Central Ideas in "Deep Survival" (RI.2, W.2)

Read the excerpt from "Deep Survival" (the next item in the Module). 

Directions: Copy and paste the below information in an online Word document and type the answers. Please change the font so that your answers are a different color.

“Deep Survival” - Central Idea & Summarizing 

This text contains many ideas about survival, supported by stories of people who have survived.  Let's practice finding the central idea of a section in the text.  The central or main idea refers to what the text is ALL about. It is the key point that the author is making. Write the central/main idea of the below sections in one sentence. 

Lines 67-89

Lines 98-113 

Lines 208-222

After reading the whole piece, write one sentence that describes Gonzales’s overall central/main idea about survival. More specifically, why do some people seem to have an amazing ability to survive life-threatening situations, while others seem to just give up?  This will be in your topic sentence (below). 

Now use your central ideas to write a one-paragraph summary of the text as a whole below.  PLEASE USE PROPER CONVENTIONS (PUNCTUATION, CAPITALIZATION, ETC.)

• Begin with the title and author, followed by your topic sentence.  For example, you might start with the following:  "Deep Survival," by Gonzales, consists of real-life stories and information about..."
• Remember to include main/central ideas.   Think of the OVERALL BIG picture.

• Make sure you do NOT include minor details. 
• Do NOT focus on a specific anecdote (story).
• Do not include your own thoughts/feelings about the text. Keep your summary objective!
• Include transitions to improve the flow. (Examples: Furthermore, also, etc.)