 The Hamburger Paragraph is a model that helps us write more well-rounded paragraphs.  It helps us identify main ideas of our writing and then add supporting details.  There are different types of burgers for each type of writing style.

 The hamburger bun ◦ Top bun – The topic sentence ◦ Bottom bun – Concluding sentence  The meat – The main idea of the paragraph  The “fixins” (cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, ketchup) – All the details that support the main idea

 The purpose of a descriptive paragraph is to make the reader see, feel, and hear what we have seen, felt, and heard.  Writers must spice up their writing by describing nouns, using vivid action verbs, and figurative language.

 The topic or opening sentence should grab the attention of the reader.  For a descriptive paragraph, try this by: ◦ Asking a question ◦ Beginning in a memory ◦ Introducing the main subject of the paragraph ◦ An action sequence

 The meat should be the main idea of your paragraph.  The fixins will be all the details and figurative language used to describe your main subject of the paragraph.  In a descriptive paragraph, try to paint a picture with words.

 New York City is a concrete jungle.  The negative attitude was a cancer that spread to all the players on the team.  John was lost in a sea of nameless faces.  The wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly.  Her hope was a fragile seed on the wind.

 The concluding sentence should summarize the main idea of the paragraph and not introduce any new ideas.  The concluding sentence also provides a definite ending point for the reader.  EX: in a paragraph describing someone whose appearance radiated an easy-going sense of humor, the concluding sentence would be:  “Joe had the kind of laid-back humor that could brighten anyone’s day like sunshine through a rainy day.