1. Writing a strong paragraph
Seminar 2
Writing a strong paragraph

2. Is this a strong paragraph?
1It is a fact that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. 2Statistics show that in states with capital punishment, murder rates are the same or almost the same as in states without capital punishment. 3It is also true that it is more expensive to put a person on death row than in life imprisonment because of the costs of maximum security. 4Unfortunately, capital punishment has been used unjustly. 5Statistics show that every execution is of a man and that nine out of ten are black. 6So prejudice shows right through.
Well, it is the START of a good paragraph. It has a GENERAL idea, the death penalty, BUT but the specific focus of this paragraph shifts abruptly twice. The paragraph starts out with a clear claim in sentence 1: It is a fact that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. Sentence 2 provides evidence in support of the initial claim: Statistics show that in states with capital punishment, murder rates are the same or almost the same as in states without capital punishment. Sentence 3, however, shifts the focus from capital punishment as a deterrent to crime to the cost of incarceration: It is also true that it is more expensive to put a person on death row than in life imprisonment because of the costs of maximum security. Sentence 4 once again shifts the focus, this time to issues of justice: Unfortunately, capital punishment has been used unjustly. Sentences 5 and 6, Statistics show that every execution is of a man and that nine out of ten are black and So prejudice shows right through, follow from 4 if one believes that executing men and blacks is in fact evidence of injustice and prejudice. More importantly, however, we are now a long way off from the original claim, that capital punishment does not deter crime. The focus has shifted from deterrence to expense to fairness.

3. Is this better? And WHY?
1The punishment of criminals has always been a problem for society. 2Citizens have had to decide whether offenders such as first-degree murderers should be killed in a gas chamber, imprisoned for life, or rehabilitated and given a second chance in society. 3Many citizens argue that serious criminals should be executed. 4They believe that killing criminals will set an example for others and also rid society of a cumbersome burden. 5Other citizens say that no one has the right to take a life and that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. 6They believe that society as well as the criminal is responsible for the crimes and that killing the criminal does not solve the problems of either society or the criminal.
Sentence 1 puts forth the main claim: The punishment of criminals has always been a problem for society. Sentence 2 specifies the exact nature of the problem by listing society's choices: Citizens have had to decide whether offenders such as first-degree murderers should be killed in a gas chamber, imprisoned for life, or rehabilitated and given a second chance in society. Sentence 3 further develops the topic by stating one point of view: Many citizens argue that serious criminals should be executed. The reasons for this point of view are then provided in sentence 4: They believe that killing criminals will set an example for others and also rid society of a cumbersome burden. Sentence 5 states an opposing point of view: Other citizens say that no one has the right to take a life and that capital punishment is not a deterrent to crime. Sentence 6 states the reason for the opposing point of view: They believe that society as well as the criminal is responsible for the crimes and that killing the criminal does not solve the problems of either society or the criminal.

4. The paragraph
A paragraph is a group of sentences which begins with a topic sentence.
What is the topic sentence?

5. The paragraph - continued
The paragraph is a group of unified sentences, generally around 4-7 (sometimes more) sentences long and generally expressing one main idea.
The topic sentence summarizes the main idea of the paragraph
Let us consider some topics and what would make a good topic sentence for them.

6. Some SUBJECTS in need of paragraphs..
The Movie Avatar (or any movie you know)
The Health Care Reform Bill
How to be a good manager
How to write a business plan
Why drug testing should be mandatory in companies

7. Workshop in paragraphing
Let us start building a paragraph
Suggest some possible topic sentences.
What should the body of the paragraph do?
The body should explain and develop the idea put forth in the topic sentence.

8. Let us now get some practice
For the topic sentence we have picked, let us add some sentences to create a body
We also need to consider transitions between sentences and between paragraphs.
How should we conclude our paragraph?

9. TRANSITIONS
addition again, also, and, and then, besides, equally important, finally, first, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, last, moreover, next, second, still, too comparison also, in the same way, likewise, similarly concession granted, naturally, of course contrast although, and yet, at the same time, but at the same time, despite that, even so, even though, for all that, however, in contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the other hand, otherwise, regardless, still, though, yet emphasis certainly, indeed, in fact, of course example or illustration after all, as an illustration, even, for example, for instance, in conclusion, indeed, in fact, in other words, in short, it is true, of course, namely, specifically, that is, to illustrate, thus, truly summary all in all, altogether, as has been said, finally, in brief, in conclusion, in other words, in particular, in short, in simpler terms, in summary, on the whole, that is, therefore, to put it differently, to summarize time sequence after a while, afterward, again, also, and then, as long as, at last, at length, at that time, before, besides, earlier, eventually, finally, formerly, further, furthermore, in addition, in the first place, in the past, last, lately, meanwhile, moreover, next, now, presently, second, shortly, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, still, subsequently, then, thereafter, too, until, until now, when

10. Concluding your paragraph
What should your final sentence of your paragraph do?
How should you conclude your paragraph
Consider now if you have fully developed the topic sentence of your paragraph.

11. Prewriting strategies
This week our reading has focused on prewriting strategies.
Why is prewriting necessary?

12. Prewriting continued
Prewriting is necessary to overcome writer’s block. What is writer’s block?
What prewriting strategies have you read about and attempted?

13. Some prewriting strategies
Let us talk a little about each of them
Freewriting
Listing
Questioning
Clustering

14. Now let us practice using some of them
How do we use freewriting?
What is listing and how can it be used?
Clustering?
How can we use questioning?

15. Why we use prewriting
We use prewriting to overcome writer’s block and to generate ideas. Writing is a process and involves several steps. The first step is prewriting.

16. Any questions so far?
Questions about the material we have discussed today
A preview of the Unit 2 Assignment and discussion question this week
The criteria for the Unit 2 assignment.

17. Summarizing
What is summarizing
Why is it important?
How do we do it?

18. One Method for Summarizing
Step 1: Basically summarizing is breaking down the article or a long passage of reading.When you are complete,you should be left with 5 'W's.Who,what,where,when,and why.
Step 2: Study the article. Examine the title, any headings, illustrations, or any information about the author that may help you focus on your reading.
Step 3: Read the entire article carefully. Identify the main idea, major subordinate ideas, and their relationship to each other.
Step 4:The easiest way to summarize is to follow a well known and trusted method. This method is called T.M.D. Topic-it is what the passage is about. Main Idea-so the topic is the What then the main idea is the why important. The main idea is always written as a fact. It is never a question. Supporting Details-The supporting details are the rest of the most relevant facts left in a passage or article. They should answer the rest of the 'W' questions.

19. SUMMARIZING AN ARTICLE
Read the article.
Re-read the article. Underline important ideas. Circle key terms. Find the main point of the article. Divide the article into sections or stages of thought, and label each section or stage of thought in the margins. Note the main idea of each paragraph if the article is short.
Write brief summaries of each stage of thought or if appropriate each paragraph. Use a separate piece of paper for this step. This should be a  brief outline of the article. 
Write the main point of the article. Use your own words. This should be a sentence that expresses the central idea of the article as you have determined it the from steps above. 
Write your rough draft of the summary. Combine the information from the first four steps into paragraphs.  NOTE: Include all the important ideas. Use the author's key words.
Follow the original organization where possible.
Include any important data.
Include any important conclusions. 
Edit your version. Be concise. Eliminate needless words and repetitions. (Avoid using "the author says...," "the author argues...," etc.) 
Compare your version to the original.  Do not use quotations, but if you use them be sure to quote correctly. 
Do not plagiarize. Use your own words to state the ideas presented in the article.

20. Ineffective vs effective summary
Ineffective:  This article covers the topic of measuring the extent of global deforestation. The article discusses reasons for concern, the technique, the results, and the project’s current goal.
Effective: According to the author of “Seeing the Forest,” the extent of global deforestation was difficult to measure until satellite remote sensing techniques were applied. Measuring the extent of global deforestation is important because of concerns about global warming and species extinctions. The technique compares old infrared LANDSAT images with new images. The authors conclude the method is accurate and cost effective.

21. Teach Students to Summarize Tips for Students Summarizing What They Read Dec 8, 2008 Jennifer Wagaman Teaching students to summarize a text is a great way to build reading comprehension and develop writing skills. Teaching students to summarize what they read should not be a difficult task to accomplish. This is not a lesson to be taught in one day, either, and should be revisited with each text that the student reads. Ensuring that students know how to effectively summarize what they read will help improve reading comprehension and subsequently improve student grades. Start with Short Summaries for Young Kids When teaching young children how to summarize what they read, start with small expectations. Read a paragraph to them and ask them to tell you the main idea of the passage. Have them read something short and tell you what the main idea is. Once students are able to tell you the main idea of a short paragraph, work on extending both the length of the passage as well as the amount of information required in the summary. Go from a one sentence summary (naming the main idea) to a two or three sentence summary, explaining several main ideas found in the text. Use Age Appropriate Text for Older Kids Older students who struggle to summarize a passage should be taught this skill with simple, age-appropriate texts. Choosing a newspaper article or magazine article may be more appropriate for them to read than a leveled book from your library as these books tend to be too childish for older students. Finding age appropriate texts may be a difficult task, but it will make it much easier to encourage your struggling students to learn to summarize or recap what they have read. Ideas for Teaching Students to Summarize When teaching the skill of summarizing, keep it fun, and focus on the task of comprehending what is being read. Stop frequently throughout the reading of a text to ask the students to tell you what is going on, what has already happened and what they think will happen next. As you continue to read and ask basic comprehension questions, your students will improve their comprehension and summarizing abilities at the same time. Require written summaries when appropriate as well. This will not only reinforce the skill of recapping what they read, but will help to improve their writing skills. It can be very difficult for some students to transfer their thoughts into written form, so be sure to provide as much support and practice as possible.