Main Idea Formula

Topic + what is said about topic + purpose = main idea

Topic=

What is said (details)=

Purpose=

= Main Idea

_____________________________________________________

Example

Topic= The discovery of North America by the Chinese

What is said about topic= Historical Chinese maps & documents show the arrival of the Chinese people on the west coast of North America 70 years before Columbus’s first voyage

Purpose= To challenge people to consider evidence of early Chinese contact with Native Americans to show how history is up for continual debate

=Main Idea--- Based on evidence from accurate Chinese maps & documents the Chinese may actually have landed on American soil before Columbus did. This should cause us to rethink traditional accounts of history and question how history is written.