Four-Step Introductory Paragraph Format

Cannot thank you for this lesson enough…this is just what I needed for this week…the opening paragraphs of my 8th graders are not so hot! You just made my life easier and I can’t thank you enough…to thank you I’m buying your lesson on Hooks – as a treat to myself!

Hugs and thanks!

My pleasure, MsMundy! And thanks for your purchase; it’ll cover my cup of coffee while I script out the next video. 😉

Sure, Sara. I hear ya! I don’t do a full lesson on hooks, but I do present this mini-lecture and give my students a handout that models the options I prefer. You can find those materials here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hook-the-Reader-with-Best-Launch-for-an-Introductory-Paragraph-466151

Hope this helps! 🙂

Thanks, Emily! Yes, I’m a little behind with everything, but I hope to build this next video/support materials and have it all uploaded late next week. Stay tuned! 🙂

Thanks, JulieAnn! I definitely get some funny looks from the other parents in the after school pick-up line, but those 15 minutes before my kid gets out of school are my best quiet, focused minutes of the day. I know it’s not as fancy as some of the home offices I see in other folks’ videos, but our house is small and pretty much all of my online work (including answering you right now) is done at the kitchen table while my husband’s watching college football, our daughter is walking around memorizing her lines for the school play (A Midsummer Night’s Dream – it’s been all Shakespeare all the time around here lately), and the dog is barking at…nothing. Yeah, total chaos. LOVE knowing that the video content is useful and that you don’t mind hanging out in my Hyundai. If you keep watching, I’ll keep filming. 😀

Janice, your timing couldn’t be better! I just finished filming the concluding paragraph support video and will edit it all together tonight. Look for the conclusion paragraph resources to be uploaded Saturday morning (fingers-crossed!) or Sunday, at the latest. 😀

Thanks, Cherie, for your note of support. So glad the materials are a match for your classroom! I don’t yet have the body paragraph lessons put together. Sorry about that. Those materials are definitely on my long-term project “to do” list, but life is getting pretty crazy over here and I’m not sure when I’m going to have the time to put everything together. I’m running as fast as I can, but these old knees are starting to wobble. Be patient with me, yes? 🙂

I hear you, Ashley. I would, too. I’ve actually sat down several times to try to script and film my body paragraph advice video, but it’s been a struggle because I use copyrighted material for that part of the writing process.

For literary analysis, I use a modification of the Jane Schaffer method, which I don’t have permission to share. Her work is described in some detail here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaffer_paragraph

For argument, I don’t teach a sentence-by-sentence formula for body paragraphs, but I do have kids dig into exemplar examples as we “deconstruct the essay” and they learn about the placement of claim, reasons, evidence, and counterclaims. Those materials, though, are part of my paid product (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Argumentative-Essay-Writing-Argument-Writing-How-to-Guide-Topics-Rubric-CCSS-1630110) and I haven’t had the time/energy to build fresh examples of this to share on the blog.

Finally, research paper body paragraphs (I use a blog approach instead of a traditional academic paper) is taught via modeling. Since this piece is more conversational in tone, I don’t teach a sentence-by-sentence formula here, either. The model is included in my paid product (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Research-Based-Writing-for-Teens-Use-Blog-Approach-to-Practice-Research-CCSS-2625300) and some of the same issues I face with my argument writing product apply here.

Narrative is, obviously, a totally different critter and formulas wouldn’t apply.

So…yeah…I’ve struggled with this topic. I mean, maybe I should make a video about the struggle, but I don’t think that’d be too interesting or helpful for folks. I do appreciate your question and interest, though. I’ll continue to let this one roll around my brain. I never know when inspiration for a solution will appear, though it’s usually around 3 a.m. in the midst of a crazy-busy week. 🙂

Thanks!
Laura

I’m glad to hear this, Tereesa. 🙂

Thanks so much, C00l M0M! Glad you’re here with me. 🙂

Thanks so much! Love the love. 🙂