Writing Effective Body Paragraphs

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Writing Effective Body Paragraphs

• ELA8W1 States a clear perspective, creates an
  organizing structure, develops the topic with
  supporting details

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Warm-up

• Take out your book project and be ready to turn
  it in.
• Open the literature book to pg. 201 and be ready
  to start.

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LEGS Body Paragraph

• Acronym to help you remember how to organize
• L Lead with style
• E Explain and elaborate
• G Give evidence to support
• S Summarize

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Practice Topic Does violence on television
affect young people?

• As we practice writing LEGS paragraph, we will
  use this as our thesis statement
• Violence on television negatively affects our
  generation.

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L Lead with Style

• Strategies for leads with style
• Quote
• Image
• Thought-provoking (rhetorical) question
• Figurative language
• Startling facts/statistics
• Anecdotes

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L Lead with Style

• Strategies for leads with style
• Image Frightened and anxious, the people in the
  elevator wait silently in the dark. Behind them,
  a creepy, disfigured face holds a knife and he
  waits to strike.
• Startling Fact The American Academy of
  Pediatrics states that 75 of children who have
  committed crimes were allowed to watch violent
  shows on television.

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L

• L The American Academy of Pediatrics states that
  75 of children will act out violent acts that
  they see on television.

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E Explain your response

• Make a statement and give evidence to support it
• Avoid using pronouns like it or he use
  specific nouns to explain
• Explain WHY
• Use transitions to move from one idea to another
  (because, after, before, if, until)

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LE

• L The American Academy of Pediatrics states that
  75 of children will act out violent acts that
  they see on television.
• E Some kids like to pretend that they are the
  star of their favorite show and do not realize
  that television is just make-believe. When
  children act out violent parts of the movies,
  they could hurt themselves or others.

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G Give Evidence

• Facts and statistics
• Anecdotes
• Quotes
• Descriptions
• Transition words
• For instance, for example, such as, to
  illustrate, additionally

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LEG

• L The American Academy of Pediatrics states that
  75 of children will act out violent acts that
  they see on television.
• E Some kids like to pretend that they are the
  star of their favorite show and do not realize
  that television is just make-believe. When
  children act out violent parts of the movies,
  they could hurt themselves or others.
• G For example, as my 10 year old neighbor
  watches cars go by, he tries to shoot at them
  with his BB gun, pretending that he is a cop on
  Law and Order. Even though this seems minor, this
  action shows that he is negatively affected by
  what he sees on television.

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S Summarize

• Restate your main idea
• Challenge your readers (call to action)
• Ask a summarizing rhetorical question
• So what? (show the reader why this is
  meaningful/useful)
• Predictions

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LEGS

• L The American Academy of Pediatrics states that
  75 of children will act out violent acts that
  they see on television.
• E Some kids like to pretend that they are the
  star of their favorite show and do not realize
  that television is just make-believe. When
  children act out violent parts of the movies,
  they could hurt themselves or others.
• G For example, as my 10 year old neighbor
  watches cars go by, he tries to shoot at them
  with his BB gun, pretending that he is a cop on
  Law and Order. Even though this seems minor, this
  action shows that he is negatively affected by
  what he sees on television.
• S My neighbor is just one child of millions.
  What would happen if every child who ever saw
  something violent on television tried to act it
  out?

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Assignment

• Celebrities are seen everywherefrom the internet
  to magazines, from TV to Twitter. Some children
  look to these celebrities as role models.
• Write a body paragraph persuading a child that
  they should or should not look to a celebrity as
  a role model.

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Warm-up Thursday, October 6

• Pretend that you are a teenager that does not
  currently have a phone (or, maybe you are ?).
• Write a LEGS paragraph to a parent/guardian
  convincing them that you need the hottest phone
  on the market.