Organization Paragraph Writing

Types of Paragraphs Narrative—story form Descriptive—describes a scene or object Expository—gives information Persuasive—shares opinions, convinces others to agree or take action

Choosing which type The type of paragraph you use will depend on your purpose for writing. To entertain others or express yourself, use narrative or descriptive To inform readers, use expository or narrative To influence others, use persuasion

Parts of a Paragraph Main idea is the message you are trying to get across. Topic sentence states your main idea in one sentence, usually at the beginning of the paragraph.

Parts of a Paragraph, cont. Supporting details explain and give evidence to support the topic sentence. Conclusion is a final sentence which restates the main idea.

So What’s a “TEEC”? Topic Sentence Explanation Evidence (often a story) Conclusion

More about a TEEC Topic Sentence—main idea Explanation—explains or makes the main idea clearer Evidence—specific details to support the main idea; a personal story works well Conclusion—restate the topic sentence

Example: I love going to the beach. I love the sound, the smell, and everything in it. You can go scuba diving, get a suntan, or watch the itty-bitty creatures. You can watch beautiful sunsets. One of my favorite things to do at the beach is build sand castles. One time when I was eight years old, my family and I built a giant sand castle about six feet across. My dad

made a giant wall around it so the water couldn’t come in, while my brother and I put buildings around inside the wall. My mom and sister made the castle look decorative with bits of driftwood and things. The whole thing took about three hours to finish. That was my favorite day of going to the beach. The beach will always be one of my favorite places to go for vacation.

Another example: Wesley Woods was the most exciting place to visit. The Challenge courses were a way to learn team building. The rapids were wild to kayak on. The wonderful worships at Nickel Lodge were led by Pastor Wright. One night we had a pillow fight in the lodge. It was a blast because they turned out the light,

boys vs. girls, and color pillows vs. white pillows boys vs. girls, and color pillows vs. white pillows! Near the end we were exhausted from running around and hitting each other. People who visit the camp always want to go back.

Qualities of a Good Paragraph Unity—make sure everything in the paragraph sticks to your topic Coherence—keep everything in a logical order or sequence Development—give three strong points of explanation, and use a story as supporting evidence Word choice—use clear, vivid words Editing—use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling skills.

Signal Term The word or words in the topic sentence which need support Wesley Woods was the most exciting place to visit. I love going to the beach. One of my favorite places to visit is my grandfather’s farm. I hate cooked carrots!

Assignment, part 1: Make a plan for a TEEC paragraph. Your purpose is to convince or persuade someone Choose a topic that you really love or hate, so that you can support it well Identify who your “audience” or reader will be and make sure your information matches that. Save all planning sheets and drafts, even if you rewrite!

Assignment, part 1: Fill out the planning sheet for a TEEC paragraph Write a topic sentence stating your main idea. (Use the planning sheet.) List three points to explain your topic and support your idea. Think of a personal experience (story) you can tell to illustrate and support it. Write a conclusion.

Assignment, part 2: Write the first draft of your TEEC paragraph, using your planning sheet. ALWAYS double-space your drafts, whether you use the computer or not. SAVE all copies and all drafts!