Traffic Light Strategy

Can I select the appropriate topic sentence, supporting sentence,

and concluding sentence?

Topic Sentence

• A topic sentence is the main idea of the paragraph.

• It is the first sentence in a paragraph.

• Ex: Fall is my favorite season.

Supporting Sentence

• The job of a supporting sentence is to support the main idea (topic sentence).

• It gives detail to the main idea.

• Each paragraph should include three supporting sentences.

Concluding Sentence

• Summarizes the main idea of what the paragraph is about.

• Found in the last sentence.

• Restates in a different way the topic sentence.

Brief Description

• A traffic light serves as a tool for students to use when writing a simple, color-coded paragraph that has a beginning, a middle, and an end

Example

• Fall is my favorite time of year. The fall air is crisp and cool. Pumpkins decorate doorsteps up and down my street. The smell of fallen leaves fills the air. That is why I like fall so much.

Example

• When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut. Astronauts explore places where people have never been before. The make new discoveries about our solar system. Some astronauts even walk in space. Being an astronaut would be fun and challenging work.

Topic Sentences

• President Obama has a very difficult job.

• Baseball is my favorite sport.

• My state is a great place to live.

• When I looked at the clock I knew I would be late for school if I didn’t hurry up.

• The weatherman warned us to prepare for a hurricane.

Follow up Lesson

• Cut a hand out of construction paper

• Write the topic sentence on the thumb.

• Place the supporting sentences on the three fingers.

• Finally, write the concluding sentence on the pinky.