Prewriting to Focus Your Ideas

1. List three things that you know how to do really well.
2. Which of these three processes would you like to explain in an essay?
3. What tools and materials do you need for this process?
4. What steps would you list for doing this process?
5. What special thought or feeling do you have about this process?

Editing for the Right Word

The words to, two, and too are easily confused because they sound exactly alike. However, each word means something different.

• Two means the number 2.

  My family owns two dogs.

• To indicates direction. It also is used with verbs.

I rode my bike to the zoo to see the polar bear.

• Too means “also.”

Jason likes karate, too.

1. My ( two, to, too ) brothers are coming ( two, to, too ) the show. My ( two, to, too ) brothers are coming ( two, to, too ) the show.
2. Are you going ( two, to, too ) see the movie, ( two, to, too )? Are you going ( two, to, too ) see the movie, ( two, to, too )?
3. Quinn and I are like ( two, to, too ) peas in a pod. Quinn and I are like ( two, to, too ) peas in a pod.
4. The ( two, to, too ) squirrels jumped from tree ( two, to, too ) tree. The ( two, to, too ) squirrels jumped from tree ( two, to, too ) tree.
5. I’m ready ( two, to, too ) spend some time with my cousins. I’m ready ( two, to, too ) spend some time with my cousins.
6. Vinny ran ( two, to, too ) his room ( two, to, too ) find his ( two, to, too ) video-game controllers. Vinny ran ( two, to, too ) his room ( two, to, too ) find his ( two, to, too ) video-game controllers.
7. Horses like apples, and I do, ( two, to, too ). Horses like apples, and I do, ( two, to, too ).
8. ( Two, To, Too ) of my best friends live in my neighborhood. ( Two, To, Too ) of my best friends live in my neighborhood.
9. I used a search engine ( two, to, too ) find information about ( two, to, too ) art contests. I used a search engine ( two, to, too ) find information about ( two, to, too ) art contests.
10. I, ( two, to, too ), enjoy reading books. I, ( two, to, too ), enjoy reading books.

Revising for Time Order

1. Action 1
2. Action 2
3. Action 3
4. Action 4
5. Action 5

Writing the Topic Sentence

Your narrative paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. It names the topic and shares a specific thought or feeling about it.

Sample Topic Sentence 1:

Whitewater rafting with my family was a crazy adventure.

• Topic: Whitewater rafting with my family
• Special Thought: A crazy adventure

Sample Topic Sentence 2:

I’ll never forget the time I saw the playful polar bear.

• Topic: The playful polar bear
• Special Feeling: Never forget seeing it

1. Name your topic.
2. Share a specific thought or feeling about it.
3. Write your topic sentence.

Prewriting to Choose Your Topic

Your narrative paragraph will share a special memory from your life. Here’s how you can get started.

1. One of my favorite times with my best friend was . . .
2. I’ll never forget the holiday when . . .
3. I’ll never forget my family vacation to . . .
4. One crazy thing my family did was . . .
5. I’ll always remember the first time I . . .
6. An exciting time in my neighborhood was when . . .

Sample Paragraph

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 End Punctuation

Sentences end in a period, question mark, or exclamation point. These punctuation marks are like traffic signs because they signal that a sentence has come to a stop. Here are the rules for using these marks.

• Use a period at the end of a statement.

  Thirty-five third graders in the school answered two questions.

• Use a question mark at the end of a question.

  What is your favorite ocean mammal?

• Use an exclamation point to show strong emotion.

  They crack oysters open on rocks on their bellies!

Revising to Find Paragraphs

If your writing goes on and on without paragraphs, it can be hard to read. When this happens, you need to separate the writing into paragraphs. Use this three-step process:

1. Label the first word with a paragraph sign (¶).
2. Name the main idea in the first paragraph.
3. Find the first sentence not about this idea and label it. Start a new paragraph.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 as you move through your essay.