Nonfiction writers begin with a topic. The topic is what the text discusses. Writers usually organize the text so the ideas are clear to readers. They state the main idea—what they want to say about the topic—and then give details about the main idea.

Practice Together

Use a Chart When you look closely at how the writer organizes the text, it helps you understand the ideas. You can use a chart to keep track of the main idea and details of each section.

To make a chart, first determine the main idea. Find it by looking at the headings and what the writer is saying about the topic. Then add details about that idea. Compare this chart to the text above.

Main-Idea Chart

Try It!

Make a Chart Choose another section of the article. Make a Main-Idea Chart for it.

• • Figure out the topic. Use the section heading to help you.

• • Find the main idea—what the section is saying about that topic.

• • Write the details about the main idea.