1. Under Construction: Building a Paragraph with a Bubble Map
Teaching Activities and Strategies

2. Bulletin Board Hamburger
Under Construction: Building a Paragraph with a Bubble Map
Teaching Activities and Strategies
Build a Hamburger
Students build their own hamburger graphic organizers to keep in their writing journals.
Backwards Summary
Students use a completed paragraph to create a bubble map.
Bulletin Board Hamburger
Students collaborate to create a classroom hamburger graphic organizer model.
Paragraph Starter
Students write detail and concluding sentences when given a topic sentence.
Paragraph Ending
Students write a topic sentence and detail sentences when given a closing sentence.
Paragraph Jumble
Students unscramble and rewrite a jumbled paragraph writing sample.
Bubble Map Jumble
Students unscramble the parts of a bubble map to write a paragraph.
Paragraph Filling
Students write a topic and concluding sentences when given a detail sentence.

3. Build a Hamburger Objective
Students will create a hamburger graphic organizer to keep in their writing journals.

4. Build a Hamburger Materials Procedure Copy paper Crayons or markers
Back
Materials
Procedure
Copy paper
Crayons or markers
Pencil
Scissors
Tape or glue
Writing tablet
Think about the things you like to eat on your hamburger.
Draw your hamburger on a piece of copy paper. Be sure the hamburger has a bun and 3 things inside.
Write the parts of the paragraph on the parts of the hamburger. Example: the top bun should be labeled “topic sentence.”
Lightly color or outline each part of the hamburger.
Cut-out the hamburger and tape (or glue) it into each writing tablet.

5. Bulletin Board Hamburger
Topic Sentence
Details
Closing Sentence
Objective
Students will collaborate to create a classroom hamburger graphic organizer.

6. Bulletin Board Hamburger
Back
Materials
Procedure
Poster board
Markers
Chart or graph
Paragraph parts label
Take a poll: Ask students what they like to eat on their hamburger. Chart the results on graph paper.
Choose the 3 most popular responses.
Draw a classroom model hamburger on the poster board, using the 3 most popular hamburger-filling responses.
Label the hamburger model with the parts of the paragraph.

7. Paragraph Jumble Objective
Students will identify the parts of a paragraph and arrange the parts in the best order.

8. Paragraph Jumble Materials Procedure Paragraph pieces
Back
Materials
Procedure
Paragraph pieces
Hamburger organizer
Writing paper
Pencil
Provide each student with a set of paragraph pieces.
Ask students to find their hamburger organizer (or refer to classroom model).
Remind students of the parts of the paragraph.
Ask students to arrange the paragraph pieces in the best order following the model – topic sentence, details, closing.
Ask students to re-write the paragraph on writing paper, using correct capitalization, indentation, and punctuation.
Prep
Find a quality paragraph example. Print enough copies for all students. Cut-up the pieces of the paragraph.

9. Taking the Paragraph Apart
Back
What is the topic sentence?
The elephants are gray and have big ears.
Tigers and elephants are two animals I saw at the zoo.
What is the first detail?
The tigers are orange with black stripes.
What is the second detail?
I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers and elephants are my favorite.
What is the closing sentence?

10. Students will complete a paragraph when provided a topic sentence.
Paragraph Starter
Objective
Students will complete a paragraph when provided a topic sentence.

11. Paragraph Starter
Back
Materials
Procedure
Topic sentence
Hamburger organizer
Pencil
Ask students to identify the topic and ideas in the topic sentence.
Allow students to brainstorm details and a conclusion to complete the paragraph.
Ask students to write 3 detail sentences and a closing sentence on the graphic organizer.
Prep
Write a topic sentence at the top of a hamburger organizer worksheet. Print enough copies for each student.

12. Paragraph Starter Example
Back
Tigers and elephants are two animals I saw at the zoo.
Topic Sentence
1st Detail Sentence
2nd Detail Sentence
Closing Sentence

13. Students will complete a paragraph when provided a closing sentence.
Paragraph Ending
Objective
Students will complete a paragraph when provided a closing sentence.

14. Paragraph Closing
Back
Materials
Procedure
Closing sentence
Hamburger organizer
Pencil
Ask students to identify the key words in the closing sentence.
Allow students to brainstorm a topic sentence and a details to complete the paragraph.
Ask students to write a topic sentence and 3 detail sentences on the graphic organizer.
Prep
Write a closing sentence at the bottom of a hamburger organizer worksheet. Print enough copies for each student.

15. Paragraph Ending Example
Back
Topic Sentence
1st Detail Sentence
2nd Detail Sentence
I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers and elephants were my favorite.

16. Students will complete a paragraph when provided detail sentences.
Paragraph Filling
Objective
Students will complete a paragraph when provided detail sentences.

17. Paragraph Filling
Back
Materials
Procedure
Detail sentences
Hamburger organizer
Pencil
Ask students to identify the ideas in the detail sentences.
Allow students to brainstorm a topic sentence and a closing sentence to complete the paragraph.
Ask students to write a topic sentence and closing sentence on the graphic organizer.
Prep
Write 3 detail sentences on a hamburger organizer worksheet. Print enough copies for each student.

18. Paragraph Filling Example
Back
Topic Sentence
The tigers are orange with black stripes.
1st Detail Sentence
2nd Detail Sentence
The elephants are gray with big ears.
I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers and elephants were my favorite.
Closing Sentence

19. Bubble Map Jumble Objective
Students will unscramble the parts of a bubble map to write a paragraph.

20. Bubble Map Jumble Materials Procedure Blank bubble map
Back
Materials
Procedure
Blank bubble map
Blank copy paper
Scissors
Glue
Pencil and crayons
Ask students to complete the bubble map worksheet.
As students finish, check their progress to make sure that they have completed a quality bubble map.
Instruct students to cut their bubble maps apart and mix the pieces together.
Allow students to trade bubble maps.
Partners unscramble the bubble maps and arrange the pieces on the blank copy paper, glue the pieces in place, and connect the bubbles with lines.

21. Students will use a completed paragraph to create a bubble map.
Backwards Summary
Objective
Students will use a completed paragraph to create a bubble map.

22. Backwards Summary Procedure Materials
Read the completed paragraph with the class.
Ask students to point-out the topic sentence, detail sentences, and closing sentence.
Allow students to work with a partner or individually to find the topic, ideas, and details in the paragraph. Students can use crayons to underline and color code the 3 parts of the paragraph.
Instruct students to fill in the bubble map with the topic, ideas, and details that they found in the paragraph.
Completed paragraph
Hamburger organizer
Bubble map worksheet or blank paper
Crayons and pencil
Prep
Find a quality completed paragraph. Make copies for each student.