Teaching Writing Project Topic Sentences, Organization, and Transitions

Teaching Writing ProjectTopic Sentences, Organization, and Transitions

Emma ParrishHannah StevensAna PinsakHolly MosherSam Diacont

Objectives:

At the end of the lesson students will: Be able to write effect topic sentences. Be able to effectively organize a paper to

efficiently convey your point. Be able to write strong transition sentences

between paragraphs. Be able to write smoothly and cohesively within a

paragraph.

Organization

Organization refers to the cohesive arrangement of elements within a piece of writing.

Organize your paper in accordance with your purpose and intended effect.

OrganizationClassical Model

Common and effective way to organize a piece. Intro- Spark interest Narration- Establish “why”? Confirmation- Develop proof and examples Refutation- Address counterargument Conclusion- Brings it all together

OrganizationPatterns of Development

Ways to organize your paper according to your purpose

May apply to an entire piece of paragraphs within a piece Narration Description Process Analysis Exemplification Compare & Contrast Classification & Division Cause & Effect

TransitionsPurpose To correlate 2 ideas or to show the

relationship shared by multiple ideas or paragraphs

To express the importance & relevance of ideas to the topic

To create coherence within a piece of literature

To logically end one idea (or paragraph) and introduce another

TransitionsTransition Words

Avoid In conclusion As previously stated First Next Then Also Another point But

Utilize Therefore Consequently Otherwise Presently Nevertheless Subsequently Alternatively Conversely

TransitionsExample Management Systems International has logged

increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits.

Another important thing to note is that the corporation had expanded its international influence

Management Systems International has logged increased sales in every sector, leading to a significant rise in third-quarter profits.

These impressive profits are largely due to the corporation's expanded international influence.

Topic SentencesGeneral Guidelines Helps you to generate and control your

information. It should be carefully worded and restricted

Should show relationships and transitions between paragraphs

Goal: an essay that feels like a cohesive whole Should function as a mini thesis statement Can be restated more than once: in the

beginning and in the end

Topic SentencesTopic Sentences in the Beginning of a ParagraphSentence should be brief, clear and

strong, contain key words at the end (gets heavy stress and leads naturally into what will follow)

Usually occurs in the beginning of argument paragraphs

Everything that comes after the first sentence elaborates

Should flow naturally from the last paragraph

Topic Sentence Topic Sentences at the End of a Paragraph Can end a paragraph with the main idea Topic sentence leaves the reader with a

strong main idea, preparing the reader for more information that is yet to come.

The sentences before the topic sentence take the reader through a process or on a logical path, building up to the climax/main idea.

Topic SentencesExamplesSubject: Books being banned in the classroom:

Good Books have been severely criticized, even

banned, because of objectionable subject matter, characters, even individual words.

Bad The book Huckleberry Finn has been widely

criticized due to its use of racial slurs.

Sources

http://classroom.quixoticpedagogue.org/ap-english-iv/writing-guide-mainmenu-251/244-ap-language/1930-topic-sentences

http://books.google.com/books?id=a0O75iBRj64C&lpg=PA62&ots=c0p8ciEiCh&dq=ap%20language%20and%20composition%20topic%20sentence%20guidelines&pg=PA62#v=onepage&q&f=true

http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/partopic.html

http://wps.ablongman.com/long_henry_mrup_1/33/8660/2216967.cw/index.html

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/01/ http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/organize/index.cf

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