Free 6th Grade Paragraph Lesson Plan

Topic: How to Write Any Paragraph

Objectives & Outcomes

• By the end of this lesson, students will be able to write a paragraph that is descriptive, cohesive, and has a complete thought in each sentence.

Materials

• Writing paper
• Pencils
• Erasers
• Writing prompt (provided by teacher)

Warm-Up

• Have students sit in a circle.
• Give each student a pencil and a piece of writing paper.
• Ask students to think of a favorite place, event, or person, and write down a few words to describe it or him or her.
• After a few minutes, have a few students share their words with the class.

Direct Instruction

• Distribute the writing handouts with guidelines for writing a paragraph.
• Review the components of a paragraph: topic sentence, supporting details, and a closing sentence.
• Have students work in pairs to brainstorm ideas for a paragraph on a given topic.
• As students share their ideas, write them down on the whiteboard or on a separate sheet of paper.
• Once the brainstorming is complete, have students work individually to organize their ideas into a coherent paragraph using the guidelines from the handout.

Guided Practice

• Have students take turns writing a paragraph on the given topic using the guidelines from the handouts.
• As students write, walk around the room and provide guidance and feedback as needed.
• Once all students have written a paragraph, have a small group of students read their paragraphs to the class to provide additional feedback and encouragement.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose a topic that interests them and write a paragraph on that topic using the guidelines from the handouts.
• Encourage students to use the paragraph structure to organize their thoughts and write clearly and effectively.
• As students write, walk around the room and provide guidance and feedback as needed.

Closure

• Have students share their paragraphs with the class.
• As students listen to their peers' work, encourage them to reflect on the task of writing a paragraph and the structure that was used.
• Review the steps for writing a paragraph and the structure once more as a class.

Assessment

• Observe students as they work to write their paragraphs and provide feedback.
• Evaluate students' paragraphs for their use of the five-step structure and the inclusion of supporting details and examples.
• Give students a quiz or test on the structure and purpose of paragraphs and their use in writing, requiring them to write and answer questions on a paragraph or two.