Paragraph Writing
Title of Project: Paragraph Writing
Schools and Teachers
North Country Road Middle School Teacher: Kristen Marrone
ENL Proficiency Level | ENL Program | Standards | Technology
Transitioning | Stand-Alone | 8W1a 8W1b 8W1e | Google Slides, Google Docs
Assessments
Students will correctly identify the parts of a paragraph. Students will be able to orally answer the essential question and their writing will be used to assess understanding.
Description
Students have been reading numerous articles on the topic of Health/Staying Safe in their ELA classroom. An upcoming assignment included writing a paragraph, so I decided to work in a stand alone setting to explain the different parts of a paragraph in depth. I created a Google Slides presentation to explain the importance of writing a well organized paragraph, review the different parts of a paragraph and show how adding each piece strengthens their writing. (This is a supplementary mini-lesson to guide students on how to create a well-written paragraph on the topic of healthy living.)
Content
I can identify the three key parts of a paragraph: topic sentence, supporting details, and conclusion.
Language
I can write a paragraph containing a topic sentence, supporting details, and conclusion using an organizer and sentence starters if needed.
Technology
I can edit a Google Slide presentation by highlighting different parts of a paragraph and edit a Google Doc organizer to write a paragraph.
Student work
Procedure
Start by reading the essential question: What are the 3 key parts we must know in order to write a well written paragraph?
Share a Google Slides presentation which explains the importance of writing a well organized paragraph, and reviews the different parts of a paragraph.
On the last page, students will read sample paragraphs and highlight the different parts using their laptops. The topic sentence should be GREEN. The supporting details should be BLUE. The concluding paragraph should be RED.
Students will then independently write their own paragraph on how they can stay healthy in school. Students will use a teacher generated worksheet to put their sentences in an organizer, then write the complete paragraph below the organizer. Sentence starters will be provided.
Go back to the essential question and discuss the parts of a paragraph and the importance of writing a well written paragraph.
Resources and Other Materials
Reflection
Students enjoyed and preferred using their laptops for this lesson. The Google Slides presentation included visuals which helped instruction. Next time, I would include a brief video to add more engagement.