ORGANIZING AND DEVELOPING YOUR

IDEAS

Review Points
• Every paragraph has a topic sentence.

• The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph

is about.
New Points: Paragraph Unity
 A paragraph has unity when all of the sentences
relate to and develop the topic sentence.
 Ideas in a unified paragraph are easy to follow and
understand.
Practice: Read the following paragraphs (A & B).
Which one is a better example of a unified paragraph?

A.
Cooperation is one of the most important things to learn, and my
school gives us many opportunities to practice. Once you’re out
of school, you can’t always work with the people you want to, so
it’s good to learn to cooperate with everyone. My teachers
assign group projects so that we can learn to work together. In
one of my classes, there is a “Unanimous Superior” rating
students who have learned well and cooperated with others while
completing the assignment. Sometimes we don’t get along with
others in our group. If we argue, we’ll never finish the project,
so we learn to compromise. I believe that cooperation is the key
for doing well in and out of school.
Practice: Read the following paragraphs (A & B).
Which one is a better example of a unified paragraph?

B.
On a basketball team, you have to pass the ball
instead of hogging it, and that’s cooperation. One
time in my math class, we had to do a group project
in pairs. I really didn’t like the person I was
supposed to work with. My partner and I talked.
We ended up doing the work, and got a good grade.
My goal right now is to cooperate with others even
if I don’t want to work with them. I will do my best.
Which one was a better example of a unified
paragraph?

 A or B

Why?
Differences between Paragraph A & B

 Paragraph A is an example of a unified paragraph. The topic sentence tells

A.
Cooperation is one of the most important things to learn, and my school gives us
many opportunities to practice. Once you’re out of school, you can’t always work
with the people you want to, so it’s good to learn to cooperate with everyone. My
teachers assign group projects so that we can learn to work together. In one of my
classes, there is a “Unanimous Superior” rating students who have learned well
and cooperated with others while completing the assignment. Sometimes we
don’t get along with others in our group. If we argue, we’ll never finish the
project, so we learn to compromise. I believe that cooperation is the key for doing
well in and out of school.
Differences between Paragraph A & B

 Paragraph B isn’t unified. The topic sentence suggests that the reader is
going to read an explanation of cooperation. But the writer continues to
describe a previous experience and then describe a goal. Through the
topic of the paragraph is cooperation, the sentences do not directly relate
to the topic sentence.

B.
On a basketball team, you have to pass the ball instead of hogging it,
and that’s cooperation. One time in my math class, we had to do a
group project in pairs. I really didn’t like the person I was supposed
to work with. My partner and I talked. We ended up doing the work,
and got a good grade. My goal right now is to cooperate with others
even if I don’t want to work with them. I will do my best.
Paragraph Parts
 A paragraph is organized when all of the sentences
follow a logical order. Related information should
go together.
 There are many different ways to organize a
paragraph. The order you choose usually depends
on the topic of the paragraph and the purpose of
your writing.
Paragraph Parts
A well-organized paragraph looks like this:

Bridge Sentence:
Topic Sentence: Explains your topic
States your main idea. sentence and/or connects it
to your examples.

Explanation, Elaboration, Example Sentences:

Restatement:
Returns to or restates the
main idea.
Draw this Diagram on your own sheet of paper writing the part of the paragraph
outside of the bubble.

Topic Sentence: Bridge Sentence:

Explanation, Elaboration, Example Sentences:

Restatement
 Now, with your partner identify the
paragraph parts in each of the
paragraphs on the handout and
complete the organizer you just copied.

There are three paragraphs so you will

Topic Sentence: Bridge Sentence:

Explanation, Elaboration, Example Sentences:

Restatement
Choosing Sentences that support the main idea
Edit the following paragraphs. Find the main idea; then cross out any sentences that
do not relate.
Choosing Sentences that support the main idea
Edit the following paragraphs. Find the main idea; then cross out any sentences that
do not relate.
 Review
 All of the sentences in a unified paragraph
relate to and develop the topic sentence.
 Ideas in a unified paragraph are easy to follow
and understand.
 A well organized unified paragraph has:
 A topic sentence.
 A bridge sentence.
 An explanation, elaboration, example sentences.
 Restatement