“Going from the general to the SPECIFIC.”
STEP ONE: the BIG IDEA
Sentence one:
 Write a statement that
express the BIG IDEA.
 The farm is a great
place to be because my
family is there.
STEP TWO: Get a little more
specific
 You stated your BIG IDEA,
right?
 NOW, you want to say
something a little more
specific about your first
sentence/idea.
 During the summer
days spent on the farm,
you can see as many as
eight aunts and uncles
and twenty cousins.
We don’t have enough
places at the dinner
table for them!
STEP THREE: Say just a bit more
about your specifics.
Keep your EXAMPLE
hidden until the next
sentence!
 With such a big family,
there is always
something fun going
on.
STEP FOUR: Big Example!!!
Show what you mean:
 Last summer we decided to
have our own family
Olympics. I won the swim
race, my aunt won the tennis
tournament, and when all the
events were over, we had a
barbecue to celebrate.
This is your knockout punch!
FINAL STEP: Wrap It Up
 End your paragraph while
focusing on the big idea:
 The relationships and
fellowship that my
family always shares on
the farm always has me
looking forward to our
next visit.
Let’s try another one!!
STEP ONE: Big Idea
 Once
again – write
a statement that
expresses a BIG
idea.
 One
of my
passions while
on the farm is
spending time
with horses.
STEP TWO: Say a bit more
 In
particular, I
love Bandit, a
beautiful
chestnut.
STEP THREE: Say just a bit more
 She
is the horse I
love to groom and
feed.
POW! Step Four!
Brief story!
I usually give Bandit a quick brushing
and a carrot or a sugar cube before
we go for a ride. Sometimes we just
stay in the corral, but other times we
go for a long ride through the woods.
I give Bandit a good grooming
afterwards while we both cool down.
STEP FIVE: Wrap it Up
 Though
there’s so
much warmth to
be had among my
family members
and dear friend
Bandit, it’s nothing
like the campfires
at night!
 The sentence to the
RIGHT should be your
topic sentence . . .
 When the sun sets at
the farm, the entire
family gathers near the
south end of the lake –
it’s time for the camp
fire!