Lesson 4 — Activity 1: Writing a Paragraph

So far in Theme 1, you have learned that communication can take different forms and serve many purposes. To get the greatest benefit out of situations when we communicate with others, we can apply some of the ideas we have discussed so far in this theme to communicate in writing.

We know that we have to think about our purpose, audience, and form to communicate well. This is true when we write as well as when we speak. We have to be sure our message is clearly organized so that our purpose is expressed and that the language suits the audience.

The most common format for a written message is the paragraph. Most paragraphs follow a similar pattern to arrange information in a way that makes sense and is easy to follow. The following chart reviews the basic structure of a paragraph.

Element of the Paragraph	Purpose of the Element	Example
Topic sentence (sometimes called the thesis statement)	- to introduce your topic - to interest your audience	Are there any true Canadian heroes?
First supporting detail	- to support the topic sentence	Our famous Canadian hero is Terry Fox.
Second supporting detail	- to support the topic sentence	Despite suffering from cancer, Terry Fox decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research.
Third supporting detail	- to support the topic sentence	Although he died in 1980, the Terry Fox Run is still held every year and has raised millions of dollars.
Concluding sentence	- to state the topic sentence again (in different words!)	If that accomplishment doesn't make Terry Fox a Canadian hero, then I don't think a Canadian hero exists.

Digging Deeper!

Click on the Play button below to watch a fun video about writing a paragraph using the same format as a hamburger! This will help you to remember the basic structure of a paragraph.