Warm-Up for Narrative Paragraphs

(c) Thoughtful Learning 2016

This lesson will help you think about important memories you have that you would like to share in a narrative paragraph.

What Is a Narrative Paragraph?

A narrative paragraph is a short piece of writing that captures an important moment in your life. Narrative is another word for "story."

Your mind is like a bank for memories. It saves and stores special moments from your life for you to remember and enjoy. For example, what about that day that you hit the winning home run? In a narrative, you pull out a memory from your mind bank and tell the story to others. This unit will show you how to turn a special moment from your life into a story for readers to enjoy.

Thinking About Special Memories

Wouldn’t it be neat if you could experience something great all over again? Imagine if a genie granted you the power to relive three of your favorite memories. What memories would you do over?

Here’s how one student used his three memory wishes.

Editing for Sentences

Every sentence needs a subject and a verb. The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about. The verb tells something about the subject.

If a group of words does not have a subject or a verb, it is a fragment.

To fix a fragment, add the part that is missing—subject, verb, or both.

Revising for Structure

Your first job in revising is to check the overall structure of your paragraph. Choose one of the paragraphs you have written and check each part below.

1. How could my first sentence more clearly identify my topic?
2. How could I capture my reader’s attention in the first sentence?

Understanding Narrative Paragraphs

In a narrative paragraph, you tell a story about a personal experience. You try to pull your readers into the story and keep them wondering what will happen next. Be sure to include specific details to make your experience come to life.

Writing Strong Beginnings and Endings

An effective paragraph begins with a clear topic sentence and ends with a strong closing point. These activities will help you practice writing these important parts.

Writing Topic Sentences

The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about. It names the topic and gives a thought or feeling about it. Most of the time, it is the first sentence of the paragraph.

Sample Topic Sentence

The new indoor skateboard park challenges even the best skateboarders.

1. My brother’s room is the messiest room on the planet.

   Topic:

   Thought or feeling:

2. Keeping a well-organized backpack is one of the keys to a good day at school.

   Topic:

   Thought or feeling:

Warm-Up for Writing Paragraphs

Paragraphs are the building blocks of great writing. This unit will show you how to create paragraphs for three different purposes: to tell a story, to explain a topic, and to influence readers.

What Is a Paragraph?

© Thoughtful Learning 2016

A paragraph is a group of sentences about one topic. Usually, the first sentence names the topic, and the other sentences give more details about it. In a well-written paragraph, sentences follow a clear order so that readers can quickly understand the topic.

Think of a paragraph as a telescope: It focuses on one specific idea and magnifies it so that people can see it more clearly.

Learning to write good paragraphs is essential to becoming a good writer. This unit will give you a chance to improve your paragraph-writing skills.