Download The Body Paragraphs

The Body Paragraphs
This is the MEAT of your paper
Each body paragraph should have:
 A topic sentence/transitional sentence
 At least TWO quotes per area (biographical sketch, historical
foundation, lasting impact)
 The items you choose to talk about in your paragraphs should
ultimately support why your historical figure is a hero or a
villain
 YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND IDEAS
 A concluding statement
Topic Sentences
 The topic sentence is the central idea around which a
paragraph is developed.
 It introduces the reader to the topic without announcing it;
AKA: this is my paragraph on Churchill’s life.
 It’s the first sentence.
 It tells you what the rest of the paragraph(s) will be about.
Topic Sentences
 After this sentence you need to support what you have said
 This means giving evidence which justifies what you said in
your topic sentence
Example:
 Remember my introduction paragraph?
 There are some people who should not be given power. In
the 1930s, Adolf Hitler became the dictator of Germany and
was responsible for the murder of millions. Adolf Hitler
always had conflicts with authority figures. He used The
Great Depression to establish a political career. His abuse of
his authority is still studied today to display how a person
with too much power can destroy the lives of many. Adolf
Hitler is a villain because of his creation of The Holocaust
which shows that people with too much influence can create
world-wide devastation.
Example:
 Remember my introduction paragraph?
 We will now ADD our first body paragraph which will
transition the reader to the first body paragraph
 Sample topic sentence:
 On April 20, 1889, a baby was born who would later become
so power hungry he would try to take over the world.
Concluding Sentence
 This sentence wraps up what your paragraph was about
 HINT: This sentence will be a statement on how this topic
(bio, history, lasting impact, makes this person a hero/villain)
 It’s the main point you want to get across on your topic.
 EX: Hitler’s youth proved to be difficult and full of conflict;
these negative experiences contributed to the villain that he
would later become.
Transitions
 When we move from one area to another, we need to use a
transitional phrase so that the writing does not become
disjointed and the reader does not get confused.
 They establish logical connections between sentences,
paragraphs, and sections of your paper.
 Transitions signal relationships between ideas.
 To create a transition from one area to the next, we will use a
TRANSITIONAL WORD/PHRASE and connect it to our
topic sentence.
Use your Transitions Handout to Help
 Figure out what kind of relationship you want to show
between your paragraphs and use the corresponding
examples to help you.
 My Example:
 Transition to Area #2: Historical Foundation
 Just as Hitler’s childhood was horrible, Germany was having
its own difficulties in the 1930s.
Take out your introduction paragraph
and outline
 Read over what you have written and fix what you do not
like
 Look over your outline and write your first sentence of your
first body paragraph (your topic sentence)
Colloquialisms AKA Slang AKA Informal
Language
 An informal expression that is more often used in casual
conversation than in formal speech or writing.
 Bit the dust
 Was sacked
 Bringing home the bacon
 Etc….
Cliché Writing Activity
 Compose a really bad narrative on one of the following topics
 Falling in love
 Life-changing moment
 The future
 Mistake or failure
 Growing up
 Major obstacle
Cliché Writing Activity
 This writing will contain as many bad clichés as you can think
of
 This will not be “good” writing
 Aim for at least 250 words.
 You may share a paper with your partner.