This page updated:  09/07/2020

Introduction: 

To create great paragraphs, you need to know how they are made up.  This is the same for creating great sentences.  In this unit, we will learn to do both.

We will explore:  Topic sentences, supporting details, transitions, conclusion sentences, and the hamburger paragraph. 

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In addition, we will cover are: subjects, predicates, simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, independent clauses, and dependent clauses.

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The Details:

Nearly everyone has played with Legos.  Using a simple 2 x 4 interlocking block, you can create any structure you want.  Well, writing great sentences, paragraphs, and eventually essays, is built on the same idea.  There are interlocking parts that, when put together, will help you create great writing.

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What is amazing is the parts for ALL writing types are similar in what they do. 

For example,

a main idea,

a complete thought,

a topic sentence, 

a thesis statement, 

and an intro paragraph all do similar things:  they introduce to the reader an idea that will be discussed in the writing. 

Directions: 

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1. Discuss this chart with a parent.

2.  As you go from a simple sentence to an essay, you can see there are parts that play a role in introducing an idea.  As you go from bottom to top, the idea "grows up" - it becomes more complex - because it is more developed.

Conclusion:  

Whether you are constructing a sentence, paragraph, or entire essay, there are parts to each that play special roles in the construction. In this unit, we will discuss sentences and paragraphs, the part they play in writing a great paragraph, and how to use both effectively.