Our community garden is a busy place in summer. Neighbors grow tomatoes, beans and squash. Winter is my favorite season because I love to skate. Children help water the plants each morning.
4th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 9 of 14
Paragraph Power
Topic sentences and transitions
What your child practices
Choosing topic and concluding sentences, finding the sentence that doesn't belong, using transition words, identifying cause and effect, and putting sentences in order.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 4.36; 4.R4 · topic sentences, details and transitions
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- The topic sentence tells what the whole paragraph is about.
- Every detail should fit the topic. Take out a sentence that doesn’t belong.
- Transitions link ideas: for example (adds one), however (shows a change), as a result (shows an effect).
Example: Maya studied every night, so she did well on the test. What is the effect? The cause is why it happened: she studied. The effect is what happened because of it. Answer: Maya did well on the test.
Paragraph Power in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 9 of 14 in 4th grade English Language Arts, after Sound-Alikes and before Grammar Gears.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which sentence does NOT belong in this paragraph?
- Winter is my favorite season because I love to skate.
- Neighbors grow tomatoes, beans and squash.
- Our community garden is a busy place in summer.
- Children help water the plants each morning.
Winter is my favorite season because I love to skate.
Hint: Every sentence in a paragraph should support the main idea. Find the one that talks about something else.
Question 2
Which is the best topic sentence for these details?
You can recycle paper, cans and plastic bottles.
You can reuse jars to store crayons or buttons.
You can also bring a cloth bag when you shop.
- You can recycle paper.
- Jars are made of glass.
- Shopping is fun on weekends.
- There are many simple ways to reduce waste at home.
There are many simple ways to reduce waste at home.
Hint: A topic sentence tells the main idea of the WHOLE paragraph. It shouldn't be just one detail, and it must be on topic.
Question 3
Which transition word best fills the blank?
Jay practiced his song every day.
___, he still felt nervous before the concert.
- For example
- Next
- However
- As a result
However
Hint: You'd expect practicing to make Jay calm, but he still felt nervous. That's a contrast.
Question 4
Which transition best fills the blank?
We forgot to water our plant for two weeks.
___, its leaves turned brown and droopy.
- As a result
- For example
- However
- First
As a result
Hint: The droopy leaves happened BECAUSE nobody watered the plant. Which words show an effect?
Question 5
Put the sentences in order to make a paragraph.
- Making a pine cone bird feeder is easy.
- First, tie a long string to the top of a pine cone.
- Next, spread sunflower seed butter all over the pine cone.
- Finally, hang your feeder from a tree branch.
- Then, roll the sticky pine cone in birdseed.
Making a pine cone bird feeder is easy. → First, tie a long string to the top of a pine cone. → Next, spread sunflower seed butter all over the pine cone. → Then, roll the sticky pine cone in birdseed. → Finally, hang your feeder from a tree branch.
Hint: Start with the topic sentence that tells what the paragraph is about. Then follow the clue words: First, Next, Then, Finally.
Question 6
What is the CAUSE in this sentence?
The puppy chewed the shoe because it was teething.
- The puppy chewed the shoe.
- The puppy was teething.
- The puppy was hungry.
- The shoe was brand new.
The puppy was teething.
Hint: Ask: WHY did the puppy chew the shoe? Look after the word “because”.