Ask the students to identify the ingredients in a hamburger. Inform them that a paragraph is like a hamburger, because the top and the bottom hold the middle together. Explain that the "top bun" is the topic sentence, which tells the reader what the paragraph is going to say. Ask them to match paragraphs with the correct topic sentence from a list.
Explain to your students that they can learn to write by following a process consisting of prewriting, writing and editing. Assign a topic they can easily answer, such as items in the home, family members or the school day. Ask them to reflect on the topic with questions such as, "What is the most important thing to focus on?" and "What are the relevant facts?" Show them how to write down and organize their ideas. Review what they have written and offer suggestions for improvement.
Ask your students to brainstorm a list consisting of material wishes, things they hope will happen and places they want to visit. Have them write a five-sentence paragraph using items from the list. The first sentence should begin with a reference to the three things, the second with an -ing verb, the third with an infinitive, the fourth with a prepositional phrase and the fifth with a word such as "hopefully," "finally" or "surely." The goal is to teach your students to use variety in writing sentences.
Teach your students about different kinds of paragraphs. These include paragraphs whose intent is to define a concept, to describe (a place, person or event), to compare and contrast two or more things, to present the reader with a choice, to explain a set of facts or to evaluate an argument. Present examples and have them identity which kind of paragraph the example represents. Assign exercises to write topic sentences from each of the different types.