Building a Paragraph. What is a paragraph? A paragraph is a short piece of writing that has a beginning a middle and an end

Transcription

1 Building a Paragraph What is a paragraph? A paragraph is a short piece of writing that has a beginning a middle and an end 1

2 Why write in paragraphs? Paragraphs help us to organize our ideas. Paragraphs help us to express our ideas more clearly. When we write using complete paragraphs, we are better communicators. The beginning The beginning is the first sentence in the paragraph. It is the topic sentence. It tells what the paragraph will be about. Make the topic sentence, or first sentence of a paragraph, interesting, because its job is also to catch the reader's attention. 2

3 The middle or the body The sentences that come after the topic sentence should add specific details about the topic. These details make your writing more interesting to the reader and tell more about the topic sentence. In 6th grade this year we will always have three body sentences. The end The last sentence of your paragraph is called the concluding sentence or closing sentence. The concluding sentence reminds the reader what the topic was and sums up the paragraph. 3

4 Review 1. A paragraph has parts. 2.The parts are called,,. 3. The first sentence in a paragraph is called the. 4. The last sentence in a paragraph is called a. 5. The middle of the paragraph is often called the. body beginning topic sentence concluding sentence three end middle 6. The job of the sentence is to catch the reader's attention. 7. The sentence, or the sentence reminds the reader what the topic was about. 8. The details about the topic are given in the of the paragraph. body closing topic concluding 4

5 In the paragraph below, underline the topic sentence, number the body sentences, and circle the concluding sentence. What is this space for? I had such a blast last night at our school's Penny Carnival. It is held every year to raise money for the poor. I tried making hoops with a basketball, arm wrestling, and guessing how many candies were in the jar. Mr. Hall, our principal, was a good sport because he was the target at the sponge toss. I am so glad I was able to go to the Penny Carnival! Assignment: You will be creating two paragraphs describing your feelings about the 6th grade so far. First we need to brainstorm a little! What do you like about 6th grade or the middle school? What do you dislike about 6th grade or the middle school? 5

6 Assignment: Now that we have brainstormed as a class, it's your turn to decide for yourself! Complete the graphic organizer to determine what you personally enjoy about the 6th grade or middle school so far, as well as what you don't really like. You have eight minutes to record your thoughts in your graphic organizer. Assignment: Next, you will be writing the first draft of your paragraphs to tell me what you like and dislike about the 6th grade or the middle school. You will write one complete paragraph describing your "likes" and another complete paragraph describing your "dislikes". Use the How is a Paragraph Like a Hamburger? handout to help you organize your paragraphs. 6

7 Do's and Don'ts topic sentence one sentence no details interesting (don't tell us what your going to tell us and then tell us about it! ) body three details three sentences 2 vivid verbs one transition word conclusion one sentence do not repeat sums it up Good Example It has been a very fun and exciting school year so far. First, I m enjoying getting to know my wonderful new students. It is also interesting to see the 6 th graders quickly scamper from class to class. Finally, I look forward to scarfing down lunch with my humorous co workers every day. I anticipate an interesting and challenging school year. There are definitely some struggles during the first few weeks of school. Initially, it is very difficult to learn all of my students names. Also, seeing students struggling with their lockers is upsetting. Lastly, I have to hammer classroom procedures into my students heads. These obstacles are just bumps in the road, so I know this will be an extremely successful year! Bad Example I m going to tell you about the reasons why I like sixth grade. Mr. Jeter is a great teacher. Athletics is very fun. Lunch with my friends couldn t be better. Those are some reasons why I like 6 th grade. Now for my dislikes. I hate Math. The crowded hallways make me crazy. I have a bottom locker, which stinks. Now you know why I dislike 6 th grade. 7

8 Assignment: Make sure you include the following in BOTH paragraphs: Every sentence should start with a capital letter. Every sentence should end with a punctuation mark. You should have ONE topic sentence. You should have three body sentences. You should have ONE concluding sentence that sums up the paragraph. You must use two vivid verbs and circle them. You must have at least one transition word or phrase that is boxed. Assignment: After you finish writing a first draft, we must double check the paragraphs (edit and proofread). First we will proofread our own paragraphs. 8

9 Assignment: Check for the following in your "likes" paragraph: Does every sentence start with a capital letter? Does every sentence end with a punctuation mark? Do you have ONE topic sentence? Do you have three body sentences? Do you have ONE concluding sentence that sums up the paragraph? Did you use two vivid verbs? Do you have at least one transition word or phrase? Assignment: Check for the following in the "dislikes" paragraph: Does every sentence start with a capital letter? Does every sentence end with a punctuation mark? Do you have ONE topic sentence? Do you have three body sentences? Do you have ONE concluding sentence that sums up the paragraph? Did you use two vivid verbs? Do you have at least one transition word or phrase? 9

10 Assignment: Now we will proofread our friend's paragraphs! Switch paragraphs with someone who is wearing the same color shirt as you. Complete the proof reading form for their paragraphs. Assignment: After you are finished proofreading, get out a blank sheet of notebook paper. Put a proper heading in the top right corner. Neatly copy your paragraphs on the paper. Remember to indent when you begin a paragraph. Circle the vivid verbs and underline the transition words or phrases. Staple the final copy, the hamburger page, and the proofreading form together and turn them in for a grade. 10