38 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: USING RELEVANT DETAILS You know that the topic sentence in a paragraph states the main idea. A sentence that does not relate to that main idea does not belong in the paragraph. A. Circle the two illustrations that do not relate to the main idea of this topic sentence: Certain occupations require great courage as well as skill. B. Circle the letter of the item that does not support the topic. 1. TOPIC: a camping trip a. setting up the tent c. hearing noises in the woods b. lighting the campfire d. shopping at the mall 2. TOPIC: Fourth of July fun a. fireworks b. sunburns c. barbecues d. parades 3. TOPIC: characters on the bus a. the whining toddler c. the broken seat b. the humming man d. the wisecracking bus driver 4. TOPIC: the pet shop a. puppies b. parakeets c. candles d. canaries C. Read the paragraph. Then underline the topic sentence that expresses the main idea. Finally, draw a line through the one sentence that does not develop the main idea. Cinco de Mayo, which means the Fifth of May, celebrates a Mexican victory over the French. In 1862, France was trying to take over Mexico. Less than 20 years earlier, Mexico had been at war with the United States. When French troops attacked the town of Pueblo, Mexican soldiers and farmers fought side by side. They held back an army three times larger. Although France took over Mexico the following year, Cinco de Mayo honors the patriots of 1862. CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph about one of the boldface topics from Part B or another topic of your choice. State your main idea clearly in a topic sentence. Be sure that every detail sentence supports the main idea. Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 39 NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: USING FACTS AND EXAMPLES It’s important to support your paragraph’s topic sentence with specific details. Writers often use facts and figures or examples to develop their main idea. A. Underline the topic sentence in each paragraph. Then write facts/figures or examples to show how the main idea is developed. 1. The great white shark is one of the world’s most powerful and efficient hunters. Up to five rows of razor-sharp teeth line its huge jaw. An adult may reach a length of 18 feet and a weight of 3,500 pounds. The largest recorded great white was 21 feet long and 7,000 pounds! The great white can see its prey from 30 to 40 feet away. It can follow the smell of blood and easily track its next meal. METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT: _____________________________________ 2. Most often the great white shark will not threaten humans. A group of Florida deep-sea divers faced a great white while filming undersea life. As it circled them, the divers stayed calm. They knew that humans are not a shark’s favorite menu item. Because a shark is more likely to attack a lone swimmer, the divers stayed close together. The great white circled again. Then it moved on. METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT: _____________________________________ B. A topic sentence can be developed in more than one way. Before each topic sentence, write FF for facts and figures or EX for examples to tell how you would most likely develop the main idea. 1. _____ Some unusual characters live in my apartment building. 2. _____ Fair-weather states are the fastest-growing places in America. 3. _____ Baseball’s Babe Ruth was a record-breaker! CHALLENGE: Choose one of the topic sentences below. On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph using facts and figures or examples to develop the idea. Write at least three detail sentences to support your topic sentence. TOPIC SENTENCES: Football (or any sport) can be very dangerous. The year 2000 was one to remember! Ignoring safety rules can get a biker in trouble. 40 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: COMPARING AND CONTRASTING An effective way to develop a paragraph is to compare or contrast two things. By comparing (pointing out similarities) and contrasting (pointing out differences), writers can help readers understand their ideas. A. Read the following paragraph, which compares and contrasts two extreme sports. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT! Both sky diving and sky surfing take nerve and skill! In both activities, jumpers leap from an airplane. Similarly, they rely on parachutes to take them safely to the ground. Sky surfers, however, wear a snowboard strapped to their feet. They need tremendous leg strength to control the board as they drop feet first into the face of the wind currents. Sky divers generally drop head first, soaring like an eagle in search of prey. Sky divers often jump solo, thrilled by the awesome solitude. Sky surfers, however, always jump in teams of two or more, with one jumper wearing the board while a team member films the surfer’s stunts. They can then relive the experience and share the thrill with friends. In the circles below, write similarities and differences between sky diving and sky surfing. Three details have been listed to get you started. SKY DIVING BOTH SKY SURFING _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ B. Writers use certain words to clue readers that they are comparing or contrasting two things. Decide which words introduce differences and which introduce similarities. Write D for differences and S for similarities. drop head first take nerve and skill use more equipment C. Reread the paragraph on sky surfing. Circle words that clue the reader that the writer is either comparing or contrasting. CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph comparing and contrasting two activities. Make sure your paragraph has a topic sentence and at least three sentences of support. Remember to use clue words! 1. ____ both 2. ____ but 3. ____ similarly 4. ____ however 5. ____ also 6. ____ likewise 7. ____ in comparison 8. ____ although Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 41 NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: CAUSE AND EFFECT Writers sometimes show a cause-and-effect relationship between ideas. EXAMPLES: Many Native Americans died because the Europeans brought new diseases. Since they didn’t understand the diseases, the natives thought the gods were angry. A. The following clue words show a cause-and- effect relationship. Circle the clue words hidden in the puzzle. They may go up, down, across, backward, or diagonally. Check off each word as you find it. ___ BECAUSE ___ AS A RESULT ___ SINCE ___ SO ___ THUS ___ THEREFORE ___ DUE TO ___ THEN ___ AFTER ___ CONSEQUENTLY B. Use the events listed in the box to correctly complete the diagram. Rock inside Earth heats up Heat melts rock Volcano erupts Pressure pushes rock upward Heat builds pressure ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph about volcanic eruptions. Base your paragraph on the diagram in Part B. Use information from the effect box to write your topic sentence. Then use details from the cause boxes to develop your supporting details. OTHENFTROTKL EHVAAFTERHRM JEZS I BECAUSE ARBA IMOPAS I J REGRZNARDOAD GF I ERDCXGNYC CONSEQUENT LY RRHUJOKEOGTV EENL JNECTWQL JYOTMYTSSOSH EFFECT ➝ CAUSE ➝ EFFECT ➝ CAUSE ➝ EFFECT CAUSE CAUSE CAUSE CAUSE ➝ ➝ ➝ ➝ 42 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: PUTTING DETAIL SENTENCES IN ORDER How do you organize a paragraph? One of the most common ways is to list details in order of time. It makes sense to use chronological, or time, order when the paragraph tells how to do something or what happened. One detail listed in each item is not in chronological order. Circle the out-of-place detail. Then draw an arrow to show where it belongs in the sequence of events. The first one has been done for you. 1. Planting a new lawn •Dig out the old grass. •Till the soil and add fertilizer. •Water the freshly planted seeds thoroughly. •Roll the soil until it is smooth and level. •Spread the seeds. 2. The Boston Tea Party •Colonists decided to protest high taxes on tea. •They made plans to dump a shipload of tea into Boston Harbor. •Wearing their costumes, they boarded the ship. •They seized the boxes of tea. •They dressed up like Native Americans. •They tossed the boxes into the water. 3. What makes it rain? •Water in the ocean evaporates and forms water vapor. •The water vapor turns into clouds. •The falling water goes into lakes, rivers, and underground. •Winds move the water-filled clouds away from the ocean and over the land. •Rain, ice, or snow falls from the clouds. 4. The long climb •Josh and Megan filled their packs with food, water, and other supplies. •They started up the trail to the top of the waterfall. •Panting and sweating, they reached the summit. •They stopped halfway up and shared a sandwich. •They washed the sandwich down with water. •The trail got steeper near the top. CHALLENGE: Words such as first, then, second, next, and after help readers follow the order of details. On the back of this sheet, rewrite one of the items from above in paragraph form. Add clue words that make the sequence clear. Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 43 NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: USING TRANSITIONS Good writers use words and phrases that help tie one sentence, point, or idea to another. These words and phrases, called transitions , are like signposts. They help readers follow the writer’s thoughts. Read the following paragraph. Notice how the italicized transitions serve as a guide to meaning. Some people describe Dr. Miller as unemotional. She is at her office six days a week, however, caring for her patients. She also makes after-hours house calls to the elderly. Consequently , I would call Dr. Miller one of the most caring people I know. A. Circle the transitional words hidden in the puzzle. Words may go up, down, across, backward, or diagonally. Check off each word as you find it. ___ THEREFORE ___ HOWEVER ___ NOW ___ FURTHERMORE ___ FINALLY ___ THUS ___ FORTUNATELY ___ OTHERWISE ___ THEN ___ CONSEQUENTLY ___ ALSO ___ YET B. Underline the transitional words and phrases you find in each item. Then think about the relationship between ideas that the transition shows. On the line that follows the sentence, write compare, contrast, time, explain, or result to identify the relationship. The first one has been done for you. 1. Rather than spreading seed, the landscaper planted pregrown grass. Consequently, the yard was instantly a lush, green lawn. _______________ 2. Pecos Bill was a tall-tale hero who tamed bear cubs, wild horses, and cyclones. In the same manner, Paul Bunyan became known for superhuman deeds. ____________________ 3. First, Pecos Bill climbed on a cyclone’s back. Then he wrapped his rope around it and squeezed out all the rain. ____________________ 4. Paul Bunyan had a huge appetite. One time, for example, he ate 3,000 flapjacks at one sitting. ____________________ CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write two sentences about a real or imaginary hero. To guide your reader, use a transitional expression from the hidden word puzzle from Part A in each sentence. SHOWS CONTRAST ➝ SHOWS RESULT SHOWS ADDITION ➝ ➝ EROMREHTRUFT MUFNREVEWOHH BT I ESANOAEPE MKNYREOJNWAR VLAMOAWCLMCE LYLETANUTROF SLLCLAYHSEVO DLYSLXUZJTLR ENOGNSRLHEWE YLTNEUQESNOC ES IWREHTOTEY result 44 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE DEVELOPING PARAGRAPHS: REVIEW A. Read the paragraph. Then follow the four instructions. Although the planet Venus is right next to Earth in our solar system, it is a different kind of place. Like Earth, Venus is surrounded with clouds. The clouds of Venus, however, are not made up of water. They are swirling mists of a chemical called sulfuric acid. A second big difference between Earth and Venus is the temperature. Scientists have found that Venus is very hot—about 900 degrees F. On the planet Mercury, it is very hot during the day and very cold at night. The differences between Earth and Venus would, indeed, make this neighboring planet an unlikely place for Earthlings to live! 1. Underline the topic sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph. 2. Draw a line through the one detail sentence that does not support the main idea. 3. Circle a transitional word or phrase the writer uses to guide the reader. 4. Circle the letter of the method the writer uses to develop the paragraph. a. facts and figures c. compare and contrast b. example d. cause and effect B. Read the following list of supporting details. Then write a topic sentence that makes sense. (name of your city, apartment building, street, country, or planet) •The ground shakes as the Earth’s crust moves. •Sometimes buildings crumble, injuring or killing the people inside them. •Bridges can collapse. •Gas and water mains can break. •Entire cities have been nearly destroyed. TOPIC SENTENCE: _________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph that begins with the following topic sentence. There is no place like __________________________, the place I call home. Include at least three sentences of support. After your paragraph, tell whether you used facts and figures, examples, comparison and contrast, or cause and effect to develop your paragraph. Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 45 NAME DATE PREWRITING / IDEAS AND CONTENT: DETERMINING PURPOSE Before writing, it’s important to think about why you are writing. What do you want your readers to gain from your work? What purpose will your writing accomplish? COMMON PURPOSES FOR WRITING: EXAMPLES: •to describe or explain travel guide, assembly instructions •to entertain humorous poem, mystery story •to inform news story, science report •to persuade political campaign speech, ad A. Each sentence below is the first sentence of a paragraph. On the line after each sentence, write describe, entertain, inform, or persuade to show the writer’s purpose. 1. The deeper we dove, the more beautiful and mysterious the undersea world became. ________________________ 2. In the 1800s, the Cherokee tribe made one of the saddest journeys in American history. ________________________ 3. My brother Devin (better known as Devin the Devil) was up to his tricks again! ________________________ B. For each subject, write topic sentences that suggest two different purposes. 1. SUBJECT: bird feeders a. how to build a bird house (inform) ________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ b. why people should buy bird houses (persuade) _____________________ ________________________________________________________________ 2. SUBJECT: tornadoes a. the causes of tornadoes (inform) __________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ b. experiencing a tornado (describe) __________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 3. SUBJECT: dogs a. a humorous experience with a dog (entertain) ______________________ ________________________________________________________________ b. why people should adopt a homeless dog (persuade) _________________ ________________________________________________________________ CHALLENGE: Develop one of the ideas from Part B into a paragraph. Write your paragraph on the back of this sheet. Identify your purpose for writing. 46 Beginning Writing 1 • Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com NAME DATE PREWRITING / IDEAS AND CONTENT: NARROWING YOUR TOPIC When you plan your paragraphs, remember this saying: “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” Many subjects are too broad to be covered in one paragraph. The subject automobiles , for example, is too general. Narrow a topic so you can support it fully with specific details. automobiles ➜ early automobiles ➜ my grandfather’s first car A. Circle the topic in each group that is narrow enough to develop in a single paragraph. 1. cooking foreign cooking making a pizza ethnic restaurants 2. senior citizens retirement homes a visit with Grandpa 3. my favorite website computers the World Wide Web 4. winter the seasons snow building a snow fort 5. school my school the worst school rule school rules 6. an unforgettable character my favorite book my favorite mystery 7. my family brothers and sisters advantages of being the oldest child 8. cats my cat Spooky how Spooky the cat got her name B. Narrow each of the following subjects to a topic suitable for one paragraph. Write the more specific topic on the line. The first one has been done for you. 1. TV ➞ TV commercials ➞ ____________________________________________ 2. books ➞ children’s books ➞ __________________________________________ 3. horror films ➞ Frankenstein ➞ ______________________________________ 4. occupations ➞ jobs for teens ➞ _______________________________________ 5. biking ➞ bike safety ➞ ______________________________________________ 6. hobbies ➞ photography ➞ ___________________________________________ 7. presidents ➞ Abraham Lincoln ➞ ____________________________________ 8. driving ➞ teenage drivers ➞ _________________________________________ CHALLENGE: On the back of this sheet, write a paragraph based on one of the topics on this worksheet. Make sure your topic is narrow enough! the worst TV commercial I’ve seen Saddleback Publishing, Inc. © 2001 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92618 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 47 NAME DATE PREWRITING / IDEAS AND CONTENT: WRITING TO PERSUADE Writers sometimes aim to persuade . They want their readers to accept their opinion about something. In a persuasive paragraph, the topic sentence should clearly state the writer’s opinion. EXAMPLES: Parker Starkweather is the best choice for city council! In my opinion, the minimum wage is too low. A. Check the sentences that would likely begin a persuasive paragraph. 1. _____ Believe it or not, tropical fish make great companions. 2. _____ In my opinion, e-mail will never replace the old-fashioned phone call. 3. _____ When I moved to Minnesota, I found out just how cold winter can be! 4. _____ Scientists believe there may have been life on Mars. 5. _____ Every tax dollar spent on space exploration is a dollar well-spent! B. Writers must be able to back up their opinions with good reasons. You can support your opinion with facts and figures, examples, and cause and effect relationships. Think about persuasive details you might use to develop one of the topics in the box. Then use the details to fill out the web-diagram below. electing a class officer the value of the Internet legal driving age violence on the screen curfews for teens a terrific product CHALLENGE: Artists can also use their work to persuade. Political cartoons, posters, and ad pictures express opinions. On the back of this sheet, create a cartoon, poster, or ad that reflects the opinion you expressed in Part B. detail detaildetail TOPIC SENTENCE VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE . . . . Publishing, Inc. © 20 01 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92 61 8 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4 010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 41 NAME DATE DEVELOPING. © 20 01 • Three Watson, Irvine, CA 92 61 8 • Phone: (888) 735-2225 • Fax: (888) 734-4 010 • www.sdlback.com • Beginning Writing 1 45 NAME DATE PREWRITING / IDEAS