'Paragraphs' tutor notes
The aim of the 'Paragraphs' topic area is to understand some of the basic rules of Paragraphs, particularly the need to focus on a particular topic and to put paragraphs in a logical order.
We recommend that students look at the Sentence construction section of the site, before tackling this module.
How does this tie in with the curriculum?
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England
Wt/E3.2 - organise writing in short paragraphs
1. understand that paragraphs normally consist of more than one sentence
2. understand that paragraphs are not arbitrary divisions put in at the end of writing but a way of grouping the main points and supporting detail at the drafting stage
3. understand that paragraphs are often introduced by a topic sentence
4. understand that paragraphs can be arranged under headings in certain sorts of texts, e.g. information texts
5. understand that paragraphs need to follow on from each other using appropriate linking words
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Wales
As England
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Northern Ireland
As England.
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Scotland
See www.aloscotland.com for details of the Scottish curriculum.
Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites.
In this Skillswise module you'll find...
Paragraphs - games
This Story builder game requires players to drag and drop the sentences into the best order for the paragraph to make sense and flow. There is an easy and a hard option to try.
Please do tell us what you think of these games.
Paragraphs - factsheets
There is one factsheet in this section. It explains the need to focus on one topic in a paragraph and introduces the concept of a 'topic sentence' and headings. It goes on to explain how to plan a longer piece of writing, using paragraph headings to organise ideas. The importance of getting the right order is stressed - both for sentences within paragraphs and for the paragraphs themselves. Finally learners are introduced to the use of linking words (such as 'however', 'secondly', 'finally', 'on the other hand' ) to establish a clear flow from one paragraph to the next.
Paragraphs - worksheets
There are two printable worksheets with answersheets in this section. The first simply asks learners to decide on the best order for a group of paragraphs, based on headings. The second asks learners to devise their own headings for paragraphs on particular topics and then arrange these in the best order.
Technical help:
To get the most out of this topic area you need the following 'plug-ins':
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Flash 7
The game in this topic section uses Flash 7. This is free to download and should only take a few minutes. You can follow the BBC WebWise instructions to download it to your machine.
Find out more.
If you don't have Flash 7 the same learning points are covered in the quiz, worksheets and factsheets.
Please note: the flash game in this section is quite graphical. Please allow about 1 minute for the game to download. Download times will vary according to your connection speed and how busy the network is.
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Adobe PDF documents
Note that you will need the free Adobe Acrobat software on your machine to view PDF documents.
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FlashPapers
We have provided the worksheets and factsheets as both PDF files and FlashPaper files. For screenreader users you should choose the FlashPaper version as these are designed to be screenreader accessible. If you don't need a screenreader it doesn't matter which type you use.
If you want to print the factsheets we recommend you use the PDF version provided. However, if you do want to print a FlashPaper, you must use the print button within the FlashPaper window (top right). Your internet browser can't tell what size to print these kind of documents, so if you use the print option in the 'file' menu it may print out completely the wrong size.
If you are new to the web, why not take a look at WebWise. You can try the WebWise online course or be shown the basics by our Computer Tutor. It's free and it will take you through everything you need to know to use the web successfully in your teaching. Get WebWise.
If you would like to get more help using Skillswise, check out the Help pages.
Taking it further:
With Skillswise:
Don't forget to check out the Skillswise Lesson plans and Teaching inspirations areas for more ideas about teaching paragraphs.
There are more writing resources aimed at Level 1 learners on Skillswise: plan your writing and paragraphs.
On the web:
Here is a suggestion of another place on the web that you might find useful for teaching paragraphs.
Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites.
Do you know of any great online resources for practising paragraphs? Tell us about them!
