2. The Perfect Paragraph Or How to build a big, fat, juicy, mouthwatering, irresistible cheeseburger!

3. The Perfect Paragraph What are the ingredients of a big, fat, juicy, mouthwatering, irresistible cheeseburger?  Top Bun  Lettuce  Tomato  Cheese  Meat  Ketchup  Mustard  Pickles  Mayonnaise  Onion  Bottom Bun

4. Saying that a paragraph is just like a big fat juicy mouthwatering irresistible cheeseburger is called a simile. A simile is when you compare two unalike things using the word “like” or “as”. Can you think of reasons why I would want you to think of a paragraph as a cheeseburger?

5. Mmmm…. Look at those buns!  You wouldn’t want a cheeseburger without a top and bottom bun. They hold all the juicy goodness inside.

6. Let’s start with the top bun and work our way down…  The top bun of a cheeseburger is like the topic sentence of a paragraph.  Imagine eating a cheeseburger without a top bun. It’s messy and confusing. The mayonnaise and mustard would ooze between your fingers. It just…. wrong.!

7. A sentence without a topic is like…  Going on vacation without directions…  An orchestra without a conductor…  Can you think of more analogies?

8. What’s missing? He collects books that were written over a hundred years ago, but he is also interested in the best sellers of today. I counted over 400 books in his office library! His favorite books are about knights and dragons.

9. What’s missing?  The most beautiful flower is the rose because it comes in so many different colors. Another beautiful flower is the daisy which sometimes grows wild. Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are also very pretty.

10. What’s missing?  First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Finally, Canada’s cities are clean and efficiently managed.

11. He collects books that were written over a hundred years ago, but he is also interested in the best sellers of today. I counted over 400 books in his office library! His favorite books are about knights and dragons. Which of the following topic sentences is the best one for the above paragraph? A. Reading is fun. B. Books are my father’s hobby. C. My father was a main influence in my life.

12. The most beautiful flower is the rose because it comes in so many different colors. Another beautiful flower is the daisy which sometimes grows wild. Spring flowers like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are also very pretty. Which of the following topic sentences is the best one for the above paragraph? A. Don’t you just love spring? B. The rose is the most loved flower the world over. C. There are many lovely flowers to consider for your garden.

13. First, Canada has an excellent health care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second, Canada has a high standard of education. Finally, Canada’s cities are clean and efficiently managed A. Canada is our friendly neighbor to the north. B. There are three reasons why Canada is one of the best countries of the world. C. Choose Canada as a great place to vacation.

14. The Support Sentences… Support Sentences give more details about your topic. This is what makes your paragraph really, really interesting, or informative, or persuasive. In 6 th grade formal writing, you should have 3, 4, or 5 support sentences.

15. Let’s review topic and support sentences… Topic: Books are my father’s hobby. Support #1: He collects books that were written over a hundred years ago, but he is also interested in the best sellers of today. Support #2: I counted over 400 books in his office library! Support #3: His favorite books are about knights and dragons. We still don’t have a bottom Bun!

16. Condiments are Critical! Condiments are like the descriptive adjectives and adverbs, action verbs, and precise nouns. They really give your writing FLAVOR!

17. We can’t forget to sprinkle our juicy burger with the right amount of conventions. When you don’t add salt and pepper to the hamburger, it taste a little off… you get the sense that something is missing! Conventions are things like spelling and correct grammar. No matter how great your ideas are, you’ve got to add correct conventions to your paragraph or your reader will know right away that something’s wrong with your paragraph.

18. So far, so good, but we’re not done yet. It’s time to wrap this baby up, so let’s bring on the bottom bun. What do you think the bottom bun represents in our paragraph? The Concluding Sentence

19. Books are my father’s hobby. He collects books that were written over a hundred years ago, but he is also interested in the best sellers of today. I counted over 400 books in his office library! His favorite books are about knights and dragons. Which of the following concluding sentences is the best one for the above paragraph? A. If I ever need to get him a present, I know I can always please him by buying him a book B. Now that I think about it, my father has way too many books. C. My father is such a nerd.

20. DELICIOUS! Books are my father’s hobby. He collects books that were written over a hundred years ago, but he is also interested in the best sellers of today. I counted over 400 books in his office library! His favorite books are about brave knights and fierce dragons. If I ever need to get him a present, I know I can always please him by buying him a great book.

21. Sometimes when one sets out to fix a juicy burger for someone,,,, things can go horribly, terribly wrong…

22. What’s wrong with this paragraph? Way, way too many details and sentences for this one paragraph.

23. What’s wrong with this paragraph? This writer did not have complete thoughts or fully developed sentences.

24. What’s wrong with this paragraph? This writer was very sloppy. She just wrote anything and turned it in without editing. Yuck!

25. What’s wrong with this paragraph? There are not enough support sentences and not enough details for this one paragraph.

26. When things go wrong… Books are my father’s hobby. He collects books that were written over a hundred years ago, but he is also interested in the best sellers of today. I counted over 400 books in his office library! He collects stuffed pigs too. His favorite books are about knights and dragons. If I ever need to get him a present, I know I can always please him by buying him a book.

27. You wouldn’t eat this would you? Be really careful not to include details in your paragraphs that do not belong!

28. It’s time to practice! Look at your generating topics. First, You will choose the topic you want to write about. Second, you will use a hamburger graphic organizer for step one of the writing process. Third, you will write your first draft Fourth, you will revise your paragraph using the “Have you included?” handout. Fifth, you will edit using a conventions checklist. Lastly, you will write your final draft and publish it by presenting your paragraph to the class.