Under Construction:
Building a Paragraph with a Bubble Map
Teaching Activities and Strategies
Under Construction:
Building a Paragraph with a Bubble Map
Teaching Activities and Strategies
Build a Hamburger
Backwards Summary
Students build their own hamburger graphic
organizers to keep in their writing journals.
Students use a completed paragraph to
create a bubble map.
Bulletin Board Hamburger
Paragraph Starter
Students collaborate to create a classroom
hamburger graphic organizer model.
Students write detail and concluding
sentences when given a topic sentence.
Paragraph Jumble
Paragraph Ending
Students unscramble and rewrite a jumbled
paragraph writing sample.
Students write a topic sentence and detail
sentences when given a closing sentence.
Bubble Map Jumble
Paragraph Filling
Students unscramble the parts of a bubble
map to write a paragraph.
Students write a topic and concluding
sentences when given a detail sentence.
Build a Hamburger
Objective
Students will create a hamburger graphic
organizer to keep in their writing journals.
Build a Hamburger
Back
Materials
•
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Copy paper
Crayons or markers
Pencil
Scissors
Tape or glue
Writing tablet
Procedure
• Think about the things you like to eat
on your hamburger.
• Draw your hamburger on a piece of
copy paper. Be sure the hamburger
has a bun and 3 things inside.
• Write the parts of the paragraph on
the parts of the hamburger.
Example: the top bun should be
labeled “topic sentence.”
• Lightly color or outline each part of
the hamburger.
• Cut-out the hamburger and tape (or
glue) it into each writing tablet.
Bulletin Board Hamburger
Topic Sentence
Details
Closing Sentence
Objective
Students will collaborate to create a classroom
hamburger graphic organizer.
Bulletin Board Hamburger
Back
Materials
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Poster board
Markers
Chart or graph
Paragraph parts label
Procedure
• Take a poll: Ask students what
they like to eat on their
hamburger. Chart the results on
graph paper.
• Choose the 3 most popular
responses.
• Draw a classroom model
hamburger on the poster board,
using the 3 most popular
hamburger-filling responses.
• Label the hamburger model with
the parts of the paragraph.
Paragraph Jumble
Objective
Students will identify the parts of a paragraph and
arrange the parts in the best order.
Paragraph Jumble
Back
Materials
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Paragraph pieces
Hamburger organizer
Writing paper
Pencil
Prep
Find a quality paragraph
example. Print enough
copies for all students.
Cut-up the pieces of the
paragraph.
Procedure
• Provide each student with a set of
paragraph pieces.
• Ask students to find their hamburger
organizer (or refer to classroom
model).
• Remind students of the parts of the
paragraph.
• Ask students to arrange the
paragraph pieces in the best order
following the model – topic
sentence, details, closing.
• Ask students to re-write the
paragraph on writing paper, using
correct capitalization, indentation,
and punctuation.
Taking the Paragraph Apart
Back
The elephants are gray and have
big ears.
Tigers and elephants are two
animals I saw at the zoo.
The tigers are orange with black
stripes.
I saw a lot of animals at the zoo,
but tigers and elephants are my
favorite.
What is the topic sentence?
What is the first detail?
What is the second detail?
What is the closing sentence?
Paragraph Starter
Objective
Students will complete a
paragraph when provided a
topic sentence.
Paragraph Starter
Back
Materials
• Topic sentence
• Hamburger organizer
• Pencil
Procedure
• Ask students to identify the
topic and ideas in the topic
sentence.
• Allow students to brainstorm
details and a conclusion to
Prep
complete the paragraph.
Write a topic sentence at
• Ask students to write 3 detail
the top of a hamburger
sentences and a closing
organizer worksheet. Print
sentence on the graphic
enough copies for each
organizer.
student.
Paragraph Starter Example
Back
Tigers and elephants are two
Topic
Sentence
animals I saw at the zoo.
1st Detail Sentence
2nd Detail Sentence
Closing Sentence
Paragraph Ending
Objective
Students will complete a
paragraph when provided a
closing sentence.
Paragraph Closing
Back
Materials
• Closing sentence
• Hamburger organizer
• Pencil
Prep
Write a closing sentence
at the bottom of a
hamburger organizer
worksheet. Print enough
copies for each student.
Procedure
• Ask students to identify the key
words in the closing sentence.
• Allow students to brainstorm a
topic sentence and a details to
complete the paragraph.
• Ask students to write a topic
sentence and 3 detail
sentences on the graphic
organizer.
Paragraph Ending Example
Back
Topic Sentence
1st Detail Sentence
2nd Detail Sentence
I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers
and elephants were my favorite.
Paragraph Filling
Objective
Students will complete a
paragraph when provided
detail sentences.
Paragraph Filling
Back
Materials
• Detail sentences
• Hamburger organizer
• Pencil
Procedure
• Ask students to identify the
ideas in the detail sentences.
• Allow students to brainstorm a
topic sentence and a closing
sentence to complete the
Prep
paragraph.
Write 3 detail sentences
• Ask students to write a topic
on a hamburger organizer
sentence and closing sentence
worksheet. Print enough
on the graphic organizer.
copies for each student.
Paragraph Filling Example
Back
Topic Sentence
The tigers
orangeSentence
with black stripes.
1stare
Detail
The elephants
are gray
with big ears.
2nd Detail
Sentence
I saw a lot of animals at the zoo, but tigers
Closing
Sentence
and elephants were my favorite.
Bubble Map Jumble
Objective
Students will unscramble the parts of a bubble
map to write a paragraph.
Bubble Map Jumble
Back
Materials
• Blank bubble map
• Blank copy paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pencil and crayons
Procedure
• Ask students to complete the bubble
map worksheet.
• As students finish, check their
progress to make sure that they have
completed a quality bubble map.
• Instruct students to cut their bubble
maps apart and mix the pieces
together.
• Allow students to trade bubble maps.
• Partners unscramble the bubble maps
and arrange the pieces on the blank
copy paper, glue the pieces in place,
and connect the bubbles with lines.
Backwards Summary
Objective
Students will use a completed paragraph to
create a bubble map.
Backwards Summary
Back
Procedure
• Read the completed paragraph with
• Completed paragraph
the class.
• Ask students to point-out the topic
• Hamburger organizer
sentence, detail sentences, and
• Bubble map worksheet
closing sentence.
or blank paper
• Allow students to work with a
• Crayons and pencil
partner or individually to find the
topic, ideas, and details in the
paragraph. Students can use crayons
Prep
to underline and color code the 3
Find a quality completed
parts of the paragraph.
paragraph. Make copies
• Instruct students to fill in the bubble
map with the topic, ideas, and
for each student.
details that they found in the
paragraph.
Materials