Lessons &
Activities
The
following lessons are ones that I developed to teach my students how to write
a paragraph. I hope you find them useful!
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5
Week 1: Introduction to
Paragraphs
The objective of
this lesson is to teach students the proper way to write a paragraph (format,
not content).
- Thumb-Rule: Write a small
paragraph on the board and read with the students. Then have
students copy the paragraph, starting with the thumb-rule.
Students use their thumb to indent their paragraph. Have students
repeat the word "indent" and explain that all paragraphs must
be indented. Demonstrate how they use their thumbs to indent.
- Practice: The students
practice copying paragraphs the rest of the week. Review capitalization
and punctuation rules. This activity is used for handwriting
practice as well. The reason I stress practice is that many
students will start a new sentence on the next line instead of
continuing to the end of the paper. Many of my students have a
difficult time going to the end of the paper because they have been
taught to start new sentences on the next line.
Week 2: Identifying Main
Idea/Topic Sentences and Supporting Sentences
The objective of
this lesson is to teach students how to identify the main idea of paragraphs
and the purpose of a topic sentence.
- Identifying
Main Idea:
Copy a short paragraph onto the board/transparency/chart paper.
Have the students read the paragraph aloud. Ask students what the
paragraph is about. Once they have correctly answered, ask the
students if there were any sentences that told them what the paragraph
would be about. They should answer that all of the sentences talk
about the main idea. Next, have props or pictures of a theme,
such as school supplies (notebook, pencil, textbook) and have students
ask what the props/pictures are about (or what the big idea is).
Have prepared 3-4 lunch bags with pictures and/or props and place
students in cooperative groups. Each group receives a bag, takes
out the items, and discuss what the idea is. On a sheet of paper, they
write their answer. Then bags are exchanged until each group has
received all the bags and written down their ideas. Then as a
class, review the contents in each bag and discuss the main idea of each
bag. Click here for some main ideas and items you can use with this
activity. Click on the picture below to download a worksheet for
classroom/homework use:
- Identifying
the Topic Sentence: Now that students are aware that
paragraphs talk about one main idea, introducing the topic
sentence should be easy. Have all students use a green
crayon/marker/pen etc for this next activity. Have students copy a
short paragraph. Ask students what the main idea is. Then
explain that all paragraphs have a topic sentence, which tells the
reader what the paragraph will be about. Ask students to identify
the topic sentence (sometimes I hint that the topic sentence is at the
beginning of the paragraph) Have the students use the green crayon to
underline the topic sentence. Next, prepare three paragraphs on
separate chart/poster papers. Leave out the topic sentence and in
its place draw a green line. On sentence strips, write the topic
sentence of each paragraph. Post the three paragraphs on the
wall/board. Tell the students that each paragraph is missing its
topic sentence. Place the sentence strips with the topic sentences
in a visible spot by the charts. Have the students read the
paragraphs and the topic sentences. Using tape, have students place the
topic sentences onto the correct paragraph. Then
review. Extension Activity: For
the rest of the week, the students copy or receive worksheets with short
paragraphs. Using a green crayon or marker, students must
underline the topic sentences. Click on the two worksheets below
for samples and practice.
 
- Identifying
Supportive Details:
Review
the activity on identifying main ideas. Point out the the items
talked about the main idea. Post some short paragraphs or use
previous paragraphs from the lesson above. Have students underline
the topic sentence with a green crayon/marker. Next, ask students
to underline the sentences that give details about the topic sentence
using a yellow crayon/marker. To further extend this concept, have
students read paragraphs that contain sentences that do not
belong. Here is an example:
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A New Pet
I would like to have a new pet. I have a cat and a dog.
Goldfish and birds would be good pets. Birthdays are fun. Maybe
I will get a hamster or a rabbit.
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Students rewrite
the paragraphs making sure to omit the sentence that does not belong.
These
activities are only a preparation for the Traffic Signal System that they
learn in Weeks 3 & 4. You will understand why when you read the
next part:
Weeks 3 & 4: Learning
Parts of a Paragraph (Traffic Signal System)
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GO = Topic
Sentence: The sentence that tells what the paragraph will be about.
CONTINUE = Supporting Sentences: These sentences add details
to the topic sentence.
STOP = Ending Sentence: This sentence closes the
paragraph. It tells the reader that the paragraph is finished.
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Click
to get a printable traffic light.
- Materials: Green,
yellow, and red construction paper strips, large traffic light chart
(see above), traffic light worksheet for each student.
Step
1: Give
each student 1 green strip, 3 yellow strips, and 1 red strip.
Brainstorm topics with the class and write onto a chart.
Step 2: Choose a topic and explain that students are going to learn
how to write a paragraph using the Traffic Light System. Point to the
chart and discuss with students that there are three parts to a paragraph-- a
beginning (topic sentence), a middle (supporting sentences),
and an end (ending sentence).
Step 3: Take out a green strip and have students do the same. Have
students come up with a topic sentence based on the topic they have
chosen. For example, the topic is school. The topic sentence can
be:
School is very
important.
Everyone
writes the topic sentence on a green strip. Explain that green means
"go" and we have begun our paragraph.
Step 4: Have students take out their 3 yellow strips. Explain
that they have to think of three supporting sentences, or sentences that will
are about the topic sentence. Write the students' sentences the yellow
strips.
You learn how to
read books.
Teachers teach you
how to add and subtract.
You learn how to
write and use computers.
Have
students write the three sentences onto their yellow strips.
Step 5: Explain to students that they now have to close/finish/end the
paragraph or STOP. Ending sentences can
(a) repeat the topic sentence in a different way, (b) express how we feel
about the topic, (c) express what we think about the topic.
It is important to go
to school. (repeating topic sentence)
I love going to
school. (expresses feeling)
I think school is
important for kids. (expresses thoughts)
Step 6:
Have students place the strips one under the other.
School is very
important.
You learn how to
read books.
Teachers teach you
how to add and subtract.
You learn how to
write and use computers.
I think school is
important for kids.
Remind
students that their strips represents the traffic light. Have students
read aloud their paragraph. Tell students that the yellow strips
(supporting sentences) can be moved around so that the paragraph is in order
or makes more sense.
School is very
important.
Teachers teach you
how to add and subtract.
You learn how to
read books.
You learn how to
write and use computers.
I think school is
important for kids.
Step
7: Give
each student a large sheet of construction paper. Explain that the
students are going to glue their strips onto the construction paper to make
it LOOK like a paragraph. Here is what it will eventually look like:
(students can use scissors to cut the strips).
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School is very important.Teachers teach you how to add and subtract.You
learn how to read books.You learn how to write and use computers.I think school is important for kids.
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Step
8:
Once they've completed the above, have students rewrite the paragraph on
regular paper.
Step 9: For the first week, students work in pairs and are given topic
sentences to create paragraphs using the the colored strips. The second
week, the students do the same except they are given a topic instead of a
topic sentence.
Week 5: Learning How to
Edit
Use
this checklist and rubric chart to teach students how to edit their
paragraphs.
Students
work in pairs to help edit each other's work. This is done on their Sloppy
Copy #1. When they have completed editing the work, they
rewrite the paragraph onto a new sheet of paper labeled Sloppy Copy #2.
This copy is used for the student/teacher conference in which we discuss
their writing, any mistakes made, etc. Once this is done, students then
write their Final Copy.
Click
here if you want a
printable version of this unit.
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