Why is it important to use precise language? Participants explore this question in the fourth activity in a series of 15 on effective instruction. Perfect for all content areas, the activity promotes appropriate language choice through...

How can opinions slant facts? Workshop participants learn how to examine primary and secondary sources and identify the author's point of view. They also examine how visual art impacts the meaning and rhetoric of sources. Full of...

This tutorial on writing topic sentences includes 2 videos, 2 slide shows, and an audio clip. The first YouTube video explains the 4 parts of a topic sentence and tells where topic sentences belong. The 2 slide shows focus on the MAP...

This tutorial focuses on topic sentences using two slideshows. The first defines topic sentences, discusses purpose and placement, and provides a sample thesis statement followed by accompanying topic sentences samples. The second...

Ten slides discussing the elements of a topic sentence and explaining how to write an effective topic sentence by using the acronym MAP (Main idea, Attitude, Preview).

A nine-slide presentation explaining how to use the acronym MAP (main idea, attitude, preview) to edit and revise a topic sentence.

This tutorial focuses on revising the thesis and topic sentences using two videos and two slideshows. The first video discusses a 3-step revising process for making sure the thesis fits the paper; the second video focuses on what...

A series of notes and lessons focused on writing thesis statements and topic sentences. The lesson begins with a four-page downloadable PDF containing information about the function and form of a thesis statement as well as how to...

This Dartmouth College writing lab tutorial teaches students how to develop a thesis statement.

An eight-slide presentation introducing how to write a strong topic sentence by using the acronym MAP (main idea, attitude, preview).

Often, we ask students to find the main idea in the story- this helps when re-telling. Why not apply this idea to writing? Find the main idea and introduce your writing with that idea; just like with a book, it helps with re-telling!...

This slideshow lesson focuses on assessing and revising the thesis, topic sentences, and supporting details in a paper. It uses the analogy of the body: the thesis and topic sentences are the bones and the supporting details are the...

[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart defines and gives examples of a topic sentence. Through an Activote activity students identify the topic sentence for various paragraphs.

This tutorial focuses on transitions including transitional devices, lists of common transition words and phrases, transitions between paragraphs with examples, and separate lists of transition words for descriptive, narrative, and...

This lesson goes over tips an techniques for writing an effective topic sentence. This tutorial lesson shares a short slideshow with the lesson's content.

This lesson explains how to edit a topic sentence to make it more effective.

This article by Byron Walsh focuses on writing a talking points paper for a public speaker which consists of researched, accurate information provided in bulleted lists with follow up sentences on specific topics.

Students will take a previously created paragraph and edit it to make it better by adding details, definitions, a topic sentence, or a closure to an informational paragraph. Resources include a PowerPoint presentation and pictures and...

An excellent tip sheet for creating and perfecting a statement of purpose. Also includes information about thesis statements and examples.

How do you write a paragraph? Use this site to learn more about the different parts of a paragraph.

This site from the University of Ottawa provides a wonderfully designed website that not only gives you exhaustive information on paragraph writing. Students will engage in starting with outlines, writing topic sentences, dividing their...

Resources for helping students to write historical essays. Includes a movie trailer to demonstrate the traits of a good introduction, tips for writing a paragraph, tips for formal writing, and guidelines for citing sources.

After students are given time to think about the topic -"Alone Time with an Adult I Care about," they are given ten to fifteen minutes to write between five and ten sentences on the topic. They ten are told they will revise their...

This PDF lesson, POWER PARAGRAPH, focuses on analysis and will also help students to understand structure in a paragraph. The "power" concept teaches the students to organize their sentences according to different levels of importance....