Writing a Paragraph

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Remind students that the main idea of an informational paragraph is the topic, or subject of the piece. The thesis statement, or topic sentence, sets up and states the main idea of the paragraph and tells the reader what to expect from the paragraph. Supporting details back up the main idea. Specific examples help make the main idea clear to the reader. Remind students that they should give at least three supporting detail sentences. Students can come up with supporting details by posing their main idea as a question: “How do you know _______?” The closing sentence is the conclusion, or ending of the paragraph. The closing sentence should tie all the ideas in the paragraph together. Strong closing sentences echo the main idea but also expand the writer’s thesis. Encourage your students to incorporate personal opinions, predictions, or inferences in their closing sentences.