Understanding Paragraph Structure for Effective Writing
Learn about the key elements of a well-structured paragraph, including topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences. Explore an example paragraph about earthworms' history and how each sentence contributes to the main idea. Practice identifying main points and supporting details to enhance your writing skills.
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Lesson 1 Paragraph Structure
Paragraphs: consist of one or more sentences about a single thought. usually have more than one sentence. never have more than one idea. (Sentences must be related to the main idea.)
Example Paragraph Scientists disagree about how long earthworms have inhabited the Earth. Worms are soft bodied creatures with no bones or shell. Due to this few fossils of worms have been found. Scientists have found trace fossils in India. These are fossils of tunnels that many scientists believe to have been made by worms. Not all scientists agree with this. Some say the tunnels may have been made in other ways. Scientists do agree that annelids, soft bodied worm-like animals, have been on Earth for 500 million years. Well-preserved annelid fossils have been found in Mazon Creek near Chicago. Can you believe that some scientists believe that worms have been on the Earth for more than a billion years?
Part of a Paragraph Reason Example To generate interest States the main idea (1)Scientists disagree about how long earthworms have inhabited the Earth. Structure of a Paragraph Topic Sentence Details First Point and Support Introduces Main Point #1 and gives information or examples (2)Worms are a soft bodied creatures with no bones or shell. (3)Due to this few fossils of worms have been found. (4)Scientists have found trace fossils in India. (5)These are fossils of tunnels that many scientists believe to have been made by worms. (6)Not all scientists agree with this. (7)Some say the tunnels may have been made in other ways. Details Second Point and Support Introduces Main Point #2 and gives information or examples (8)Scientists do agree that annelids, soft bodied worm-like animals, have been on Earth for 500 million years. (9)Well-preserved annelid fossils have been found in Mazon Creek near Chicago. Details Third Point and Support Introduces Main Point #3 and gives information or examples Restates the topic sentence Often leaves the reader with something to think about. (10)Can you believe that some scientists believe that worms have been on the Earth for more than a billion years? Conclusion
Questions What is the main idea of this paragraph? What is the concluding sentence What do you notice about the first line of the paragraph? Do all the sentences in the paragraph support the main idea? What is the first main point? second main point? third main point? Which sentence(s) support(s) the first main point? second main point? third main point?
Activity In your How to Eat Fried Worms packet complete Lesson 1.
Lesson 2 Making an Outline
Outline Part of a Paragraph Paragraph I. How Long Have Earthworms Lived On Earth? The main topic is used to build the topic sentence. Scientists disagree about how long earthworms have inhabited the Earth. A. Few fossils Worms are a soft bodied creatures with no bones or shell. Due to this few fossils of worms have not been found. Details First Point and Support a. no bones b. soft bodies B. Trace fossils found India Scientists have found trace fossils in India. These are fossils of tunnels that many scientists believe to have been made by worms. Not all scientist agree with this. Some say the tunnels may have been made in other ways. a. tunnels made by worms Details Second Point and Support b. scientists disagree if made by worms c. some say made other ways C. Annelid Fossil Found Scientists do agree that annelids, soft bodied worm-like animals, have been on Earth for 500 million years. Well- preserved annelid fossils have been found in Mazon Creek near Chicago. Details Third Point and Support a. fossils found in Mazon Creek near Chicago b. 500 million years old Can you believe that some scientists believe that worms have been on the Earth for more than a billion years? Conclusion Conclusion
How to Make an Outline Write a title that lets the reader know the subject of the report. Main topics are listed using Roman numerals and periods. Points or facts are listed under each topic using capital letters and periods. Subtopics are extra information that is needed to clarify a point or fact. They are listed under each fact as needed. Subtopics are listed using lower case letters and periods.
Questions What is the main topic in the paragraph above? How many points are made in this paragraph? Did each point need additional clarification? What do the Roman numerals represent? What are the capital letters used for? How many points were made in the paragraph?
Activity In your How to Eat Fried Worms packet complete Lesson 2.
Lesson 3 Topic Sentences
Read the paragraph. After making a bet with his friend Alan, Billy must eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. With $50.00 in prize money Billy plans to buy a minibike. Alan and his friend Joe do everything possible to keep Billy from eating these worms. They look for the biggest worms in the barnyard. By dipping the worms in everything from ketchup to horseradish sauce, Billy downs the worms with no trouble at all. Realizing that he is actually going to lose, Alan plans one scheme after another to trick Billy right down to day fifteen. Read this hilarious book to see if Billy can outsmart Alan and win the bet.
Questions What is the main idea of this paragraph? Can you find a sentence that tells you the main idea? This sentence is called the topic sentence. The topic sentence usually comes at the beginning of a paragraph, however, some writers may place the topic sentence at the end.
Activity In your How to Eat Fried Worms packet complete Lesson 3.
Lesson 4 Supporting or Detail Sentences
Rule The first sentence of a paragraph tells the main idea. It is called the topic sentence. The sentences that follow the topic sentence explain or tell more about the main idea. These sentences are called supporting or detail sentences.
Read the following paragraph and discuss. Earthworms may be placed in large plastic jars or small terrariums. First you need to fill the container with alternating layers of sand, soil, and peat moss. Next add enough water to make the soil mixture moist but not soggy wet. Add fresh leaves to the top of the soil. Next place the container in an area away from sunlight. This area must stay between 55 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally cover the outside of the jar or terrarium with a dark colored paper. After about five days, you may remove the paper and observe what has happened
Questions Why do these sentences make a paragraph? What is the topic sentence of the paragraph? How are you able to identify the topic sentence? Read the five detail sentences. What is the purpose of the detail sentences?
Activity In your How to Eat Fried Worms packet complete Lesson 4.
Lesson 5 Sentence Order in Paragraphs
Sentences in a paragraph should be in the correct order. If they are not, the paragraph will not make sense.
Read the following paragraph. Here is a wonderful worm treat that I'm sure you'll really love to bake. You must have the following ingredients: 1-20 ounce package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough and 3 cups crushed fruit-flavored cereal. First combine the dough with half a cup of the cereal. Second divide the dough into 32 balls. Next refrigerate the dough mixture for one hour. Before you bake the worm treats preheat the oven to 375 . While the oven heats, roll the each dough ball into six to eight worm shapes. Next roll the worms in the remaining cereal to coat. Then curl the worm into an interesting shape. Place the worms two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Finally bake the worm treats for 10 to 11 minutes until they are lightly browned. These worm treats are really delicious.
Questions What is the topic sentence of this paragraph? Which words in this paragraph show you order? What would be wrong with putting the tenth sentence before the fifth sentence?
Here is a list of transitional words you may use when writing a paragraph to show sequence: first second third after finally then last next before while after currently previously after a few hours during in the future at the same time immediately before immediately after later until as soon as eventually meanwhile
Activity In your How to Eat Fried Worms packet complete Lesson 5.
Activity Billy's mom began to help him think of yummy ways to eat worms even though she did not agree with him eating worms in the first place. Can you help Billy's mother? Come up with your own worm recipe. Write your recipe in paragraph form. Be sure to include a topic sentence, detail sentences, and a conclusion sentence. Write your recipe on the card below. (Note: INDENT) See recipe card in your How to Eat Fried Worms packet.
Lesson 6 Staying on Topic
What have you learned about paragraphs? A paragraph is a group of sentences that tell about one main idea. The topic sentence tells the main idea of a paragraph. Details tell more about the topic sentence. Sentences in a paragraph should be written in the correct sequence.
Activity In your How to Eat Fried Worms packet complete pages Lesson 6.
Lesson 7 Concluding Sentences
Most paragraphs end with concluding or closing sentence. A concluding sentence lets the reader know the paragraph is coming to a close. It restates the topic sentence in a different way and ties the paragraph together.
Activity In your How to Eat Fried Worms packet complete Lesson 7.
The rules: 1. Start your paragraph with a topic sentence. Topic sentence = a sentence that explains what you are going to write about. It should have a subject, a verb, and a main idea. 2. Add supporting sentences. Supporting sentences = more information about your topic. 3. End with a concluding sentence Conclusion = an ending sentence that explains what your paragraph is about. You are restating your topic or point. This keeps the reader focused. If you want to, you can add a concluding comment after the concluding sentence.
Activity After making mud cakes the students will write directions in paragraph form to practice with sequencing.
