Paragraph Power: 50 Engaging Mini-Lessons, Activities, and Student Checklists for Teaching Paragraphing Skills

by Fiderer, Adele

• ISBN13: 9780439205771
• ISBN10: 0439205778
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-03-01
• Publisher: Scholastic Professional Books

Summary

For students to become skillful, confident writers, they must understand how a paragraph is constructed and what makes it powerful. From there, they can move on to analyzing and writing longer pieces. Here, Adele Fiderer presents a series of mini-lessons to guide students along that path -- from drafting single paragraphs to crafting reports, essays, and other essential forms of writing. The reproducible activities that accompany each lesson give students the practice they need to apply paragraph-writing skills. Outline guides, self-assessment checklists, and superb student models -- gathered from the author's long career as a classroom teacher -- provide the reinforcement students need to write well. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Introduction	6	(4)
PART ONE TEACHING PARAGRAPH BASICS
Exploring the Purpose of Paragraphs	10	(3)
Student Activity: What Makes a Paragraph	11	(2)
Identifying the Parts of a Paragraph	13	(3)
Student Activity: Take Apart the Paragraph	14	(1)
Student Activity: Body Sentence or Closing Sentence	15	(1)
Investigating Different Types of Paragraphs	16	(3)
Student Activity: What's My Type?	18	(1)
Enhancing a Paragraph with Strong Details	19	(7)
Student Activity: Dress It Up With Details	20	(1)
Student Activity: Game Rules Rule	21	(2)
Fun and Fast One-Paragraph Writing Assignments	22	(1)
Outline Guide 1: Outline a Paragraph	23	(1)
Self-Assessment Checklist 1: Paragraph Editing Checklist	24	(2)
PART TWO WRITING TWO-PARAGRAPH PIECES
Studying the Structure of a Two-Paragraph Piece	26	(4)
Student Activity: Dissect a Book Description	27	(1)
Student Activity: Edit a Two-Paragraph Book Report	28	(2)
Writing a Two-Paragraph Letter: Focus on Conventions	30	(3)
Outline Guide 2: Outline a Two-Paragraph Letter	31	(2)
Writing a Two-Paragraph How-To Piece: Focus on Details	33	(5)
Student Activity: Break the Paragraph, Dig for Details	35	(2)
Outline Guide 3: Outline a Two-Paragraph How-To Piece	37	(1)
Writing a Two-Paragraph Book Report: Focus on Craft	38	(10)
Student Activity: Get Crafty With a Two-Paragraph Report	39	(4)
Student Activity: Break the Paragraph, Dig for Details, Part 2	43	(2)
Outline Guide 4: Outline a Two-Paragraph Book Report	45	(1)
Self-Assessment Checklist 2: Writing Process Checklist	46	(2)
Prime Time to Teach: Paragraph Transitions
Writing Transitions	48	(8)
Student Activity: Track the Report's Transitions	50	(2)
Student Activity: Look to Books for Transitions	52	(4)
PART THREE WRITING THREE-PARAGRAPH PIECES
Analyzing Three-Paragraph Reports	56	(8)
Student Activity: Edit a Science Report	57	(2)
Student Activity: Edit a History Report	59	(2)
Student Activity: Edit a Book Report	61	(2)
Student Activity: Write a Three-Paragraph Book Blurb	63	(1)
Writing an Outline for a Three-Paragraph Report	64	(5)
Student Activity: Match the Main Idea to the Paragraph	66	(1)
Outline Guide 5: Outline a Three-Paragraph Report	67	(2)
Analyzing a Three-Paragraph Article and Essay	69	(13)
Student Activity: Find the Article's Paragraphs	70	(2)
Student Activity: Find the Essay's Main Ideas	72	(1)
Outline Guide 6: Outline a three-Paragraph Article	73	(2)
Outline Guide 7: Outline a three-Paragraph Essay	75	(4)
Fun and Fast Three-Paragraph Writing Assignments	77	(2)
Self-Assessment Checklist 3: General Editing Checklist	79	(3)
Prime Time to Teach: Opening and Closing Paragraphs
Looking at Powerful Opening and Closing Sentences	82	(3)
Student Activity: Compare the ``Before'' and ``After'' Paragraphs	83	(2)
Following Techniques Student Writers Use	85	(3)
Student Activity: Name that Technique	86	(2)
Analyzing Effective Opening and Closing Paragraphs	88	(6)
Student Activity: Name That Technique, Part 2	90	(4)
PART FOUR WRITING MULTI-PARAGRAPH REPORT'S AND ESSAYS
Using Book Blurbs to Improve Multi-Paragraph Writing	94	(16)
Student Activity: What's Each Paragraph's Purpose?	95	(1)
Student Activity: Report on the Reports' Paragraphs	96	(4)
Student Activity: What's the Main Idea	100	(2)
Student Activity: What's the Main Idea? Part 2	102	(5)
Self-Assessment Checklist 4: Report and Essay Editing Checklist	107	(3)
Prime Time to Teach: Dialogue Rules
Paragraphing Dialogue	110	(3)
Student Activity: Untangle the Dialogue	111	(2)
Discovering Dialogue Rules in Literature	113	(9)
Student Activity: Who's Saying What?	115	(2)
Student Activity: Speaking of Paragraphs	117	(5)
Fun and Fast Dialogue-Writing Assignments	119	(3)
Rubrics to Assess Paragraphing and Writing Skills	122	(6)
Bibliography	128