1. How to write a paragraph
Do you ever feel like you are going to explode when we teachers ask you to write a paragraph?
Do you feel your heart pounding or your face getting red if we tell you to write a GOOD paragraph?
Don't despair... here is a way to do it painlessly and with excellent results.

2. To begin......consider an apple.
Using "short" words list at least five things you already know about apples.

3. Apples eat them different colors grow on trees great in a pie
Your list might look like this:
Apples
 eat them
 different colors
 grow on trees
 great in a pie
 some have worms

4. Apples come in different colors. Apples grow on trees.
Now S T R E T C H the words on your list into at least five sentences.
You can eat an apple.
Apples come in different colors.
Apples grow on trees.
I ate an apple pie once.
Sometimes an apple has a worm in it.

5. Now let's put the sentences in a paragraph!
First, think about which sentence you want to come first, second, third, etc...
How about this order?
 Apples come in different colors.
 Apples grow on trees.
 You can eat an apple.
 I ate an apple pie.
 Sometimes an apple has a worm in it.

6. grow on trees. You can eat an apple. I ate
Ok, let's try it out! Let's connect the sentences into a paragraph
with indention, capital letters at the beginning of each sentence,
and a punctuation mark at the end of each sentence.
Apples come in different colors. Apples
grow on trees. You can eat an apple. I ate
an apple pie. Sometimes an apple has a worm
in it.
Well, our sentences are in a paragraph form. We have indented and remembered to use punctuation, but it isn't a GOOD paragraph… yet.

7. Consider what you remember about paragraphs!
Paragraphs have 3 parts: like a hamburger:
1) The top of the bun is like a topic sentence.
It is the first sentence in a paragraph, and it introduces the main
idea of the paragraph. The topic sentence "holds" the supporting
details.
2) In between the buns is the meat, or the supporting details.
They tell the reader information about the topic. You can have
as many supporting details as you wish (the more meat, the
better, right?)
3) The bottom of the burger is the closing sentence. It is the
last sentence in a paragraph, and it restates the main idea of
your paragraph using different words.

8. Let me tell you what I know about apples.
For example:
Our paragraph about apples needs a crispy top bun or topic
sentence:
Let me tell you what I know about apples.
2) Our paragraph has a great amount of “meat” or supporting
details inside the buns:
Apples come in different colors and they grow
on trees. You can eat a fresh apple, but I like
to eat them in a homemade apple pie. Sometimes
a worm is living in the apple.

9. Let me tell you what I know about apples.
3) And finally, we need the bottom bun to hold all the meat or
a closing sentence. Here is a good clue... look at the topic
sentence and think about the burger again. Think how the
top of the bun looks similar to the bottom, except maybe it
has some sesame seeds on top. Similarly, the concluding
sentence should be similar to the topic sentence - just use
different words.
Let me tell you what I know about apples.
(topic sentence)
These are just a few things you should know about apples.
(concluding sentence)

10. Let’s see what our finished paragraph (delicious hamburger)
looks like:
Let me tell you what I know about apples. Apples come in different colors and they grow on trees. You can eat a fresh apple, but I like to eat them in homemade apple pie. Sometimes a worm is living in the apple. These are just a few things you should know about apples.
TA-TA! WE DID IT!

11. Remember these simple steps to help you write a good paragraph!
Decide on a topic
List things you know about the topic--use short words
Use your list of short words to create sentences
Put the sentences in order
Create a good topic sentence
See what you can do to make your supporting details SHOW not TELL the reader about your topic by combining sentences into complex or compound sentences, adding interesting adjectives and creating "mind pictures" for the reader
Write a great closing sentence by looking at the topic sentence and using different words
Don't forget to indent, capitalize beginning sentence words, punctuate correctly, and check your spelling