Foundation Blocks Slides DAY 1 FOUNDATION BLOCKS
PARAGRAPH ARCHITECTS
BUILDING STRONG
SENTENCES
Welcome to the construction site! Before we build giant paragraph towers, we must lay down a solid concrete foundation.
Mission: Master subjects, predicates, and repair broken fragments!
FOUNDATION SUBJECT & PREDICATE
Blueprint Day 1
1. The Subject
The **WHO** or **WHAT** the sentence is all about. It's the starting block of our sentence foundation.
Example: The busy worker hammered the nail.
2. The Predicate
The **ACTION** or **WHAT** the subject does or is. It tells the story of the subject.
Example: The busy worker hammered the nail.
Can you separate them? "The orange crane lifted the heavy bricks."
Identify the Subject & Predicate!
DANGER ZONE SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
Repair Required!
What is a Fragment?
A **fragment** is a broken block. It is missing either a **Subject** or a **Predicate**. It does not express a complete thought!
BROKEN (Fragment)
...walked on the scaffolding.
Who walked? Missing the Subject!
REPAIRED (Complete)
Two architects walked on the scaffolding.
Perfect! We added a Subject to build a solid base!
Inspect your work before building!
Foundation Blocks Worksheet Day 1: Sentence Foundation
FOUNDATION BLOCKS
NAME:
DATE:
A complete sentence needs two essential blocks: 1. The Subject (who or what the sentence is about) and 2. The Predicate (what the subject does or is). If one is missing, it is a fragment (broken sentence).
PART 1 Underline the Blocks
Read each complete sentence below. Underline the Subject with ONE line. Underline the Predicate with TWO lines.
A.
The energetic little puppy chased the yellow tennis ball.
B.
Our brilliant teacher wrote the paragraph blueprint on the whiteboard.
C.
A giant orange crane lifted the heavy metal beam into the air.
PART 2 Fragment Repair Shop
These foundations are broken! Add the missing subject or predicate to build a complete sentence.
Broken: "...screeched to a halt at the stop sign." MISSING SUBJECT
Repair: Write your complete sentence here...
Broken: "The busy crew of construction workers..." MISSING PREDICATE
Repair: Write your complete sentence here...
Tear off here for Exit Ticket
DAILY INSPECTION
Day 1 Exit Ticket: Foundation Check
NAME:
Read this sentence: "The architect built a cool cardboard model."
1. What is the SUBJECT?
2. What is the PREDICATE?
3. Is this a complete sentence or a fragment? Circle one:
COMPLETE SENTENCE FRAGMENT
Blueprint Topic Slides DAY 2 THE BLUEPRINT TOPIC
PARAGRAPH ARCHITECTS
THE BLUEPRINT SENTENCE
Before builders start stacking bricks, they look at a **blueprint**. A **topic sentence** is a paragraph's blueprint. It tells the reader exactly what you're going to build!
Mission: Master topic sentences for facts (informational) and feelings (opinion)!
BLUEPRINTS CHOOSE YOUR STYLE
Blueprint Day 2
Informational Style
Teaches the reader **real facts** or information about a topic. No personal feelings here!
Blueprint: Honeybees are amazing insects that help flowers grow.
Opinion Style
States your **personal opinion** or feeling. It tells what you think is best!
Blueprint: In my opinion, honeybees are the most interesting bugs in the garden.
Quick Check: Which one is giving facts, and which is telling feelings?
Facts vs. Feelings!
ACTIVE PRACTICE SPOT THE BLUEPRINT
Blueprint Day 2
INSPECT THE DETAILS
Building Details:
- Details: 1. Goldfish are quiet and don't need daily walks.
BLUEPRINT A Informational Choice
"Goldfish are popular aquatic pets that require simple care."
BLUEPRINT B Opinion Choice
"Without a doubt, goldfish are the absolute best pets to own."
Both are solid blueprints! Let's choose ours!
Blueprint Topic Worksheet Day 2: Topic Sentences
THE BLUEPRINT TOPIC
NAME:
DATE:
A Topic Sentence is the blueprint for your paragraph! It tells the reader what you're writing about. Use Informational Style to share facts, or Opinion Style to share your feelings or what you think.
PART 1 Blueprint Sorter
Read each topic sentence. Circle whether it is an Informational (Facts) or Opinion (Feelings) blueprint.
1. Cats are the most wonderful and cuddly pets in the whole world.
INFO (FACTS) OPINION (FEELINGS)
2. Polar bears have thick layers of blubber to stay warm in the Arctic.
INFO (FACTS) OPINION (FEELINGS)
PART 2 Blueprint Draft Cabin
Imagine you are writing a paragraph about Saturdays . Draft both styles of blueprints!
Draft 1: Informational Blueprint (Write a FACT about Saturdays)
Draft: Saturdays are...
Draft 2: Opinion Blueprint (Write your FEELING about Saturdays)
Draft: In my opinion, Saturdays...
Tear off here for Exit Ticket
DAILY INSPECTION
Day 2 Exit Ticket: Topic Sentence Check
NAME:
INSPECT THESE DETAILS:
1. Dogs are extremely loyal and play games with their owners.
Which is the best TOPIC SENTENCE blueprint for these details? (Check one)
Dogs are known for being wonderful companions and very helpful pets. Some wild dogs hunt in groups called packs to survive.
Supporting Walls Slides DAY 3 SUPPORTING WALLS
PARAGRAPH ARCHITECTS
BUILDING THE WALLS
A blueprint isn't enough! Now we must stack the bricks. **Detail sentences** act as the supporting walls that keep our paragraph house standing tall and strong.
Mission: Support our blueprints with strong facts (informational) or reasons (opinion)!
WALL MATERIALS FACTS VS REASONS
Blueprint Day 3
Facts & Definitions
For **Informational** writing. Use real-world facts, details, or definitions that can be proven true!
Brick Fact: Rain forest trees grow thick leaves that block sunlight.
Reasons & Examples
For **Opinion** writing. Use your own reasons or share personal examples to show *why* you think that way.
Brick Reason: I think books are awesome because they transport us to magic places.
Can you tell the difference? "Cheetahs can run up to 70 miles per hour."
FACT Brick!
ACTIVE PRACTICE SORT THE WALL BLOCKS
Blueprint Day 3
Where does each block belong?
FACT WALL (Proven True)
"Apples contain Vitamin C, which is super healthy for our bodies."
REASON WALL (Feelings / Beliefs)
"I believe apples are the most delicious snack to eat after school."
Every wall needs 3 solid blocks of support!
Supporting Walls Worksheet Day 3: Detail Sentences
SUPPORTING WALLS
NAME:
DATE:
Your paragraph needs Supporting Walls (details) to stay standing! An Informational Wall is made of **Facts** (things that are always true). An Opinion Wall is made of **Reasons & Examples** (why you think or feel a certain way).
PART 1 Brick Inspection
Read each brick sentence. Write F (Fact) or R (Reason) on the line.
1. Blue whales are the largest animals on the planet, growing up to 100 feet long.
2. Playing soccer is the absolute most fun activity you can do on a hot summer day.
3. Broccoli is filled with vitamins and fiber that help support a healthy stomach.
PART 2 Build the Wall!
Read the blueprints below and write **ONE** detail sentence to support each one.
Informational: "Exercising every day is great for your body."
Write a FACT detail sentence: One way to exercise is... / It helps because...
Opinion: "In my opinion, pizza is the best school lunch."
Write a REASON detail sentence: Pizza is best because... / For example, the cheese...
Tear off here for Exit Ticket
DAILY INSPECTION
Day 3 Exit Ticket: Detail Block Check
NAME:
Write ONE Fact-based details brick about your school:
Write ONE Reason-based details brick about your school:
Roof Finish Slides DAY 4 THE ROOF FINISH
PARAGRAPH ARCHITECTS
THE CONCLUDING ROOF
A house with strong foundations and solid walls still needs a **roof**! A **concluding sentence** wraps up your paragraph and keeps your ideas safe.
Mission: Restate the blueprint in a fresh way to complete the building!
ROOF DESIGNS SUMMARY VS FINAL FEELING
Blueprint Day 4
Informational Roof
**Restate & Summarize.** Remind the reader of your main idea using different words. Keep it fact-based!
Roof Finish: Clearly, honeybees are crucial helpers in our nature systems.
Opinion Roof
**Final Big Feeling.** Restate your strong opinion and leave the reader with a fun final thought or recommendation!
Roof Finish: If you want an amazing garden pet, you should definitely get a bee!
Golden Rule: Never introduce *new* ideas in your roof sentence! Wrap up what you built.
No new bricks!
ACTIVE PRACTICE CHOOSE THE PERFECT ROOF
Blueprint Day 4
THE HOUSE WE BUILT
Blueprint: "Our school library is a wonderful place to find stories."
- Wall 1: It has thousands of adventure and science fiction books.
ROOF A Perfect Wrap-Up
"To sum up, the library is the absolute best resource in our school."
ROOF B Broken Roof
"Also, our playground has a brand new green spiral slide."
Roof B introduces a new topic! Roof A is our winner!
The Roof Finish Worksheet Day 4: Concluding Sentences
THE ROOF FINISH
NAME:
DATE:
The Concluding Sentence is the roof of your paragraph! It wraps up your paragraph and summarizes what you wrote. Rule: Never introduce new ideas in your roof. Keep your ideas safe inside!
PART 1 Roof Inspector
Read the paragraph details. Check the concluding sentence that builds a **safe, complete roof** (no new details!).
BUILDING DETAILS:
Topic Sentence: Playing outside is an active way to spend your afternoon.
Choice A: "To sum up, outdoor playing is a fantastic and healthy hobby." (Safe Roof) Choice B: "Also, you must always wear sunscreen so you do not get burned." (Adds new detail)
PART 2 Install the Roof!
Draft your own concluding sentence to match the topic sentences and details.
Paragraph 1 (Informational)
Topic: Apples are high-nutrient snacks. Details: They have fiber and vitamins.
Write an Informational Concluding Roof: In conclusion, apples...
Paragraph 2 (Opinion)
Topic: Video games are the best toys. Details: They are fun and let you play with friends.
Write an Opinion Concluding Roof: Without a doubt, video games...
Tear off here for Exit Ticket
DAILY INSPECTION
Day 4 Exit Ticket: Roof Install Check
NAME:
Write a concluding sentence for this paragraph:
Topic: Sharks are very important sea creatures. Details: They keep the ocean clean and hunt sick fish.
Draft your concluding sentence here:
Final Inspection Slides DAY 5 FINAL INSPECTION
PARAGRAPH ARCHITECTS
PARAGRAPH ASSEMBLY
We have the foundation, the blueprint, the supporting walls, and the roof. Today, we assemble them together and run a **Final Inspection** to make our writing flawless!
Mission: Use transition mortar to bind our paragraph blocks together perfectly!
ASSEMBLY SECRETS TRANSITION MORTAR
Blueprint Day 5
What is Transition Mortar?
In building, **mortar** is the cement paste that holds bricks together. In writing, **transition words** are our mortar. They connect our sentences smoothly so our paragraph flows!
TO START WALLS:
First, / To begin,
TO BUILD WALLS:
Next, / Also,
FOR THE ROOF:
In conclusion, / To sum up,
Golden Rule: Always place a **comma (,)** after your transition mortar words!
Watch your punctuation!
SAFETY PROTOCOL INSPECTION CHECKLIST
Blueprint Day 5
Paragraph Quality Check
Before you hand in your blueprints, you must run through the **safety checks** to ensure a sturdy paragraph house!
"A solid paragraph is built with care, brick by brick!"
1. Blueprint Topic Sentence (Day 2)
2. Three Supporting Walls details (Day 3)
3. A Safe Concluding Roof (Day 4)
4. Transition Mortar (Day 5)
Inspect your partner's writing next!
The Final Inspection Worksheet Day 5: Paragraph Assembly
FINAL INSPECTION
NAME:
DATE:
To build a sturdy paragraph, we glue our sentences together with Transition Mortar . Use words like First , Next , and To sum up to make your writing flow perfectly!
PART 1 Apply Mortar
Insert smooth transition words (First, Next, Finally ) to connect this paragraph house.
Having an orange crane at our playground is awesome. 1. __________________, the giant crane lets us lift plastic play blocks onto the slide platform. 2. __________________, we can pretend to be a professional building crew wearing hard hats. 3. __________________, the crane is the absolute coolest playground feature.
PART 2 Assembly Line
Write a cohesive, assembled paragraph below using the sentences provided in chronological order. Add transition words to start your details!
• Topic: Recess is a great time to be active.
• Details: We can run on the field. / We can climb the climbing wall.
• Concluding: Recess helps kids get energy out.
Recess is a great time to be active. _____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Tear off here for Exit Ticket
DAILY INSPECTION
Day 5 Exit Ticket: Inspection Checklist
NAME:
Rate your paragraph assembly skills on a scale of 1-3. Color in the hard hats!
Are your sentences complete?
Did you use transition mortar?
