Part 1: Read and Notice

Directions: Read the passage. As you read, think about which details are important to the author’s message.

Urban Community Gardens

Paragraph 1: In many cities, empty lots sit between buildings. Some neighborhoods turn these unused spaces into community gardens. A community garden is a place where people work together to grow food and flowers. Neighbors may rent a small plot or share one large garden.

Paragraph 2: Community gardens can provide fresh food in places where grocery stores are far away. Gardeners grow tomatoes, beans, lettuce, and herbs. They may share extra vegetables with neighbors or donate them to a food bank. This helps families find healthy food close to home.

Paragraph 3: Gardens also bring people together. Children learn how plants grow, while older gardeners share skills and stories. Neighbors who might not otherwise meet work side by side. They build trust by solving problems together, such as deciding when to water the plants.

Paragraph 4: A garden can also improve the look and feel of a neighborhood. Plants replace trash and weeds with color and life. Bees and butterflies find places to feed. People may feel safer and prouder when they care for a clean, welcoming space. For these reasons, a small garden can make a large difference in a community.

Vocabulary Box

unused: not being used

community: a group of people who live or work in the same place

donate: to give something to help others

trust: belief that someone will be honest and helpful

welcoming: friendly and pleasant

access: a way to get or use something

What Makes a Detail Meaningful?

A meaningful detail directly supports the main idea, adds important information, explains a cause or effect or gives an example, and can be backed by the text.

Success Criteria

I can identify the topic and state the main idea in one clear sentence.

I can select at least two meaningful details and refer to paragraph evidence.

I can explain the meaning of a word using context, word parts, or a dictionary.

I can write an objective summary without adding my opinion.

Part 2: Find and Explain Evidence

A. Gardens can grow tomatoes, beans, lettuce, and herbs.

Meaningful    Not meaningful

B. Some gardens have green plants.

Meaningful    Not meaningful

C. Neighbors build trust by solving problems together.

Meaningful    Not meaningful

D. The gardens are located in cities.

Meaningful    Not meaningful

Sentence frame: The central idea is that community gardens __________________ because __________________.

Sentence frame: In paragraph ____ , the text says __________________. This supports the central idea because __________________.

Sentence frame: The word __________________ probably means __________________. I know because __________________.

Support and Challenge

Optional word bank: food, neighbors, trust, healthy, beautiful, safe, teamwork, gardens

EAL support: Reread one paragraph at a time. You may discuss your answer with a partner, use a bilingual or visual dictionary, or orally rehearse before writing.

Extension: Which detail is the strongest support for the central idea? Explain why it is stronger than another detail.

Answer Key — Final Page

1. Urban community gardens and how they help neighborhoods.

2. Accept any four accurate details with paragraph references. Examples: gardens provide fresh food nearby (paragraph 2); extra vegetables may be donated (paragraph 2); children learn how plants grow (paragraph 3); neighbors build trust by working together (paragraph 3); gardens replace trash and weeds (paragraph 4); gardens provide food for bees and butterflies (paragraph 4).

3. A: Meaningful. B: Not meaningful. C: Meaningful. D: Meaningful, because the setting explains where these community benefits occur.

4. Sample answer: Community gardens help neighborhoods by providing fresh food, bringing people together, and making shared spaces cleaner and more welcoming.

5. 1–C, 2–B, 3–A.

6. Answers will vary. The response should include a correct paragraph number, an accurate detail, and an explanation of how that detail supports the central idea.

7. Answers will vary. The definition must fit the passage, and the explanation should identify a context clue, word part, or dictionary source.

8. Sample answer: Community gardens can make neighborhoods healthier and stronger. They provide fresh food, and gardeners can share extra vegetables with neighbors or food banks. People of different ages work together and build trust. Gardens also replace dirty empty spaces with welcoming places filled with plants and wildlife.

Extension: Answers will vary. A strong response explains that the chosen detail supports the central idea directly and gives more important information than a less connected detail.