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Determining Ideas and Adding Details
A handy TFDC (topic/fact/detail/conclusion) graphic organizer (included) allows young writers to outline and record their main ideas and supporting details in the prewriting phase. They then continue to add details to the topic sentences...
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Teaching Summarization
Examine the process of summarizing a piece of text using the book So You Want to Be a President? Kids review the definitions for main idea, topic sentences, superordinate terms, and supporting details. Next, they work in small groups to...
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Shorten the Length
Learn how to summarize by identifying main ideas and supporting details. Readers cross out unimportant information as they read through a text. Is it a random detail? Cross it out! They then draw a concept map, placing the main idea in...
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Mapping Out the Story
Discuss the reading comprehension strategy of summarization with your elementary schoolers! They read a chapter from their social studies textbook, Regions Near and Far, and create a map, or word web, for the chapter. They identify...
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Develop a Paragraph
Need a recipe for a paragraph? Young writers cook up the opening paragraph for a speech on food preparation. They prepare by reading the directions and cutting out the provided sentence strips. Then, they mix up the strips and paste the...
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Writing Example Paragraphs
Sixth graders write example paragraphs. The term "example paragraph" refers to a paragraph where the supporting sentences provide examples of the subject/idea described in the topic sentence. Students write a basic example paragraph...
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Basic Paragraph
Students with special needs examine how to write an organized, basic, five-sentence paragraph. Students write a paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a concluding sentence. They first practice by viewing and...
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Identify and Discuss the Author's Purpose
Examine author's purpose in a persuasive text using this scaffolded plan. You essentially have a verbatim script here, but it can definitely be used as an outline instead. Review questions that readers should ask themselves when...
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Terrific Topic Sentences
Capture the interest of your reader with terrific topic sentences. To practice hooking the reader, your class will be given writing prompts, and they must create topic sentences for each prompt provided. Encourage them to use different...
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Personal Narrative Paragraphs: Class Quilt
Begin this activity by asking third graders to bring from home pieces of cloth that represent something important to them. (Have extras for learners who need them.) They reflect on important events in their lives, compose narrative...
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Five Paragraph Essay
The components of a five-paragraph essay are outlined on these slides. Not much explanation is given, but you can use this as you lecture and help your learners write. Follow the outline for what each paragraph should contain, and...
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Summarizing: James and the Giant Peach
Text marking and a T-chart format to distinguish important information from trivia help elementary readers summarize effectively. Encouraging readers to construct a chapter summary from paragraph-level topic sentences is another sound...
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Reaction Essay
Go through the process of writing with your class. Focus on in-class essays and how to form an outline with clear body paragraphs. A sample topic is given with the outline modeled in detail.
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Hamburger Paragraph
In this writing a paragraph learning exercise, learners fill in the layers of a hamburger with a topic sentence, supporting sentences and a conclusion sentence. Students write a paragraph with 6-8 sentences.
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Paragraph Unity
Your class can construct a well-written paragraph. They utilize a sequential method which assists them in formulating a concise expository piece. The paragraph must contain a topic sentence, five supporting sentences, and a conclusion.
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Basic Paragraph
Explore basic paragraphs. Young writers compose a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence. This activity is intended for use with a SMART Board, a software technology web link is induced.
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Topic Sentence
Looking for a simple worksheet on topic sentences? This one's for you! Learners find the topic sentence for each paragraph by cutting out the paragraphs and placing them in the right order.
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Topic Sentences
Here is a classic worksheet that allows learners to practice identifying topic sentences. They read five different paragraphs about various topics, and underline the topic sentence in each paragraph with a green crayon.
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Lesson 2 : First and Last Sentences (Passage)
Remember that old skimming technique, where you'd read the first and last sentence of a paragraph to glean the main idea? That tried and true college trick is taught to third graders as a way to gather information while they read. They...
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Topic Sentences and Supporting Facts
Third graders write a paragraph. In this topic sentences instructional activity students are read the book The Matzah Man: A Passover Story and try Matzah bread in class. Afterward the students write a detailed paragraph about Passover.
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Paragraph Matching
In this paragraph writing game, students will take turns trying to make a match between topic sentences and the correct body sentences. This game is played like Concentration/Memory.
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CTBS Usage Practice #1: Grammar
For this grammar usage worksheet, students review conjunctions, pronouns, subjects and predicate, topic sentences, and verbs. After reading a review on these different subjects, students answer thirty three multiple choice, fill in the...
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CTBS Usage Practice #2
In this CTBS practice worksheet, students identify topic sentences, simple subject, and simple predicate. They also combine multiple sentences and identify sentences that do not belong in a paragraph. Students answer nineteen multiple...
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CTBS Practice Test #5
In this CTBS practice test, students: condense two sentences into one, choose the correct topic sentence for a paragraph, and identify sentences that do not belong in a paragraph and simple subjects. Nineteen questions are asked.