Main Idea and Supporting Details

We are learning about Main Ideas and Supporting Details.  We use a gum ball machine as a visual.  The machine represents the Main Idea because if you don't have the machine your gumballs are everywhere. It doesn't make sense without the machine.   Just like if you don't have a Main Idea your story doesn't make any sense.  The gumballs are the supporting details.  Without gumballs its not really a gumball machine.  This is like the supporting details, if you don't have them the main idea won't be what the author wants the reader to know.

An example would be from the story The Three Little Pigs.  The main idea is if you work hard then you will receive a payoff.  Supporting Details are the pigs who used easy materials had their house blown down.  The pig who used bricks lived happily ever after.