Strong Paragraphs

Overview

Lesson 1 of 6 in Informative Paragraphs in Practice. Students deconstruct, discuss and improve an informative paragraph, learning how topic sentences, supporting details, explanations/examples and concluding or linking sentences work together.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify the structure of an effective informative paragraph.
• WALT explain how each sentence supports the main idea.
• WALT distinguish relevant from irrelevant supporting details.
• WALT use paragraph terminology when discussing writing.

Success criteria

• I can name the four main parts of an informative paragraph.
• I can identify the paragraph’s main idea and topic sentence.
• I can sort details into relevant and irrelevant information.
• I can explain how each sentence supports the topic.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho English, Years 7–8: writing to inform by introducing and previewing a topic.
• Organising ideas logically into cohesive sections and using transitions and linking words.
• Drafting and refining multi-paragraph texts suited to purpose and audience.
• Communication, language and text: selecting and explaining language choices for clear meaning.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook and prior knowledge Display two short paragraphs: one with a clear topic and linked details, and one containing unrelated facts. Open with the hook and comparison slides and ask: “Which paragraph teaches you more clearly? Why?” Students think-pair-share while the teacher records language they use to describe strong writing.

2. 5–15 minutes – Explicit teaching: paragraph parts Use the paragraph structure slides to introduce four parts: topic sentence, relevant supporting details, explanation/example, and concluding or linking sentence. Explain that a topic sentence states the main idea; details develop it; explanations/examples show what the details mean; and a conclusion or link returns to the topic or leads forward. Model colour-coding each part in a paragraph about the significance of a local awa or whenua. Use local knowledge respectfully and avoid presenting iwi or hapū knowledge without appropriate permission.

3. 15–27 minutes – Teacher think-aloud and annotation Read the model paragraph aloud, then annotate it with the class. Ask: “What is this paragraph mainly about?”, “Which detail best supports that idea?”, and “How does the example help the reader understand?” Students identify a sentence that could be removed and justify their choice. Refer back to the annotated model paragraph as the colour key remains visible.

4. 27–39 minutes – Guided sentence sort In groups of three or four, students use the paragraph component cards to discuss and sort sentence types. They explain their decisions using sentence stems such as “This is the topic sentence because…” and “This detail is relevant because…”. Groups then jointly annotate a second paragraph shown in the guided practice slides. Invite several groups to share different justifications and address misconceptions.

5. 39–53 minutes – Independent application Distribute the paragraph labelling and improvement worksheet. Students choose a familiar place, community practice, animal, sport or interest. They label the parts of a supplied paragraph, identify its main idea, mark one relevant and one irrelevant detail, then improve one sentence or add a stronger explanation/example. Students may first rehearse their ideas orally with a partner, draw a planning frame, or use the vocabulary bank. Early finishers compare the supplied paragraph with a second version and decide which is more effective, citing evidence.

6. 53–60 minutes – Review and exit assessment Revisit the review and exit prompt. Students complete the exit ticket slips by naming one strength of the paragraph they studied and one improvement it needs, including one paragraph term. Collect responses as students leave and invite two or three volunteers to share their reasoning.

Resources

• the paragraph structure and practice slide deck
• the paragraph labelling and improvement worksheet
• the paragraph component cards
• the exit ticket slips
• Coloured pens or highlighters in four colours
• Whiteboard or interactive display
• Timer
• Optional text-to-speech or audio reading tool

Assessment

• Listen to group explanations during the card sort, checking whether students can identify and justify each paragraph part.
• Review worksheet annotations for accurate identification of the main idea, relevant details and sentence functions.
• Use exit tickets to identify students needing further support with terminology, relevance or explaining connections between sentences.

Differentiation

• Provide a colour-coded paragraph template, word bank and sentence stems; chunk the model into one sentence at a time.
• Support EAL learners with visuals, oral rehearsal, partner talk and simple definitions of topic, detail, example and link.
• Offer text-to-speech, enlarged print, highlighters and a scribe or speech-to-text option for students with learning or writing needs.
• Extend confident writers by comparing two paragraphs and evaluating which is more effective, justifying the judgement with specific evidence.