1. A sentence must contain four things. List them:
Starter: February 3, 2014
Review
What is a subject?
What is a predicate?
What is a noun?
What is a verb?
A sentence must contain four things. List them:
Write a complete sentence using a subject and predicate.

2. Research Project You will research a country of your choosing.
Then, you will gather that information into a five paragraph essay.
Many have asked…What is a country?

3. Country
Coun-try; 2
Definition: a nation with its own government, occupying a particular territory.
Examples:
The United States of America
Brazil
Fiji
Non-Examples:
Utah—states
Sandy—cities
Asia--continents

4. Paragraph Review What is a paragraph? What is paragraph unity?
A paragraph is a collection of sentences expressing ideas, opinions, or beliefs about one main idea.
What is paragraph unity?
A paragraph with unity has ideas that are related to each other and are presented in a logical order. Every sentence in the paragraph should be related to the main idea in some clear way.

5. A paragraph is the communication of a single thought, with enough detail or explanation to make that thought clear to a reader.
A new paragraph begins when one thought is fully developed, and a new thought begins.
Rules govern the organization and development of paragraphs.

6. A good controlling idea is key to a strong paragraph, and the key to a good controlling idea is the author's sense of purpose.
Why are you writing the essay?
What do you want your readers to learn?
All too often developing writers start drafting their essays without a clear sense of what their paragraphs are there for—what each paragraph is supposed to be about and how it will support the claim.

7. Is this a Paragraph?
One reason people lie is to achieve personal power. Achieving personal power is helpful for someone who pretends to be more confident than he really is. For example, one of my friends threw a party at his house last month. He asked me to come to his party and bring a date. However, I didn’t have a girlfriend. One of my other friends, who had a date to go to the party with, asked me about my date. I didn’t want to be embarrassed, so I claimed that I had a lot of work to do. I said I could easily find a date even better than his if I wanted to. I also told him that his date was ugly. I achieved power to help me feel confident; however, I embarrassed my friend and his date. Although this lie helped me at the time, since then it has made me look down on myself.

8. Is this a Paragraph?
Money causes teenagers to feel stress. It makes them feel bad about themselves and envy other people. My friend, for instance, lives with her family and has to share a room with her sister, who is very cute and intelligent. This girl wishes she could have her own room and have a lot of stuff, but she can’t have these things because her family doesn’t have much money. Her family’s income is pretty low because her father is old and doesn’t go to work. Her sister is the only one who works. Because her family can’t buy her the things she wants, she feels a lot of stress and gets angry sometimes. Once, she wanted a beautiful dress to wear to a sweetheart dance. She asked her sister for some money to buy the dress. She was disappointed because her sister didn’t have money to give her. She sat in silence for a little while and then started yelling out loud. She said her friends got anything they wanted but she didn’t. Then she felt sorry for herself and asked why she was born into a poor family. Not having money has caused this girl to think negatively about herself and her family. It has caused a lot of stress in her life.

9. Does this Paragraph have Unity?
As I sit looking at the soft orange horizon my mind contemplates my future. I’m overwhelmed with the possibilities that lie before me and my mind races to try and find answers. In school I daydream a lot. I’m not sure why, but it keeps getting me in trouble. Maybe I need to focus more and listen to my teacher. I know that I will be good at whatever I choose to do with my life, but the decisions are too hard to process now.

10. Does this Paragraph have Unity?
My most valuable possession is an old, slightly warped blond guitar--the first instrument I taught myself how to play. It's nothing fancy, just a Madeira folk guitar, all scuffed and scratched and finger-printed. At the top is a bramble of copper-wound strings, each one hooked through the eye of a silver tuning key. The strings are stretched down a long, slim neck, its frets tarnished, the wood worn by years of fingers pressing chords and picking notes. The body of the Madeira is shaped like an enormous yellow pear, one that was slightly damaged in shipping. The blond wood has been chipped and gouged to gray, particularly where the pick guard fell off years ago. No, it's not a beautiful instrument, but it still lets me make music, and for that I will always treasure it.

11. What is a topic sentence?
The main idea of a paragraph usually stated in the topic sentence. A topic sentence states both the topic and the idea about the topic that is discussed in the paragraph.
What are the supporting details in a paragraph?
Examples or reasons that explain and support the main idea/topic sentence.

12. Topic sentences often act like tiny claim statements
Topic sentences often act like tiny claim statements. Like a claim statement, a topic sentence makes a claim of some sort. As the claim statement is the unifying force in the essay, so the topic sentence must be the unifying force in the paragraph. Further, as is the case with the claim statement, when the topic sentence makes a claim, the paragraph which follows must expand, describe, or prove it in some way. Topic sentences make a point and give reasons or examples to support it.

13. What is the topic sentence?
Most students like the freedom they have in college. Usually college students live on their own, in the dormitory or in an apartment. This means they are free to come and go as they like. Their parents can’t tell them when to get up, when to go to school, and when to come home. It also means that they are free to wear what they want. There are no parents to comment about their hair styles or their dirty jeans. Finally, they are free to listen to their favorite music without interference from parents.

14. What is the topic sentence?
California is a wonderful place to visit because of its variety of weather and its beautiful nature. Visitors to California can find any weather they like. They can find cool temperatures in the summer; also they can find warm weather in the winter. They can find places that are difficult for humans to live in the summer because they are so hot. Or they can find places closed in the winter because of the snow. On the other hand, visitors can find the nature they like. They can find high mountains and low valleys. Visitors can find a huge forest, a dead desert, and a beautiful coast. So California is the most wonderful place to visit because of its weather and nature.

15. Practice…
On your whiteboards write a paragraph about your favorite vacation.
Make sure that:
Paragraph has unity
There is a topic sentence
You give details to support your idea

16. Practice Pass… Pass your whiteboard to your elbow partner.
Partner, read the paragraph.
Partner, underline the topic sentence.
Partner, do a squiggle line under two details that support the topic sentence.
Hand whiteboard back to owner and discuss with them your findings.

17. Exit Ticket…
On a half-sheet of paper, write a paragraph about the super bowl yesterday.
Make sure that:
Paragraph has unity
There is a topic sentence
You give details to support your idea