Conquer It

Now let us see what you remember about identifying the central idea of text and supporting evidence.

Drawing of a crowd of people outside church door.

Luther’s 95 Theses went viral in the 16th century.

Now read two more paragraphs from the same Economist article you read in the Try It section. Read paragraphs six and seven.

The sixth paragraph begins with- Although they were written in Latin, the “95 Theses” caused an immediate stir, first within academic circles in Wittenberg and then farther afield.

The seventh paragraph ends with - The pamphlet, an instant hit, is regarded by many as the true starting point of the Reformation.

1.    Access the "Social media in the 16th Century: How Luther went viral" article on the Economistopens in new window website. Remember to read just paragraphs six and seven.

2.    As you read the paragraphs, identify the central idea for each paragraph. If you have printed the article, use a highlighter to identify the central idea.  Next, summarize what the central idea is for the entire excerpt.  After identifying the central idea for the excerpt, identify the supporting evidence used by the author. Use a different color highlighter for this.

Check your ability to identify the central idea and supporting evidence within a text by completing the activity below.