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BODY PARAGRAPHS

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GUIDED NOTES

Characteristics of a paragraph

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Purpose of a paragraph

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General Para. Structure

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LEARNING TARGET: GENERATE, DEVELOP, AND REVISE BODY PARAGRAPHS

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WHAT MAKES A PARAGRAPH A PARAGRAPH

*Hint! It’s not a set number of sentences.

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QUALITIES OF A PARAGRAPH

  • UNITY: has one focus�
  • COHERENECE: has logical flow and order�
  • DEVELOPMENT: Adequately describes, explains and supports the topic sentence main idea and examples (evidence)

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  • NOT # of sentences

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PURPOSE

  • A body paragraph is a balance between…

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  • FACTS/EVIDENCE
  • WRITER’S ANALYSIS

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DEVELOP

To generate or elaborate

To improve the quality of; extend or elaborate on an idea to give it great form, complexity, or strength

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HOW TO ANALYZE EVIDENCE

  • Why are these lines important enough to quote? Why did I include this reference
    • This proves… This demonstrates… In this way…
  • What do we learn BEYOND FACT, from this info
    • This part teachers… This show that…
  • How does quoting these words strength or clarify your thesis?
    • Clearly, the author is highlighting___________
    • This event led to______ which shows _______

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AFTER YOUR INFERENCE (MAIN IDEA)�AND YOUR EVIDENCE.

  • EXPLAIN: demonstrate the value of the example as evidence to support the major claim, or focus, in your paragraph.

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  • May use more than one piece of evidence/explanation pair per paragraph.�
  • NONE of your examples (references or explicit evidence) should be left unexplained.

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FIND A CYCLE BALANCE OF DEVELOPMENT OF �TOPIC SENTENCE/CLAIM

Explanation

    • How does my evidence prove my main claim

Evidence

    • What refences or quotations back up my main idea/inference

Context

    • Where a piece of evidence is coming from

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STANDARD STRUCTURE

INTRO

Body #1

Idea

Evidence

Explanation

Body #2

Idea

Evidence

Explanation

Body #3

THESIS

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EXAMPLE

  • Gatsby’s infatuation with Daisy absorbs him from their very first meeting. Nick explains that Gatsby, as a poor soldier, initially meets Daisy in Louisville and he instantly is enamored by her wealth, worry free attitude, and social status. During their dating Gatsby realize meeting Daisy changed him forever. “He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath… Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete” (110-111).
  • The incarnation, Gatsby’s spirit like devotion to his idol, Daisy, represents a rebirth and change for Gatsby where Daisy will be forever present in his desire. If he could win this girl, not only will he fulfill his dreams of love and beauty, but also of wealth and status that he had sought after since a young boy. How could he possibly resist? And his reference to Daisy as a flower is particularly important as well. This shows that to Gatsby, Daisy is a beautiful object for show, a flower, not necessarily a partner or human, but a godly symbol of his grandiose dreams.

EXPLAINATION

MAIN IDEA

EVIDENCE

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NOW THINK!

  • What is one ponderable question you have from Gatsby?
  • What topic could be hiding in the answer to your question?
  • Is this worthy of a conversation you’d have with a friend?