Na m e : ___ _
Directions:
Date:
Pretend that the sentences below were taken from students’ reports about animals.
Identify each as a topic sentence(main idea) or a supporting sentence(detail).
- The spider monkey is a small
and agile member of the
primate family.
_________________________
- A zebra can run as fast as 45
miles per hour.
_________________________
- Beetles can be both helpful
and harmful to farmers.
_________________________
- Alligators differ from
crocodiles in a number
of ways.
_________________________
- Every tiger claims its own
territory.
_________________________
- The horse’s teeth never stop
growing.
_________________________
- Frogs can take in water
through their skin.
_________________________
- Whales are divided into two
groups—toothed and baleen.
_________________________
- Sloths rarely venture down
onto the ground.
_________________________
- The toucan is a variety of
bird known for its large
colorful bill.
_________________________
- Giant pandas feed mainly
on bamboo.
_________________________
- Of the seventeen kinds of
penguins, the Emperor
penguin is the largest.
_________________________