Why is it important to use precise language? Participants explore this question in the fourth activity in a series of 15 on effective instruction. Perfect for all content areas, the activity promotes appropriate language choice through...

This tutorial on writing topic sentences includes 2 videos, 2 slide shows, and an audio clip. The first YouTube video explains the 4 parts of a topic sentence and tells where topic sentences belong. The 2 slide shows focus on the MAP...

This tutorial focuses on transitions including transitional devices, lists of common transition words and phrases, transitions between paragraphs with examples, and separate lists of transition words for descriptive, narrative, and...

This instructional activity focuses on effective paragraph construction especially topic sentences.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart defines and gives examples of a topic sentence. Through an Activote activity students identify the topic sentence for various paragraphs.

This lesson goes over tips an techniques for writing an effective topic sentence. This tutorial lesson shares a short slideshow with the lesson's content.

This site from the University of Ottawa provides a wonderfully designed website that not only gives you exhaustive information on paragraph writing. Students will engage in starting with outlines, writing topic sentences, dividing their...

This site from the Capital Community College helps with paragraph development and topic sentences.

This lesson discusses common issues with topic sentences.

This lesson explains how to edit a topic sentence to make it more effective.

This lesson focuses on identifying thesis statements including explicit and implicit thesis statements, "How to Identify the Thesis Statement" (video), topic sentences, paragraph parts graphic, and a self-check activity.

This website from the Glendale Community College shows the structure of five paragraph essays and the elements within the paragraphs (motivator, thesis sentence, topic sentence, specific support, reworded thesis, clincher). Gives...

This lesson discusses how to effectively organize body paragraphs. This tutorial lesson shares a short slideshow with the lesson's content. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2.b

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students comprehension will be reinforced as they reading first and last sentences of paragraphs. Direct teaching, guided practice, and independent worksheets are available for this third grade lesson.

How do you write a paragraph? Use this site to learn more about the different parts of a paragraph.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart covers all of the areas of a paragraph including topic sentence, supporting sentences, and clincher sentence. Different kinds of supporting details are explained and students can practice...

This PDF lesson, POWER PARAGRAPH, focuses on analysis and will also help learners to understand structure in a paragraph. The "power" concept teaches the students to organize their sentences according to different levels of importance....

This tutorial focuses on supporting details using a video of a paragraph from a book showing the topic sentence and two strong, reliable, supporting details. This is followed by a slideshow that stresses the need for variety in the types...

This lesson offers suggestions to help you fix short, choppy sentences, combine sentences with the same subject, and revise sentences that sound the same. L.11-12.3 Language Functions/Style

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart features topic sentences and supporting details with moveable sentences to build a paragraph.

[Free Registration/Login Required] A two-instructional activity unit on main idea and details through which students use the topic sentence to identify the main idea of a paragraph and categorize details as main idea or supporting. With...

This site discusses the topic of patterns of organization of paragraphs. Links with video content and further explanations about the following patterns of organization topics are provided: sequence, spatial, cause and effect; order of...

For this lesson, third through fifth graders learn to organize their writing to form a cohesive paragraph. They began by making an art project such as a drawing; then they write sentences describing their art, and write an organized...

This Dartmouth College writing lab tutorial teaches students how to develop a thesis statement.