• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?; Putting sentences in order). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Read the paragraph. Which sentence does not belong? (1) Penguins are birds that cannot fly. (2) Instead, their wings work like flippers for swimming. (3) Some penguins can dive more than 500 metres deep. (4) Eagles build huge nests on cliffs. (5) On land, they waddle or slide on their bellies. (Penguins are birds that cannot fly. / Eagles build huge nests on cliffs. / Some penguins can dive more than 500 metres deep. / Instead, their wings work like flippers for swimming.) → Eagles build huge nests on cliffs.Prompt: Read the first sentence: it tells you what the paragraph is about.
2. Read the start of the paragraph. Which sentence would fit best as the next sentence? Robots help people in many ways. Some robots build cars in factories. Others explore places too dangerous for humans, like deep oceans. (Tiny poison dart frogs live on the forest floor. / Next, choose a game or a film to share. / Doctors even use robots to help with delicate operations. / It helps you sleep better at night.) → Doctors even use robots to help with delicate operations.Prompt: What is the paragraph about? Look at the first sentence.
3. Read the paragraph. Which sentence does not belong? (1) Penguins are birds that cannot fly. (2) Instead, their wings work like flippers for swimming. (3) Some penguins can dive more than 500 metres deep. (4) On land, they waddle or slide on their bellies. (5) Eagles build huge nests on cliffs. (On land, they waddle or slide on their bellies. / Penguins are birds that cannot fly. / Eagles build huge nests on cliffs. / Some penguins can dive more than 500 metres deep.) → Eagles build huge nests on cliffs.Prompt: Read the first sentence: it tells you what the paragraph is about.

• Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
• Share the objective: Put the sentences of a paragraph in a logical order. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: These sentences come from one paragraph. Which one should come FIRST, as the topic sentence?
• Step 1: The topic sentence tells you what the whole paragraph is about; the others give the steps or details.
• Step 2: So the answer is: Making a paper boat is easy.
• Answer: Making a paper boat is easy.
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. These sentences come from one paragraph. Which one should come FIRST, as the topic sentence? (First, it hatches from a tiny egg on a leaf. / Then it forms a chrysalis around itself. / At last, a butterfly breaks out and flies away. / A caterpillar goes through amazing changes.) → A caterpillar goes through amazing changes.Prompt: A topic sentence introduces the whole paragraph.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 1 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. These sentences come from one paragraph. Which one should come FIRST, as the topic sentence? (First, the sun heats water in seas and lakes, and it evaporates. / Water goes round and round in a cycle. / Finally, it flows into rivers and back to the sea. / Then the water falls back down as rain or snow.) → Water goes round and round in a cycle.Prompt: A topic sentence introduces the whole paragraph.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-4.