the learning strategy series the university of kansas center for research on learning lawrence,...

The Learning Strategy Series The University of Kansas

Center for Research on LearningLawrence, Kansas

The Paragraph Writing

Strategy

The Learning Strategy Series

Michele GoodsteinSIM Professional [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Strategic Instruction Model™

The University of KansasCenter for Research on Learning

Lawrence, Kansas 66045

www.ku-crl.org

http://www.ku-crl.org/

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Education Specialties: Special Education New! Ranked in 2006* 1. Vanderbilt University (Peabody) (TN) 2. University of Kansas 3. University of Oregon

Three Requirements

Results must be…….

• Statistically significant

• Socially significant

• Teachers want to teach

the strategy

Learning Strategies Curriculum

Acquisition

Word Identification

Paraphrasing

Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and summarizing

Self-Questioning

Visual Imagery

Word Mapping

Storage

First-Letter Mnemonic

Paired Associates

LINCS Vocabulary

Expression of Competence

Sentence Writing

Paragraph Writing

Error Monitoring

Theme Writing

Assignment Completion

Test-Taking

Essay Test Taking

The Performance Gap

Stu

den

ts S

kill

s

Years in School

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The “GAP”

2013-2014 School Year

2005-2006 School Year

NCLB

A I don’t know

It was easy

I was lucky

Why did I get an A?

Why teach strategies?

• Some students have difficulty developing strategies to meet their needs.

• A strategy makes the task at hand manageable and provides students with a place to start.

• Strategies enable students to be successful when there is no adult around to prompt them.

This isn’t just about just learning a strategy…

It’s about becoming a strategic learner by using strategies

appropriately independently

What is the difference between a skill and a strategy?

Not all strategies are created equal.

A strategy should be

Effective and

Efficient

What Can You

EXPECT

?????

Pretest

My favorite sport is basketball. The first time I played was when my older cousin got a hoop when I was in first grade. At first I was just playing for fun and playing with out control of the ball. Soon I new a bunch of new tricks. By the time I was in fourth grade I wasn’t awsome but a lot better.

PosttestBasketBall

My favorite sport is basketball for numerous reasons. First it involves practically your whole body in the sport. For example, you need your legs to run and jump, your arms to dribble, shoot, aim and to steal the ball or get a rebound, you also need you eyes and mouth to communicate with your team and to observe the ball. Next, It’s a team or one on one game. If some one else wants to play you could put them on a team, or if two people wanna play eachother they could play one on one or a head to head. Finally, basket ball is a surprising game you may learn something new everytime you play.

For example, you could learn how to put the ball through or under your legs, or to cross your opponent in many different ways and you could also learn new techniques along the way. To sum it up, basket ball is my favorite sport because it involves almost every part of your body, is a team or one on one game, and your always learning new things as you play.

How Has Strategy Instruction Helped?

• Academically

Key Vocabulary

What is

a strategy ?

An individual’s approach to a task is called a

StrategyIt includes how a person thinks and

acts when planning, executing and

evaluating performance on a task

and its outcomes

WhatWhat problems do you see problems do you see in the paragraphs that your in the paragraphs that your

students write?students write?

PurposeTo teach students to write well-organized paragraphs that include:

– topic, detail, and clincher sentences– a consistent point of view– consistency in tense throughout– logically sequenced ideas– appropriate transitions between ideas

Paragraph Parts

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Sentence Types Used in Paragraphs

Sentence Types

Topic Sentence

Detail Sentences

Clincher Sentence

University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning 2006

PLAN IT.

358

BODY

Kinds of rocks

Metamorphic

Sedimentary

Igneous

2

1

3 Lastly,

Another

The first

C-L 3 Pres

On our field trip to the Museum of Natural History, our class learned that there are three different types of rocks. The first type of rock, metamorphic, is formed deep inside the earth. There, heat and pressure create these rocks over millions of years. Gneiss and granite are examples of this type of rock. Another type of rock, sedimentary, is formed at the bottom of oceans. Small pieces of sand, shells, and other materials build up in layers. These layers become cemented together over time and often contain fossils of small animals and plants. Examples of sedimentary rock are sandstone and shale. Lastly, igneous rock is formed from lava that hardens over time. Sometimes lava hardens quickly, but sometimes it hardens slowly over millions of years. In that case, large crystals may form in the rock. Granite is a type of igneous rock that is often used in the construction of buildings. In sum, metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous are three different types of rocks that are created by three entirely different processes.

Types of Rocks

Steps for Writing a Paragraph

Set up a diagram.

Create the title

Reveal the topic.

Iron out the details.

Bind it together with a clincher.

Edit your work.

Plan

Execute

Evaluate

Which is the plan, execute and evaluate?

Gen. Ed.Teachers:Gen. Ed.Teachers: Think of two units you teach. For each, create a topic and three parallel details that might form the basis of a paragraph. Examples:

Organ Systems

circulatory

digestive

skeletal

Landforms

valleys

plateaus

plains

Greek Philosophers

Socrates

Plato

Aristotle

Triangles

scalene

equilateral

isosceles

Think of the units you teach during the year. Choose three topics students might write a paragraph about. Then, list three parallel details for each:

Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Topic: Landforms

Detail: valley

Detail: plateau

Detail: plain

Choose one of the topics above and write a general, clueing, and specific topic sentence.

General:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clueing:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now write a general, clueing, and specific clincher sentence.

General:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clueing:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Topic:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Paragraph Part Sentence Type

Introduction Topic Sentence

Body Detail Sentences

Conclusion Clincher Sentence


Part 1:Topic

Sentences

What does a Topic Sentence Do?

Have you ever watched the two minute coming attractions of a movie?

Why do they show it?

How do they hope you will feel?

What do they hope you will do?

Why don’t they just show all of the movie?

How is a Topic Sentence like the coming attractions?

Topic Sentence• Is usually the first

sentence

• Introduces the main idea

• Sometimes introduces the details

Cue Card #6 and #5

Types of Topic Sentences

General Topic Sentences

Clueing Topic Sentences

Specific Topic Sentences

Cue Card #7

General Topic Sentence

Names the main idea

of the paragraph.


Cue Card #9

Examples of General Topic Sentences

• Mr. James is my favorite teacher.

• I went to Hawaii on vacation.

• We are going to fix up our house.

Examples of General Topic Sentences

• The hot trend in advertising these days is to hire real, live stars.

• Not much is left of a town known as Nora, Nebraska.

• Democracy is thriving at Hillsboro High School.

Cue Card #10


The literary element of foreshadowing plays an important role in “Charles” by Shirley Jackson.

STATES THE MAIN IDEA

Describe the foreshadowing in

“Charles” by Shirley Jackson.

More General Topic Sentences

Lynbrook Middle School is a Long Island public school with state of the art technology.

Sachem teams have a difficult time winning their games, but Lynbrook teams do not.





Cue Card #7

Clueing Topic Sentence

• Names the main idea.

• Gives a clue about the details.

Clueing Topic Sentence

Cue Card #14

Clue WordsMany Various Differences

Several Classes Similarities

A number of Categories Advantages

Number (“Three”) Groups Disadvantages

Kinds Steps Jobs

Types Stages Uses

Parts Ways Causes

Elements Roles Effects

Pieces Features Reasons

Members Examples Sources

Divisions Characteristics Products

Components Functions Variety

Different Assortment

Similar Multitude

Different

Examples of Clueing Topic Sentences

• Mr. James is my favorite teacher for three reasons.

• I did several exciting things when I went to Hawaii on vacation.

• We need to do a variety of projects to fix up our house.

Examples of Clueing Topic Sentences

• There are several models of cars I would consider buying.

• Tents come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

• The citizens of Lawrence have three main reasons for building a new high school.

• Jesse Flynn is my best friend because of his many fine characteristics.

Cue Card #13



&

GIVES A CLUE

There are several examples of the literary element of foreshadowing which plays an important role in

“Charles” by Shirley Jackson.

More CLUEING Topic Sentences

Lynbrook Middle School is a Long Island public school with many examples of state of the art technology.

Sachem teams have a difficult time winning their games, but Lynbrook teams, for several reasons, do not.





Cue Card #7

Specific Topic Sentence

• Names the main idea.

• Names the specific details

to be covered.

Specific Topic Sentence

Cue Card #16

Examples of Specific Topic Sentences

• Mr. James is my favorite teacher because he is funny, interesting, and very fair.

• When I went to Hawaii on vacation I surfed, went swimming, and skydived.

• We are going to fix up our house by putting on a new roof, painting the inside, and buying all new carpets.

Examples of Specific Topic Sentences

• Air pollution is caused by vehicles and industries.

• Charles Darwin lived an interesting life as an explorer, writer, and scientist.

• Diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies are beri beri, pellagra, scurvy, and rickets.

Cue Card #17



&

GIVES SPECIFIC DETAILS

The literary element of foreshadowing, illustrated through Laurie’s behavior at

home, his transparent lies, and his obvious enjoyment in telling stories

about Charles, plays an important role in “Charles” by Shirley Jackson.

More SPECIFIC Topic Sentences

Lynbrook Middle School is a Long Island public school with state of the art technology in computers, Starboards, and wireless Internet.

Sachem teams have a difficult time winning their games, but Lynbrook teams, because of their unstoppable, talented athletes and talented coaches, do not.


&

GIVES SPECIFIC DETAILS

Let’s try writing all three types of Let’s try writing all three types of topic sentences:topic sentences:

For one of the sets of details you have created, write a general, clueing, and specific topic sentence.

Landforms

valleys

plateaus

plains

Greek Philosophers

Socrates

Plato

Aristotle

Think of the social studies units you do during the year. Choose three topics students might write a paragraph about, and list three parallel details for each:

Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Topic: Landforms

Detail: valley

Detail: plateau

Detail: plain


General: We study about landforms as part of the geography unit.

Clueing: There are three major landforms that we study as part of the geography unit.

Specific: Valleys, plateaus, and plains are the landforms that we study in depth this

year.


General:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clueing:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________


Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________


General:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clueing:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


General:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Clueing:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Specific:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Sample Student Writing

Part 2:Detail

Sentences






Cue Card #3

Detail Sentence

• Discusses one of the details in the paragraph

• Sometimes shows the relationship between a detail and the rest of the paragraph

Cue Card #19/20

The Paragraph Express

Cue Card #21

Transition

• Signals the introduction of a new detail.

• Shows the relationship between the detail and the rest of the paragraph.

Types of Detail Sentences

Lead-off SentencesFollow-up Sentences

Lead-off Sentence

• Introduces a new detail

• Contains a transition

The Lead-Off

The literary element of foreshadowing,

illustrated through Laurie’s behavior at home, his transparent lies, and his obvious enjoyment in telling stories about Charles, plays an important role in “Charles” by Shirley Jackson. In particular, at home Laurie is extremely rude to his parents and sister.

Follow-up Sentence

Provides more information about the detail.

The literary element of foreshadowing, illustrated through Laurie’s behavior at home, his transparent lies, and his obvious enjoyment in telling stories about Charles, plays an important role in “Charles” by Shirley Jackson. In particular, Laurie is extremely rude to his parents and sister.

After arriving home from his very first day of school, he slams the door and shouts. He continues being rude by calling his father “you old dust mop,” and purposely spills his sister’s milk.

F


Cue Card #26

Turtles could not survive

without their marvelous shells.

skeleton home protection

Example Detail SentencesTopic sentence: Turtles could not survive without their

marvelous shells.

Detail sentences:

Most importantly, turtles’ shells serve as the base for their skeletons. Their backbones and ribs are attached to the flat bony plates of their shells. This skeleton provides shape for their bodies. Somewhat importantly, turtles’ shells serve as their portable homes. Turtles can live anywhere because they carry their homes with them. This is important for turtles since they move so slowly. Finally, turtles’ shells are important because the shells protect turtles from their enemies. Turtles who are in danger can pull their heads and legs into their hard shells to protect themselves from animals who might try to eat them.

Role of Turtle Shells

Skeleton

Home

Protection

G

Requirements for a Detail Sentence

Each detail sentence must:• Contain related information.• Be in a logical sequence with other sentences.• Include a transition if it introduces a new detail.• Be written from the same point of view as the

other sentences• Be written in the same tense as the other

sentences.

Detail Sentence Sequences• Size Sequence

– When details are larger/smaller than each other

• Time Sequence– When some details occur before others in time

• Space Sequence– When details are arranged in space in relation to each other

• Importance Sequence– When some details are more important than others

• Chain-Link Sequence– When details are related in pairs or not related in any of the

above sequences

Size Transitions

The largest Larger than The smallest The small-sized The tallestThe next largest Equal to The next smallest The medium-sized The shortestThe smallest Smaller than The largest The large-sized

Time Transitions

First, Now At the beginning of Before By this time Thereafter,Then, Soon In the middle of In the meantime At the same time, PresentlyNext, Then At the end of During At that instant, After a short timeAt last, Later Meanwhile After Soon thereafter, Immediately,

Afterwards Simultaneously,

First, In the morning, Yesterday, The firstSecond, Before noon, Today, A more recentThird, In the afternoon, Tomorrow, The most recentFinally, In the evening, The day after tomorrow,

In the past, The next day, This year, The earliestIn the present, Two weeks later, Next year, The next earliestIn the future, Six months later, In the next few years, The most recent

Transitions Chart

Space Transitions

Behind On the edge of Beside In front West of High

Over Toward Around Facing East of Against

Under Throughout Near back of North of Alongside

Below To the right of Side by side In the center South of Ahead of

Beneath To the left of Close to Inside At the Here

Low down On top of Next to Outside In There

On the bottom At the top Down At the end of On Beyond

On the corner By Up Between Above Farther on

Importance Transitions

The best The most important The first The best

The next best Equally important More important than The next best

The least best The next most important Most important The worst

The least important

Transitions Chart (cont.)

Chain-Link Transitions

On the one hand, One example of In the first place, In other words The firstOn the other hand, For instance, In the second place, In fact, The second

Another example, In the third place, Also, The thirdAgain, A further example,Besides, For example,Moreover, For another example, One Because First,

Another Since Second,Still another A further As third,In addition, Further, Still, Specifically,In the same way, Furthermore, While More specifically,In fact, Instead In particular,

The opposite of _ is_ Additionally,On the contrary side Lastly, The last Indeed, As a result,To the contrary, Similar to _ is_ Last Although Consequently,In contrast, Another similar _ is_ Even though Naturally,In spite of Likewise, Nevertheless, Even if After all,Despite the Similarly, Nonetheless,

A dissimilar _ is_

Concluding Transitions

To conclude, In summary, To sum up, As one can see,In conclusion, In sum, To summarize, As a result,

In brief, Thus, Finally,In short, Therefore,





sentences.

Which Point of View?

1 2

3

Pick it

and

stick

to

it.

Example Sentences Written in First Person Point of View

• First, I measured out one cup of water.

• We added dye to our water and timed how long it took to disperse.

• I divided both sides of the equation by three.

.

Example Sentences Written in Second Person Point of View

• You should be sure to measure the mass accurately.

• Next, you roll the ball down the slope.

• Put a small amount of iron filings on the paper towel.

Example Sentences Written in Third Person Point of View

• The median is the middle number.

• Friction produces heat.

• When the ball hits the floor, kinetic energy is changed to heat and sound energy.




sentences.

Tense VerbPast painted

was painting

had painted

Present is painting

paints

Future will paint

shall paint

Tense Chart

Let’s try planning a paragraph:Let’s try planning a paragraph:

• Choose one of the sets of details you created earlier.

• Transfer them to a Paragraph Diagram.

• Decide on how you will sequence them.

• Put numbers in the circles to indicate the sequence.

• Choose transition words from the Transitions Chart

• Decide on a point of view and tense (probably third person present)

landforms

plateau

valley

plain

C-L 3rd P

One example

Another example

Still another type

2

1

3

Let’s try writing detail sentences:Let’s try writing detail sentences:

• Take your first detail and its matching transition. Use them to create a lead-off detail sentence.

• Add a follow-up detail sentence giving more information about that detail (elaboration).

• Then do the same for each of the next two details.

Total: Six sentences!

landforms

plateau

valley

plain

C-L 3rd P

One example

Another example

Still another type

2

1

3

Writing Lead-off and Follow- up Sentences

• L : One example of a landform is a valley.• F: Valleys are hollow or surface depressions of

the earth surrounded by hills or mountains.• L: • F: • L: • F:

landforms

plateau

valley

plain

C-L 3rd P

One example

Another example

Still another type

2

1

3



the earth surrounded by hills or mountains.• L: Another example of a landform is a plateau.• F: Plateaus are large, high land areas that are fairly

level.• L: • F:

landforms

plateau

valley

plain

C-L 3rd P

One example

Another example

Still another type

2

1

3



the earth surrounded by hills or mountains.• L: Another example of a landform is a plateau.• F: Plateaus are large, high land areas that are fairly

level.• L: Still another type of landform is a plain. • F: Plains are broad, nearly level stretches of land.


L:

F:

L:

F:

L:

F:

Part 3:Clincher

Sentences






Cue Card #3

• Is the last sentence in the paragraph

• Closes the paragraph• Names the main idea of the

paragraph• Sometimes summarizes or

names the details of the paragraph

• Is different from the Topic Sentence

Clincher Sentence

Cue Card #43

This will eliminate…

My favorite restaurant is The Cheesecake Factory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is why The Cheesecake Factory is my favorite restaurant.

Types of Clincher Sentences

General Clincher Sentence

Clueing Clincher Sentence

Specific Clincher Sentence

Cue Card #47


Words that tell the reader

that the paragraph is finished.Thus,

Therefore

Finally,

As a result,

Chain-Link Transitions

On the one hand, One example of In the first place, In other words The firstOn the other hand, For instance, In the second place, In fact, The second

Another example, In the third place, Also, The thirdAgain, A further example,Besides, For example,Moreover, For another example, One Because First,

Another Since Second,Still another A further As third,In addition, Further, Still, Specifically,In the same way, Furthermore, While More specifically,In fact, Instead In particular,

The opposite of _ is_ Additionally,On the contrary side Lastly, The last Indeed, As a result,To the contrary, Similar to _ is_ Last Although Consequently,In contrast, Another similar _ is_ Even though Naturally,In spite of Likewise, Nevertheless, Even if After all,Despite the Similarly, Nonetheless,

A dissimilar _ is_


To conclude, In summary, To sum up, As one can see,In conclusion, In sum, To summarize, As a result,

In brief, Thus, Finally,In short, Therefore,


Example General Clincher Sentences

• In summary, these car models are my favorites.

• To summarize, these are my favorite car models; what are yours?

• As one can see, life on a farm can be hard.

• Thus, learning a foreign language can be difficult.

• To conclude, public transportation can be found in large cities.

GENERAL CLINCHER SENTENCE

Makes your reader dive into deeper thinking on the topic.

Therefore, isn’t it obvious to Laurie’s parents that something is just not right, and do they

refuse to see the obvious?

Clueing Clincher Sentence

• Names the main idea

• Ties the details together with a clue word

Example Clueing Clincher Sentences

• In sum, these four events took place at our school this week.

• Therefore, without these three things, animals cannot survive.

• In other words, several people were involved in planning the party.

• To conclude, these two sports keep me very busy and in good shape.

CLUEING CLINCHER

Ties everything up neatly with a clueing word

In other words, there are numerous hints in the story which lead the reader to believe that

Laurie is really “Charles.”

Specific Clincher Sentence

• Names the main idea

• Names the specific details that were covered in the paragraph

• Names the details in the order in which they were discussed

Example Specific Clincher Sentences

• As one can see, making a snowman involves rolling the parts of his body, stacking the parts, and creating his face and clothes.

• In effect, the people followed a clear course: They wrote a petition, held rallies, demanded a vote, and caused the law to be changed.

• In summary, people plan vacations to rest, to see new places, or to try new experiences.

SPECIFIC CLINCHER SENTENCE

Like a quarterback, repeat the count on which the ball will be snapped.

Thus, Laurie’s raucous behavior at home, transparent lies, and glee in telling stories about

Charles foreshadows that Laurie is “Charles. “

Clincher SentencesModel Paragraph 3

How the dinosaurs died out is one of the greatest mysteries of all time. Some scientists think that a giant meteor from outer space hit the earth about 65 million years ago. Its impact could have caused many changes on the earth that might have killed the dinosaurs. For example, the meteor’s impact might have raised tons of dirt and dust into the atmosphere so that sunlight could not reach the earth, or it might have started the eruptions of many volcanoes or created tidal waves. Other scientists theorize that when flowering plants appeared in the world, the plant-eating dinosaurs could not digest these plants and died. In turn, the meat-eating dinosaurs also starved because there were no plant-eating dinosaurs left to eat. Still other scientists propose that a strange disease wiped out the dinosaurs. Finally, other scientists think that the climate of the world became too cold for the dinosaurs’ survival.

G

C

S

Let’s try writing clincher sentences:Let’s try writing clincher sentences:

• Look at the six sentences you wrote when we were practicing details sentences.

• Write three possible clinchers: a general, clueing, and a specific.

• Remember to use a concluding transition on each.



the earth surrounded by hills or mountains.• L: Another example of a landform is a plateau.• F: Plateaus are large high land areas that are fairly

level.• L: Still another type of landform is a plain. • F: Plains are broad, nearly level stretches of land.


Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Topic: Landforms

Detail: valley

Detail: plateau

Detail: plain


General: We study about landforms as part of the geography unit.

Clueing: There are three major landforms that we study as part of the geography unit.

Specific: Valleys, plateaus, and plains are the landforms that we study in depth this

year.


General: In summary, the study of landforms is part of the geography unit.

Clueing: To conclude, there are three major landforms that we study in geography.

Specific: As one can see, valleys, plateaus, and plains are the landforms that we study in depth this year.

Topic:___________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Detail:__________

Part 4:Whole

Paragraphs

The Paragraph WritingStrategy

Types of ParagraphsSequential Paragraph

– Step-by-Step Paragraph

– Narrative Paragraph

Descriptive Paragraph

Expository Paragraph– Facts Paragraph

– Reasons Paragraph

– Examples Paragraph

Compare and Contrast Paragraph

– Compare Paragraph

– Contrast Paragraph

– Compare and Contrast Paragraph

Which types would you Which types would you be asking students to be asking students to write in your subject write in your subject area?area?

Example Paragraph Nonviolent protest has been a major force in the world. In the late

1940s and early 1950s, Mahatma Ghandi and his followers used

nonviolent protest to gain independence for India from Britain. For the first

time in decades, Indians had their own country. In the 1960s, Martin

Luther King and his followers used nonviolent protest to gain rights for

Blacks in America. Through nonviolent protest, they obtained rights that

had been denied to them since the slaves had been freed, such as the

right to sit anywhere on a bus, eat in any restaurant, and vote in elections.

Thus, nonviolent protest has been successfully used by oppressed people

to gain independence from other nations; it has also been used to gain

personal rights and freedoms.

In the sample paragraph…

1. Is the topic sentence general, specific, or clueing?

2. What are the two lead-off detail sentences?3. What are the two transitions that begin the

two detail sentences?4. Is the clincher sentence general, clueing, or

specific?5. What is the concluding transition?6. What is the tense?7. What is the point of view?



2. What are the two lead-off detail sentences?3. What are the two transitions that begin the two

detail sentences?4. Is the clincher sentence general, clueing, or




nonviolent protest to gain independence for India from Britain. For the

first time in decades, Indians had their own country. In the 1960s, Martin

Luther King and his followers used nonviolent protest to gain rights

for Blacks in America. Through nonviolent protest, they obtained rights

that had been denied to them since the slaves had been freed, such as the








two detail sentences?4. Is the clincher sentence general, clueing,

or specific?5. What is the concluding transition?6. What is the tense?7. What is the point of view?









Thus, nonviolent protest has been successfully used by oppressed

people to gain independence from other nations; it has also been

used to gain personal rights and freedoms.










people to gain independence from other nations; it has also been used to

gain personal rights and freedoms.

Paragraph ChecklistName:

________________________

Do I have. . . _____ a title?_____ a Topic Sentence that fits the details?_____ at least 6 Detail Sentences?_____ a Clincher Sentence that is different from the Topic Sentence?

Have I used. . ._____ a variety of sentence types (Simple, Compound,

Complex, Compound-Complex)?_____ the same point of view throughout?_____ the same tense throughout?_____ the correct paragraph format?_____ at least three transitions and a Concluding Transition?

p. 360

• T

• L

• F

• F

• L

• F

• F

• L

• F

• F

• C

Formula for WritingA Paragraph

Resource for Information

• Go to www.lynbrook.k12.ny.us

• On the home page scroll down the left hand side (yellow) to Moodle. Then slide to the right and click on Moodle Rooms.

• Scroll towards the bottom and click on Staff Development.

• Scroll down to the 4th item and click on SIM resource course.

• Go to the strategy you want (LINCs, Paragraph Writing) and look around for what you need.

http://www.lynbrook.k12.ny.us/

Paragraph Topic List• My Favorite Sport

• The Problems of Old Age

• My Favorite Store (or restaurant)

• The Perfect Job

• The “MUSTS” for a Healthy Body

• The Best Season of the Year

How can we use the Paragraph

Writing Strategy to write an essay?

Example Theme Before Instruction

Running Your Own Lawn Care Business

Running a lawn care business is hard, but it is worth the

work. To start the business, customers have to be found. This

involves talking to people and asking them if they need help

with their lawns. Once the customers have been found,

equipment needs to be bought. A good lawn mower with a bag

to collect the cuttings is very helpful. Next, a schedule needs to

be made, and the lawns need to be mowed. This takes a lot of

time. Finally, the money needs to be collected. This is the

rewarding part! By following these steps, thousands of dollars

can be earned.

Cue Card #1

Running Your Own Lawn Care Business

Running a lawn care business is hard, but it is worth

the work. To start the business, customers have to be found.

This involves talking to people and asking them if they need

help with their lawns. Once the customers have been found,

equipment needs to be bought. A good lawn mower with a

bag to collect the cuttings is very helpful. Next, a schedule

needs to be made, and the lawns need to be mowed. This

takes a lot of time. Finally, the money needs to be collected.

This is the rewarding part! By following these steps,

thousands of dollars can be earned.

Example Theme After InstructionYard Care: A Great Way to Make a Bundle!

Looking for a good job for next summer? Running a yard-care business is a really good bet. It involves hard work, but the payoff is worth the effort. On average, a teenager can make $1,000 or even as much as $5,000 per summer taking care of people’s yards. There are several activities required for making that much money.

The first step involves finding enough yards to create a real business. One way to find yards is to walk or drive around and look for yards that need some care. Once a possible yard is found, the people can be asked if they would like someone to care for it. Another way involves calling friends on the phone and asking if they need some help with

their yards. A third way involves making flyers and distributing them to people’s mailboxes or doors. The flyer should contain the worker’s name, phone number, and types of work that can be done. Another way of recruiting customers is by word of mouth. This requires that a good reputation is built for the business over time, and people start talking in positive ways about it.

The next step in running a yard-care business after finding some customers involves acquiring the right equipment. This is something that must be done over a long period of time because as the business starts up, the yard keeper has very little or no money. At first, an inexpensive lawn mower with a bag for catching grass clippings is needed. Sometimes, people can borrow their parents’ or a friend’s lawn mower to get started. Later, once some money is earned, a more expensive and substantial lawn mower can be purchased along with rakes, weed eaters, edge trimmers, hedge trimmers, shovels, gloves, plastic bags, and other yard-care equipment. Eventually, even a truck might be purchased to carry the equipment.

Cue Card #2

Example Theme After Instruction (Cont.)

Once some equipment is available, the next step in running a yard-care business involves taking care of the yards on a regular schedule. Each yard needs weekly attention, so a checklist or calendar needs to be made to ensure that each yard has been cared for each week. In each season, different types of yard care are required. In the spring, weeds need to be pulled and hedges and bushes need to be trimmed. New plants can be planted. In the summer, the lawn needs to be mowed. In the fall, leaves need to be raked. In the winter, after a snow storm, pathways need to be shoveled.

After the work has been done, the final step in running a yard-care service is collecting the money. This needs to be done regularly. One system involves collecting the money immediately after work has been done. This system works the best, but its success depends on the people being home. Another system involves leaving a bill for work

completed. This sometimes works. A third system involves sending a monthly bill. This system usually works, but it requires paying for envelopes and stamps.

In sum, caring for people's yards and all the tasks related to running a yard-care service, including recruiting customers, getting equipment, doing the work, and collecting the money, can be hard work, but they can be enjoyable and very profitable. The money that is made can be spent on new yard-care equipment. Better yet, it can be spent on items that the worker really wants like new clothes and music equipment. Still better, the money can be saved to pay the worker’s way through college. Tuition, books, and room and board can be very expensive in college. Money saved early in life by having a yard-care business can really pay off in the long run by giving a person a great start toward a successful career after college.

Instructor’s Manual p. 234

Example #1:Social Studies

Document Based Question

An important change that occurred as a result of the Civil War and Reconstruction was that the South experienced a growth of industry. According to Document #5, the iron, mining, timber, coal, and fertilizer industries all developed by leaps and bounds after the war. This was a huge contrast with the economy of the United States before the war. At that time, the North was known for its industry and the South for its agriculture. In fact, it was that lack of manufacturing in the South that gave them a disadvantage in fighting the war. According to Document #4, however, many African-Americans did not participate in the new economic opportunities offered by the growing industries because they often became tenant farmers and lived on the same land they had lived on when they were slaves. Many others worked as sharecroppers renting a plot of land and giving the landowner a share of the crops. Usually, after paying the landlord, there was little or nothing left for the tenant farmer to keep. These tenant workers and sharecroppers were little better off than slaves.


1st Lead-off with transition

Follow-ups containing background knowledge

2ndLead-off with transition


An important change that occurred as a result of the Civil War and Reconstruction was that the South experienced a growth of industry. For example, the iron, mining, timber, coal, and fertilizer industries all developed by leaps and bounds after the war. This was a huge contrast with the economy of the United States before the war. At that time, the North was known for its industry and the South for its agriculture. In fact, it was that lack of manufacturing in the South that gave them a disadvantage in fighting the war. In contrast, many African-Americans did not participate in the new economic opportunities offered by the growing industries because they often became tenant farmers and lived on the same land they had lived on when they were slaves. Many others worked as sharecroppers renting a plot of land and giving the landowner a share of the crops. Usually, after paying the landlord, there was little or nothing left for the tenant farmer to keep. These tenant workers and sharecroppers were little better off than slaves.


1st Lead-off with transition


2ndLead-off with transition


Example #2:English Regents

Task 2

Are high school students who fall asleep in class just being lazy? Researchers say no! They have discovered much interesting and useful information about teenagers’ need for sleep. This research leads to the conclusion that in order for students to do well in class, our high school should not start classes earlier in the day.

These researchers tell us that when children become teenagers, their sleep needs change. Most importantly, teenagers need more sleep than they did before they reached puberty. Mary Carskadon, a professor at Brown’s School of Medicine, has done research that shows this. Most people are not are that teenagers need this extra sleep. In At the Threshold: The Developing Adolescent, an important book on adolescent development, sleep is not even mentioned at all. Also important is the fact that biologically, teenagers are programmed to stay up late and get up late. This was discovered in an experiment in which teenagers were put into windowless rooms for several days at a time. They could not tell what time of day it was, so scientists could see what schedule they would choose if they were not aware of what time it really was.

Introductory paragraph

Topic sentence

Details

Thesis Statement

1st Lead-Off

With transition

Follow-ups

Containing background information

2nd Lead-Off

with transition

Follow-ups containing background information

Topic sentence

Research also shows that teenagers do not get enough sleep. One fact that researcher Amy Wolfson found was that students get a lot less sleep in tenth grade than in ninth grade. This is because they get up more than an hour earlier, but they go to bed at the same time. Another fact that she found was that many students are so tired that they can fall asleep very quickly at school. On average, ninth graders fell asleep in just 9.5 minutes and tenth graders fell asleep in about 8.4 minutes. One students actually fell asleep in just 1.8 minutes.

It appears that the amount of sleep that teenagers get directly affects the grades they get in school according to a study done at the Center for Applied Research and Education Improvement. First, they found that “A” students went to bed earlier that students who go lower grades. Second, they found that these “A” students did not sleep as late on weekends as the other students. Third, they found that the “A” students slept more hours per night than the “B” students, and the “B” students slept more hours at night than the “C”, “D”, or “F” students.

In conclusion, it would be extremely damaging to the students of our high school if the day started earlier. Teenagers have been proven to need more sleep, not less. As it is, most teenagers do not get enough sleep. The less sleep they get, the poorer their grades. To prevent the grades of the whole student body falling, the high school starting time must remain the same.

Writing A Paragraph

In the middle of this year, I was introduced to a paragraph writing strategy that has improved my writing in many different ways. First, it taught me how to write in complete sentences, including information to back up my answer or statement. Before learning this strategy, I didn’t add details, and I did not use correct punctuation. I now use lead off and follow up sentences, and I edit my draft before writing my final copy. Also, my writing is more interesting and sophisticated. Instead of repeating the same words over and over, I use different transition words. Third, the paragraph diagram is like a rough draft that helps me plan out what I am going to write about. In fact, I can plan out what transitions I am going to use in my paragraph. Finally, this writing strategy has helped me write better essays, reports, and projects. As one can see, the paragraph writing strategy has had a major influence on my writing. If it can help me, it can help you, too.

What can we do in coaching?

• Different paragraph types

• Scoring

• Document based questions

• Model lessons

• Visits

• Conferencing

• Making this fit your classroom

• Need to pre-test

Let’s try writing a wholeLet’s try writing a whole paragraph…paragraph…

Set up a diagram.

Create the title

Reveal the topic.

Iron out the details.

Bind it together with a clincher.

Edit your work.

Choose a set of details from the lists you made earlier. Fill out a Paragraph Diagram and write the completed paragraph.

Choose a set of details from the lists you made earlier. Fill out a Paragraph Diagram and write the completed paragraph.

Although there may not be many new places to discover, today there are other kinds of challenges to be faced, areas of knowledge to explore, and ways to make a difference in the world. Write an article for your school newspaper in which you discuss a challenge young people face today, or a new idea to be explored, or a way in which young people can make a difference in the world

In your writing, be sure to include

a description of the challenge, idea, or way of making a difference an explanation of the importance of the challenge, idea, or way of

making a difference details to make your writing interesting

Have you ever looked around you and noticed all the garbage in our environment? Young people today have the challenge of cleaning up that garbage and making our country a cleaner place. Garbage is found in many areas of Long Island. One place garbage can be found is on our beaches. Many of our beautiful beaches are littered with soda cans, food wrappers, and cigarette packs. This happens when careless visitors throw these items on the beach instead of in a waste can. Another place garbage is obvious is by our roads. Drivers and passengers throw their garbage out of car windows. Then it lays by the road for all to see. An estimated 120 tons of garbage is thrown out of car windows on Long Island every year. A third place garbage is a problem is in parks. Picnickers leave the remains of their lunch on the ground, and then they thoughtlessly leave the park.

Cleaning up this garbage is a challenge for young people for many reasons. Most importantly is the embarrassment that it causes for the United States. Visitors come from many countries, see the garbage, and think that Americans are disgusting slobs! Also important is the fact that garbage can cause diseases. Germs can grow in old rotten food and food packaging; rats live in places where garbage is found. Of equal importance is the fact that this garbage prevents Americans from fully enjoying their lives. They travel around with their views spoiled by litter. They cannot enjoy parks and beaches without looking at scattered garbage.

There are a variety of ways that young people can get involved in facing this challenge. First, teenagers can organize cleanup committees to pick up garbage on beaches and in parks. In one day, a mile of beach could become spotless through the efforts of the students at just one high school. Imagine if every high school on Long Island volunteered to take one mile of beach! Second, teenagers can write letters to public officials urging that more money be allotted to clean-up efforts. Tens of thousands of letters from passionate students could convince lawmakers of the importance of using money for this good cause.

To conclude, cleaning up the environment should be a top priority for young people. This includes on beaches, by roads, and in parks. It is important that this be done to prevent embarrassment for our country, to prevent diseases, and so that Americans can more fully enjoy their lives. Through clean-up days and letter writing campaigns, Long Island’s teenagers can make a difference!

Topic

Ideas for concluding paragraph:

Details

Topic

Details Details

Topic

Sequence: Pt. of View: Tense:

Ideas for introductory paragraph:

Topic

Ideas for concluding paragraph:

Details

Topic

Details Details

Topic

Sequence: Pt. of View: Tense:

Ideas for introductory paragraph: Garbage

location Cleaning challenge Ways to be involved

beaches

roads

parks

embarrassment

disease

enjoyment

committees

letters

Priorities, making a difference

Pose a question

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