This week, we’re focusing on building better structures using Paragraph Skeletons.
Week 4 Lesson 1
In Week 4, Lesson 1, we’re going to focus on Non-Textbook material.
In the first part of class, I’m going to discuss the idea of Paragraph Skeletons: what they are, how they work, and why they’re useful for building Paragraphs (as well as for understanding the structure of good paragraphs).
When that discussion is finished, I’ll remind you about your work for the week, preview what we’re working on next week, and let you go.
If you missed class, Paragraph Skeletons are covered in the Non-Textbook Related Videos for this week, at the bottom of this page.
Handouts from Lesson 1
Week 4, Lesson 2
In our small-group meetings on Day 2 of Week 4, we’re going to discuss your Paragraph Skeletons for the Paragraph Blog Post you’re working on. Bring some copies (enough for everyone in your group, plus the professor) and we’ll have a look and talk about your Paragraph Skeleton.
Textbook Videos & Exercises for Week 4
In Great Writing 2, do the following:
- Read What is a Topic Sentence? (pg. 46)
- Complete Activities 1–2 (pg. 46–47)
In Great Writing 2, do the following:
- Read Features of a Topic Sentence (pg. 48)
- Complete Activities 3–5 (pg. 48–50)
- Complete Activity 7 (pg. 51–52)
Optional Paragraph Practice for Week 4
Brainstorm ideas for a Paragraph Blog post about food. You can write about anything, but I would suggest that you choose one of the following ideas, just to make your life easier:
- Write about a food you like to cook.
- Write about a specific food that has a special meaning to your family.
- Write about a food that you crave for nostalgic reasons, and what it reminds you of.
- Write a paragraph about three specific foods that people should avoid ordering when they are on a date.
- Write about a food that you have never tried, but hope someday to try.
When you brainstorm your ideas for this Paragraph Blog post, try to use all the steps discussed last week when I covered Brainstorming with you:
- Free Writing & What’s Interesting Here?
- Mind Map
- Writing a Topic Sentence for your paragraph.
When you have your ideas organized, do the following things:
- Create a Paragraph Skeleton. (We’ll discuss this during your Day 2 Meeting with me this week, so make sure you get a Skeleton done before the meeting.)
- Build a complete Paragraph.
- Edit your paragraph, looking for structure, grammar, and formatting problems. (Remember, formatting is much simpler in a Blog than in a document file.)
After you are happy with your paragraph, save it.
Non-Textbook Videos
As usual, the Non-Textbook Videos are optional, and designed for those who missed class on Day 1 of this week’s class.