1. What is a paragraph and how do we make one?
EDUC 640: Group 2
* Target audience of this presentation: Fourth/Fifth Grade

2. After this presentation,
I will be able to…
Define what a paragraph is.
Make a paragraph that organizes related ideas and thoughts.
Find examples of complete, organized paragraphs.

3. What’s a paragraph? First, what does it look like?
I have a place I love to go. It’s a fort, or a clubhouse, where I can go with friends. We can hang out there, plan neat stuff, eat, and rest. Shadow Fort is my favorite place for lots of reasons.
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Second, this fort is the first structure I ever built, with the help of my friend Kevin. We built it during a light shower. It was only a few vines that tangled together to make a kind of cave that we could crawl under….
See these blocks of text? Each one is a paragraph.
Another way you can tell if something is a paragraph is the indentation
That means whenever you make a new paragraph, you start on the next line and make an indentation.

4. What’s a paragraph? Ok, we know what it looks like…what is it?
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Let’s take a look at this paragraph:
Do you notice anything about these sentences? What are they talking about?

5. A paragraph is a unit of writing that expresses a single idea.
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
As you can see, each sentence in this paragraph talks about how big the fort is.
The sentences are all related to one another.
So what is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a unit of writing that expresses a single idea.

6. Why do we need to use paragraphs?
Let’s go back to what a paragraph looks like.
Do you see the difference between this…
And this?
I have a place I love to go. It’s a fort, or a clubhouse, where I can go with friends. We can hang out there, plan neat stuff, eat, and rest. Shadow Fort is my favorite place for lots of reasons.
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Second, this fort is the first structure I ever built, with the help of my friend Kevin. We built it during a light shower. It was only a few vines that tangled together to make a kind of cave that we could crawl under….
I have a place I love to go. It’s a fort, or a clubhouse, where I can go with friends. We can hang out there, plan neat stuff, eat, and rest. Shadow Fort is my favorite place for lots of reasons. First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Second, this fort is the first structure I ever built, with the help of my friend Kevin. We built it during a light shower. It was only a few vines that tangled together to make a kind of cave that we could crawl under….
Which side is easier to read?

7. Why do we need to use paragraphs?
Now let’s go back to what a paragraph is.
I have a place I love to go. It’s a fort, or a clubhouse, where I can go with friends. We can hang out there, plan neat stuff, eat, and rest. Shadow Fort is my favorite place for lots of reasons.
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Second, this fort is the first structure I ever built, with the help of my friend Kevin. We built it during a light shower. It was only a few vines that tangled together to make a kind of cave that we could crawl under….
To review, a paragraph expresses a single idea.
Keeping that in mind, let’s brainstorm why using a paragraph could be good for the reader and the writer.

8. Why do we need to use paragraphs?
I have a place I love to go. It’s a fort, or a clubhouse, where I can go with friends. We can hang out there, plan neat stuff, eat, and rest. Shadow Fort is my favorite place for lots of reasons.
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Second, this fort is the first structure I ever built, with the help of my friend Kevin. We built it during a light shower. It was only a few vines that tangled together to make a kind of cave that we could crawl under….
Introduction to Shadow Fort
The reader has an easier time following the writer’s train of thought.
The writer can better organize his or her thoughts.
How big the fort is
The essay flows better, from one idea to the next.
Memory of when they built the fort
The reader can better locate ideas by looking at the topic sentence*
So many good things can happen when you use paragraphs!
*Don’t worry, we’ll talk about topic sentences later

9. Why do we need to use paragraphs?
Using paragraphs is like this:
Not using paragraphs is like this:
Photo Credit: jrcraft via Compfight cc
Photo Credit: Emma Werderman via Compfight cc
Photograph: jrcraft, 2010
Photograph: Werderman, 2007

10. How to write a paragraph
Using paragraphs is a good start, but you have to know how to write a good paragraph
It’s like using containers to organize your kitchen cabinet…it only works if it’s labeled correctly, everything belongs in the right container, etc.
Let’s look at the structure of a good paragraph:
Topic sentence
Supporting sentences
Closing sentence
Not too much, right?

11. Topic sentence
Remember how we said that a paragraph expresses one idea? The topic sentence introduces this idea.
Think of the topic sentence as the “label” on the container.
Can you find the topic sentence in this paragraph? (Reminder: the main idea is “how big the fort is”)
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
You got it, it’s the first sentence! Usually the topic sentence is the first sentence of the paragraph…which makes sense because it introduces the main idea.

12. Supporting sentences
If the topic sentence is the “label,” the supporting sentences is the “stuff” that goes into the container.
Supporting sentences support the topic sentence by explaining and elaborating on the idea.
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Can you see how these sentences gives you a better picture of how big the fort is by giving us descriptions,
measurements, and a list of all the stuff that can fit inside?

13. Closing sentence
Finally, the closing sentence usually sums up the idea and/or points the reader towards the next paragraph/idea
First of all, there’s plenty of room for a few kids. It’s large (gargantuan to me). The fort is 3 ft. 8 in. high, 5 ft. 3 in. long, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide. There’s a place in back (we call it the pantry) for crackers, grapefruit, avocadoes, potatoes, carrots, berries, and Spanish moss. The roof is made of 4-ft. palm leaves and smaller fronds.
Second, this fort is the first structure I ever built, with the help of my friend Kevin. We built it during a light shower. It was only a few vines that tangled together to make a kind of cave that we could crawl under….
In this case, the closing sentence helps connect with the next paragraph, whose main idea is “memory of building the fort.” By talking about what the roof is made out of, we start thinking about how the rest of the fort was built.

14. + + Paragraph: Parts of a Paragraph Introduction Supporting Sentences
Group of sentences organized and presented coherently to relate to a single topic. Almost every piece of writing you do that is longer than a few sentences should be organized into paragraphs (Paragraphs, 2004). 
Parts of a Paragraph + +
Introduction
Supporting Sentences
Concluding Sentence
Purpose:
(1)Provides a topic sentence &
Introduces main idea
(2) Grabs the audience’s attention
(3) Provides background info
(4) Provides transition into supporting sentences
Purpose:
(1)Further explains and supports main idea through:
-supporting details
-facts & evidence
-examples
(2) Transitions into
concluding sentences
Purpose:
(1)Resates the main idea in a different way
(2) Summarizes
information presented

15. Other “ingredients”
We’ve shown you the parts of a good paragraph. However, there are a few other “ingredients” you need.
Main idea (you have to know what you’re going to write about first!)
Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar (always a must for writing)
Correct form (remember, a new paragraph means new line and indentation)

16. Tips for Writing an Effective Paragraph
Brainstorm ideas,
then Outline…
(1) What is Your Purpose:
Inform, Persuade, Entertain?
(2) Who is Your Audience:
Who are you writing for?
(3) How is Your Writing:
Check Grammar & Conventions!

17. Let’s see how other fourth graders answered this question!
You are going on a trip. You can only put three things in your suitcase. What three things do you choose and why?
Let’s see how other fourth graders answered this question!

18. A Great Example of Paragraph Writing
Example #1 I have been given the opportunity to go on any trip of my choice. I have chosen to go to Australia. Three things I will take with me on my voyage are a cell phone, swimming gear and additional clothes. The first item I'm going to bring is a cell phone. The reason I am bringing it is because I want to keep in touch with my family. I also want to bring it in case of an emergency. You never know what can happen when you're away from home. If I am bored on the plane ride, I can take out my cell phone and play one of the exciting games available on it. Playing games always helps me pass the time. The second item I'm going to bring is swimming gear. Of course this means my swimming suit, in addition to other important swimming necessities. For relaxing, I will bring my big comfortable floaty chair. This I will use while drifting near shore in the crystal blue ocean. I will also need diving equipment, so I can explore the coral reefs in the waters surrounding the rugged continent of Australia. My third item consists of a variety of clothing for the different activities I will enjoy while vacationing in Australia. I will need my bathrobe to go to the spa in. My slippers will be a must for walking to and from the spa. The Australian sun can be quite hot during the daylight hours, so I will pack a couple of hats to protect my head from the scorching rays. Boots will be necessary for hiking. Of course I will need a fancy outfit when we go out in the evening. I'm planning to have a great time in Australia using the items I have included in my suitcase. When I return to Wisconsin, I'll be sure to share the stories about my adventures with you!
Main idea clearly communicated
Ideas well organized and developed
Effective word choice
Author’s personality present in the text

19. A Paragraph that needs some revisions…
Example #2 If I went on a trip and could only 3 things, They would be these things my favorite pants that turn into capris or shorts, I'd bring my shampoo/conditioner, and my mini tv. I'd bring my favorite pants because if its cold out I have to wear pants if its warm Ive got to wear capris, and if it's hot out I'll want shorts. I also bring them because there comfortable and if I can only bring 3 things Ill need them 4 pajamas. Id also bring my shampoo/conditioner. Id never leave the haise for more than to days with-out washing my hair. I always have to use conditioner no matter what. Most of the time on a trip I want my mini tv. I don't watch tv that mutch but when I do I can't miss these shows...the parkers, the Cosby show, Simpsons, and that 70's Show. I would be happy to go on a trip for 3 days as long as the things are my favorite pants, my shampoo/conditioner and my mini tv.
Strengths
Main Idea Communicated
Ideas sufficiently organized & developed
Evidence of author’s response to the writing task (voice)
Weaknesses
Needs better use of appropriate word choice & usage
Repeated sentence errors
Errors in capitalization, punctuation and spelling

20. Correcting this Paragraph
Good job of letting your reader know the three items you’ll be bringing.
Let’s get your voice heard and add more details!
Ask yourself….
Where are you going that you’ll need to adjust your pants?
Are there other clothes I might need?
Why do you need to wash your hair every two days?
Are you proud of your hair?
Double-check CAPITALIZATION, pun?tuat!on, and spilleng

21. Checklist for Good Paragraph Writing
Ask yourself these questions after you have reread your paragraph.
Did I express my MAIN IDEA and was it easy to understand?
Are my ideas ORGANIZED?
Did I give DETAILS?
Does it sound like I wrote this? Did I really RESPOND to the task?
Did I choose my WORDS carefully? Are there words I can replace and create the same meaning?
Did I check for ERRORS in my CapitalizatioN, pun?tuat!on, and spilleng?

22. You’re finished! Now check If you Can…
Define what a paragraph is.
Make a paragraph that organizes related ideas and thoughts.
Find examples of complete, organized paragraphs.
You’re ready to fill out the Google Form and start practicing paragraph writing!

23. References Dye, D.S. (2005). How To Write a Paragraph. Retrieved from
jrcraft. (2010). Full Cabinet [Online photograph]. Retrieved August 22, 2014 from
Milwaukee Public Schools. (n.d.). Elementary Narrative Writing Guide. Retrieved from
Student Model. (n.d.). In Write Source. Retrieved from
studentmodels/we-shdwfort.htm
Werderman, E. (2007). Untitled [Online photograph]. Retrieved August 22, 2014 from