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Prepositions: Little Words That Show Where & When

Fourth graders learn prepositions — small but mighty words like in, on, under, and before that show where and when — and how they build prepositional phrases that add detail to writing.

Grade 4Grammar50 minutes1 class periodReading WorkshopExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain what a preposition is.
  • ✓Identify position and time words.
  • ✓Find a prepositional phrase.
  • ✓Use prepositions to add detail.
Essential Question

The cat is ON the mat, UNDER the table, BEHIND the door. Those little words tell you exactly where! What are they called, and what do they do?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Preposition Explorer · Interactive

The Preposition Explorer

Project this and tap each idea. Have students see how prepositions show where and when, and how they build phrases!

📍 Explore prepositions — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Reading Workshop (Mini-Lesson · Practice · Share)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Connect — Where’s the Cat?

5 min

The cat is ON, UNDER, BEHIND — what do these words tell us?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show position words with a cat.
  • Ask what they tell.
  • Set the goal: prepositions.

🎒 Student Actions

  • See the words.
  • Notice “where.”
  • Predict the idea.
2

Teach — Where and When

12 min

Teacher models.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Prepositions show position.
  • Prepositions show time.
  • Build a prepositional phrase.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn position.
  • Learn time.
  • Build a phrase.
3

Active Engagement — Explore Together

13 min

Class uses the Preposition Explorer.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Tap each idea.
  • Find prepositions in sentences.
  • Add a phrase.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each idea.
  • Find prepositions.
  • Add a phrase.
4

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students use prepositions.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Underline prepositions.
  • Find prepositional phrases.
  • Add detail with a phrase.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Underline them.
  • Find phrases.
  • Add detail.
5

Share — Share

5 min

Students share a phrase.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Invite a prepositional phrase.
  • Explain what it shows.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share it.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS
L.4.1e

Form and use prepositional phrases.

CCSS
L.4.1

Demonstrate command of standard English grammar.

CCSS
L.4.3

Use knowledge of language when writing.

CCSS
W.4.4

Produce clear and coherent writing.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Act out position words.
  • Sentence frame: “The ___ is ___ the ___.”
  • Use a picture with objects.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with in, on, under.
  • Act out the prepositions.
  • Underline one per sentence.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Write with several prepositions.
  • Expand a sentence with a phrase.
  • Find phrases in a book.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🧸An object to place
  • 💻The Preposition Explorer
  • 🖍️Pencils
  • 📚A picture book
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

prepositiona word showing where or whenpositionwhere something isprepositional phrasea preposition plus the words after itunderbelowoverabovebeforeearlier thanafterlater thandetailextra information
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does a preposition tell you?
Where or when something is — like on, under, or before.
QUESTION 2
In “The ball is under the bed,” what is the preposition?
Under.
QUESTION 3
What is the prepositional phrase in “We played in the park”?
In the park.

Growing at home? Where is it?

Have families play “where is it?” — placing a toy and describing its position with prepositions (on, under, behind). A printable preposition sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Prepositions & Prepositional PhrasesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Prepositions & Prepositional PhrasesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Prepositions & Prepositional PhrasesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: after, before, detail, over, position, preposition, prepositional phrase, under
  1. above
  2. extra information
  3. a word showing where or when
  4. a preposition plus the words after it
  5. where something is
  6. earlier than
  7. below
  8. later than

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does a preposition tell you?
  2. In “The ball is under the bed,” what is the preposition?
  3. What is the prepositional phrase in “We played in the park”?
Answer key — Part A: 1) over · 2) detail · 3) preposition · 4) prepositional phrase · 5) position · 6) before · 7) under · 8) after
Part B: 1) Where or when something is — like on, under, or before. 2) Under. 3) In the park.