Writing organized paragraphs is a skill practiced by eighth-grade students.
In the early elementary grades, students are taught that the basic foundation of a composition is the paragraph, which consists of several sentences grouped together. They learn that this group of sentences comes together to discuss one thought or main idea and must flow smoothly. Eighth-grade students focus on the writing process and the steps required to master proper paragraph construction. These students are introduced to advanced organizational and writing skills.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a technique that helps students create the introductory or topic sentence. This can be accomplished by jotting down ideas that are sometimes called triggers. This can be done in several ways, either through the use of a graphic organizer, which puts ideas in an outline or web format, or just by "freewriting." This important step in paragraph writing helps students organize the ideas to be presented in the paragraph. Plan sheets can be helpful for this step.
Topic Sentence
The topic sentence can be found anywhere in a paragraph, but it is usually the first one. The basic information that will be discussed in the entire paragraph is contained in the topic sentence. This sentence cannot be too broad or too narrow, but should convey the main idea or gist of the paragraph. It must contain a limited subject and make a precise statement. A topic sentence tells the reader what to expect in the paragraph. It must be supported by the details in the paragraph. "Writing a novel takes a lot of concentration and hard work," is a good topic sentence for a paragraph about writing novels.
Supporting Sentences
The sentences following the topic sentence must support the claims made in it. Use a sentence outline to include concrete details and facts about the subject. Tie the details and the facts together with examples and opinions. Use enough supporting sentences to cover the entire scope of the topic sentence. The concluding sentence in the paragraph, must include transitional words that provide a link to the next paragraph.
Concluding Sentence
This final sentence should summarize entire paragraph. This is a chance to repeat the strongest points. While the topic sentence tells the readers what they should know, the supporting sentences teach them and the summary or concluding sentence tells them again. Read this sentence several times to make sure that all important points are covered.
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