Main idea (middle) Central idea (biggest)

Tips and Tricks (in no particular order) 1. Keep a running account of key words that continue to pop up. 2. Most informational texts with different headings and subheadings present the main idea in the title of each section 3. Informational texts are, for the most part, not hung up on getting the reader to understand some figurative puzzle. Don t look too far past what is presented in the title and the subheadings for your clues

The text: Ancient Greece: The Birth of the City- State The term archaic Greece, or ancient Greece, refers to the time between 800 and 500 B.C. It was a relatively sophisticated period in world history. There were advances in art, poetry and technology, but most of all it was the age in which the polis, or city-state, was invented. The polis became the key feature of Greek political life for hundreds of years.

Protected by a god or goddess Protected by a god or goddess During the so-called Greek Dark Ages before the archaic period, people lived scattered throughout Greece in small farming villages. As they grew larger, these villages began to develop. They developed governments and organized their citizens according to some sort of constitution or set of laws. They raised armies and collected taxes. And every one of these city-states was said to be protected by a particular god or goddess. For example, Athens' goddess was Athena. The citizens of all the city-states had much in common. Yet, every Greek city- state was different. The largest, Sparta, controlled about 300 square miles of territory; the smallest had just a few hundred people. However, by seventh century B.C., the city-states had developed a number of common characteristics. They all principally relied on agriculture. For this reason, land was every city-state s most valuable possession. Also, most of the city-states had overthrown their kings. The Nobles had all the political power. For example, they refused to let ordinary people serve on the councils that made political decisions, controlled the best farmland, and some even claimed to be descended from the gods.

Colonization Colonization Emigration was one way to relieve some of this conflict. Land was the most important source of wealth in the city-states; it was also, obviously, in limited supply. The pressure of population growth pushed many men away from their home city-state and into sparsely populated areas throughout Greece and beyond. Between 750 and 600 B.C., Greek colonies sprang up from the Mediterranean to Asia Minor, from North Africa to the coast of the Black Sea. By the end of the seventh century B.C., there were more than 1,500 colonial city-states. Each of these city-states was independent. In this way, the colonies of the archaic period were different from other colonies we are familiar with: The people who lived there were not ruled by or bound to the city-states from which they came. The new city-states were entirely self-governing.

The rise of the tyrants The rise of the tyrants As time passed and their populations grew, many of these agricultural city- states began to produce items for sale, such as pottery, cloth, wine and metalwork. Trade in these goods made some people usually not members of the old landowning class very wealthy. These people resented the unchecked power of the nobles. They banded together, sometimes with the aid of heavily-armed soldiers, to put new leaders in charge. These leaders were known as tyrants. Some turned out to be every bit as unjust as the nobles they replaced, while others proved to be enlightened leaders. For example, Theagenes of Megara brought running water to his city. However, the rule of the tyrants did not last. The classical period that followed the archaic period brought with it a series of political reforms, and the tyrants were replaced by a system known as demokratia, or rule by the people.

Archaic renaissance? Archaic renaissance? The colonial migrations of the archaic period had an important effect on art and literature: they spread Greek styles far and wide and encouraged people from all over to take part in the period s artistic revolutions. The poet Homer, from Ionia, produced his "Iliad" and "Odyssey" during the archaic period. Artists created carefully proportioned statues that served as memorials to the dead. Scientists made progress too: For example, Anaximandros developed a theory of gravity. Xenophanes wrote about his discovery of fossils, which he correctly identified as the remains of ancient animals. The archaic period was a time of rapid economic, political, technological and artistic growth for the Greek city-states. It laid the groundwork for the monumental changes of the next few centuries.

I Do Which of the following choices contain two main ideas of the article? A. City states developed as a result of the need for land and led the way for more political reformations B. The rising middle class led to the need for tyrants and tyrants developed city states C. Art would not have developed if not for the city state and tyrants were often as bad as the rulers they replaced D. Land was scarce and the city states had to constantly go to war to avoid starvation

I do What is one way the author develops the central idea throughout the text? A. The author gives a sequence of events that helps to illustrate how the city state developed B. The author provides non-linear examples of daily life in various city states C. The author creates a timeline of each tyrant and how that ruler affected the city states D. The author uses figurative language to provide allegorical examples for the reader

We Do Which of the following choices contain two main ideas of the article? A. Ancient Greece had a developed political system and it evolved over time to meet the needs of the ancient Greeks B. The political system of ancient Greece was broken and it grew more corrupt over time C. Homer s poem The Illiad was part of the Archaic Renaissance and it was caused by the tyrants rule D. The city ctate was flawed and the tyrants were necessary

We Do What is one way that the author developed the idea that land played an important role in the development of the city state throughout the text? A. The author does not ever mention the importance of land to anyone but the tyrants B. The author states that the middle class losses interest n the land C. The author mentions the fact that ancient Greeks were farmers and not merchants. D. The author mentions that the land was rocky and good farm land was hard to find

You Do Read the text on the next slide, then answer this questions (and the one that comes after): Which of the following represents two main ideas of the text A. Socrates was an annoying man who would routinely insult people B. Socrates had a unique style of teaching and it eventually got him killed C. Socrates was a beloved teacher who was wrongly executed D. Socrates was a clown who would consistently be the butt of jokes

The text Throughout his entire life, Socrates questioned everything from Athenian government to Greek religion and the gods themselves. His goal was to find the truth, which he believed could be reached through reason and knowledge. Socrates was a teacher, but he did not have a classroom, books, or even a school. Instead, Socrates lectured publicly, and anyone who was interested in what he had to say was invited to listen. Socrates practiced a style of teaching that has since become known as the Socratic method. Essentially, Socrates taught through questioning, starting with simple questions and then progressing to more complicated, deeper questions. Through the use of reason and logic, Socrates revealed answers to many questions that led to a greater understanding of the world. Problems arose because Socrates often questioned the very fundamentals and traditions of Greek society. His constant questioning and searching for the truth were seen as dangerous by many and ultimately led to his death.

You do (part 2) What is one way that the author develops the central idea in the text? A. The author gives brief details about Socrates life in a sequential order B. The author chooses to only represent important conversations that Socrates had C. The author gives a vivid description of the man with many examples of figurative language D. The author provides personal commentary about the life of Socrates