Assignment: Write ten excellent pargraphs each month.
Follow the paragraph pattern. Use excellent word choice.
Remember:
A paragraph includes:Topic Sentence (state main idea)Three "Showing" Examples (prove your point)
Conclusion (restate main idea)
No paragraph should be less than five sentences.
To review how to write a good paragraph, go to Ms. Barnard's lesson:
Your English homework assignment is to practice writing good and interesting paragraphs. Find a prompt and follow the five-sentence paragraph pattern AND excellent word choice. Write and turn in ten paragraphs each month.
Prompts:
http://www.televar.com/~sedwards/writecoach.html
A word about word choice:
Write to show your reader your proof--vivid verbs, nifty nouns, alliteration, senses, imagery, simile, metaphor, technical vocabulary.
Instead of:
A dog jumped out at me.
Better:
The doberman lunged at me.
Even better:
Suddently, staring in my face growled one hundred pounds of strained doberman muscles.
Word ChoiceScoring guide at:
http://www.televar.com/~sedwards/sixtraitrubricsre.html#wordch
Words to eliminate: to be verbs (is, are, were, etc.); got; then; went
Rubric:
Your paragraphs must have:
4 --includes all of the above in a clear, logical, interesting paragraph; the reader can see and feel the idea; no extra words; no worn out words.
3--includes all of the above in a clear, logical, and interesting paragraph
2--includes all but one of the above; still needs work
1--missing elements--unfinished