This Lesson's Title:

Powerful First Paragraphs

Can three random nouns launch a powerful story idea?

This lesson idea was first proposed by Northern Nevada Writing Project TC Cindy Reynolds.

It is also featured in the NNWP's Going Deep with 6 Trait Language Workbook.

The ideal "mentor text" that can be used when teaching this on-line lesson is the picture book Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure by Robert De San Souci. Before writing, students should listen to and discuss the writing style of this book's author.

Click here to view this book at Amazon.com.

If you are a Washoe County teacher, click here to search for this book at the county library.

Three-Sentence Overview of this Lesson:

Opening paragraphs can be the roadmap of a story. In this lesson, students will read an engaging and well-crafted paragraph from Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure, which draws the reader in. They will use the style of the author to create their own opening paragraph as the basis for a story they would like to write by playing the serendipitous (random) noun game below. Teachers: Click here to see the entire lesson plan.

6-Trait Overview for this Lesson:

The focus trait in this writing assignment is organization; the writer's goal is to write an introductory paragraph that would make any reader want to read more.  The support trait in this assignment is idea development; strong details and a unique story idea should be encouraged as students create their drafts.