Under Construction: Building a Paragraph with a Bubble Map

Teaching Activities and Strategies

Under Construction: Building a Paragraph with a Bubble Map

Teaching Activities and Strategies

Build a HamburgerStudents build their own hamburger graphic organizers to keep in their writing journals.

Bulletin Board HamburgerStudents collaborate to create a classroom

hamburger graphic organizer model.

Paragraph JumbleStudents unscramble and rewrite a jumbled

paragraph writing sample.

Paragraph StarterStudents write detail and concluding

sentences when given a topic sentence.

Paragraph EndingStudents write a topic sentence and detail sentences when given a closing sentence.

Paragraph FillingStudents write a topic and concluding

sentences when given a detail sentence.

Backwards SummaryStudents use a completed paragraph to

create a bubble map.

Bubble Map JumbleStudents unscramble the parts of a bubble

map to write a paragraph.

Build a Hamburger

ObjectiveStudents will create a hamburger graphic organizer to keep in their writing journals.

Build a Hamburger

Materials

• Copy paper• Crayons or markers• Pencil• Scissors• Tape or glue• Writing tablet

Procedure

• Think about the things you like to eat on your hamburger.

• Draw your hamburger on a piece of copy paper. Be sure the hamburger has a bun and 3 things inside.

• Write the parts of the paragraph on the parts of the hamburger. Example: the top bun should be labeled “topic sentence.”

• Lightly color or outline each part of the hamburger.

• Cut-out the hamburger and tape (or glue) it into each writing tablet.

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Bulletin Board Hamburger

ObjectiveStudents will collaborate to create a classroom

hamburger graphic organizer.

Topic Sentence

Closing Sentence

Details

Bulletin Board Hamburger

Materials

• Poster board• Markers• Chart or graph• Paragraph parts label

Procedure

• Take a poll: Ask students what they like to eat on their hamburger. Chart the results on graph paper.

• Choose the 3 most popular responses.

• Draw a classroom model hamburger on the poster board, using the 3 most popular hamburger-filling responses.

• Label the hamburger model with the parts of the paragraph.

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Paragraph Jumble

ObjectiveStudents will identify the parts of a paragraph and

arrange the parts in the best order.

Paragraph Jumble

Materials

• Paragraph pieces• Hamburger organizer• Writing paper• Pencil

Procedure

• Provide each student with a set of paragraph pieces.

• Ask students to find their hamburger organizer (or refer to classroom model).

• Remind students of the parts of the paragraph.

• Ask students to arrange the paragraph pieces in the best order following the model – topic sentence, details, closing.

• Ask students to re-write the paragraph on writing paper, using correct capitalization, indentation, and punctuation.

PrepFind a quality paragraph example. Print enough copies for all students. Cut-up the pieces of the paragraph.

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Taking the Paragraph Apart

What is the topic sentence?

What is the first detail?

What is the second detail?

What is the closing sentence?

Tigers and elephants are two animals I saw at the zoo.

The tigers are orange with black stripes.

The elephants are gray and have big ears.

I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers and elephants are my favorite.

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Paragraph Starter

ObjectiveStudents will complete a

paragraph when provided a topic sentence.

Paragraph Starter

Materials

• Topic sentence• Hamburger organizer• Pencil

Procedure

• Ask students to identify the topic and ideas in the topic sentence.

• Allow students to brainstorm details and a conclusion to complete the paragraph.

• Ask students to write 3 detail sentences and a closing sentence on the graphic organizer.

PrepWrite a topic sentence at the top of a hamburger organizer worksheet. Print enough copies for each student.

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Paragraph Starter Example

Topic SentenceTigers and elephants are two animals I saw at the zoo.

Closing Sentence

2nd Detail Sentence

1st Detail Sentence

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Paragraph Ending

ObjectiveStudents will complete a

paragraph when provided a closing sentence.

Paragraph Closing

Materials

• Closing sentence• Hamburger organizer• Pencil

Procedure

• Ask students to identify the key words in the closing sentence.

• Allow students to brainstorm a topic sentence and a details to complete the paragraph.

• Ask students to write a topic sentence and 3 detail sentences on the graphic organizer.

PrepWrite a closing sentence at the bottom of a hamburger organizer worksheet. Print enough copies for each student.

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Paragraph Ending Example

Topic Sentence

I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers and elephants were my favorite.

2nd Detail Sentence

1st Detail Sentence

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Paragraph Filling

ObjectiveStudents will complete a

paragraph when provided detail sentences.

Paragraph Filling

Materials

• Detail sentences• Hamburger organizer• Pencil

Procedure

• Ask students to identify the ideas in the detail sentences.

• Allow students to brainstorm a topic sentence and a closing sentence to complete the paragraph.

• Ask students to write a topic sentence and closing sentence on the graphic organizer.

PrepWrite 3 detail sentences on a hamburger organizer worksheet. Print enough copies for each student.

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Paragraph Filling Example

Topic Sentence

I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers and elephants were my favorite.Closing Sentence

2nd Detail SentenceThe elephants are gray with big ears.

1st Detail SentenceThe tigers are orange with black stripes.

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Bubble Map Jumble

ObjectiveStudents will unscramble the parts of a bubble

map to write a paragraph.

Bubble Map Jumble

Materials• Blank bubble map• Blank copy paper • Scissors• Glue• Pencil and crayons

Procedure• Ask students to complete the bubble

map worksheet. • As students finish, check their progress

to make sure that they have completed a quality bubble map.

• Instruct students to cut their bubble maps apart and mix the pieces together.

• Allow students to trade bubble maps. • Partners unscramble the bubble maps

and arrange the pieces on the blank copy paper, glue the pieces in place, and connect the bubbles with lines.

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Backwards Summary

ObjectiveStudents will use a completed paragraph to

create a bubble map.

Backwards Summary

Materials

• Completed paragraph• Hamburger organizer• Bubble map worksheet

or blank paper• Crayons and pencil

Procedure• Read the completed paragraph with

the class. • Ask students to point-out the topic

sentence, detail sentences, and closing sentence.

• Allow students to work with a partner or individually to find the topic, ideas, and details in the paragraph. Students can use crayons to underline and color code the 3 parts of the paragraph.

• Instruct students to fill in the bubble map with the topic, ideas, and details that they found in the paragraph.

PrepFind a quality completed paragraph. Make copies for each student.

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