Topic Sentences and Content Points Writing Communication / Social Skills
At a Glance Students will: ü write an outline (paragraph or essay) ü predict, edit and revise content ü discuss predictions and possible revisions		Purpose: to focus attention on the value of clear and tight topic sentences; thesis statements. Materials: Large and small slips of coloured paper Preparation: 10 minutes (to cut up coloured paper) Time: 60 – 90 minutes (or more, depending on sentence writing skills)
Teacher’s Notes	Procedure: (To follow Writers’ Workshop – Lesson 1 – The Outline) Ideally, this peer review activity should be (a) part of the essay writing process. It can also be used on: (b) a sample essay or short story (c) the most recent class assignment 1. Outlining Stage – Whether using this activity for (a), (b) or (c) above: Each paragraph must include a full topic sentence, and individual "content" points in simple sentence form. (Use the “Outline Questionnaire” from Writers’ Workshop – Lesson 1). Check sentence construction. 2. Topic Sentence Slips – Distribute the small slips of paper and instruct students to write the topic sentences from their paragraphs . Each topic sentence should be on a separate slip. Assign code letters to be written on each slip (each student is assigned a letter, each set of slips has a number: A1, A2…). (see example “topic” slip). 3. Content Points - Distribute the larger slips of paper and instruct students to write down the "content points" contained in each paragraph. (one paragraph per slip) They should note their code letter (and a number if required) on these slips too. (see example "paragraph content" slip.) 4. Exchange Slips - Gather in and shuffle topic sentences. Gather in and shuffle the information point slips. Hand out the topic sentence slips (at random). Ask students to check that they have not been given the same topic sentence slip. 5. Predict - Ask the students to look at the topic sentence on a slip, and think about what they expect to find in the paragraph it introduces. This is best done by having students discuss each sentence in pairs or threes. When they have made their predictions, students either ask you for the matching content slip for that topic sentence, or pick it up themselves from a desk or table. 6. Check Predictions - Instruct students to consider how well or otherwise the paragraph's content matches the expectations generated by the topic sentence, and edit the topic sentence and/or content as they see fit. 7. Review and revise - Look at a few slips with the whole class (If you do plan to do this, you can save time by giving out slips of OHP acetate rather than paper.) or, alternatively, have slips returned directly to their authors.

Writing Topic Sentences and Content Points Communication / Social Skills
Teacher’s Notes	Lesson Extension 1. Sentence construction –see Other Resources: Common ESL Errors and CLBA Guide to Assessing Writing 2. Assign each student a code letter to identify his or her written material. If anonymity is important, the identifying letters can be handed out in random order. If students are transferring topic sentences from several paragraphs, each slip should also carry an identifying number Example “topic” slip: A1 Even in developed countries, however, there are various reasons why many children grow up in conditions of severe deprivation. 3. Using different coloured paper helps keep the two types of slips separate Example "paragraph content" slip A1 The family may be a single-parent family. One or both parents may be unemployed. Parents may be dependent on alcohol or other drugs. The parents may have grown up in deprivation themselves, and so they think it is quite normal. 5. Group discussion skills: see Teaching Conversational Skills: Tips and Strategies. 6. Peer editing - Feedback from peers can be useful, if not always comfortable. However, you should not expect everyone to be happy with the way others revise his or her topic sentences or paragraph content--their "improvements" can occasionally be nothing of the sort! See Oral Presentation Feedback Form from Presentation Lesson, Communication and Social Skills Section. Follow-up / Transfer Activities: 1. Instruct students on using www.paragraphpunch.com , a program on the internet designed to guide users through the steps of writing a paragraph. 2. Instruct students on how to use a metacognitive journal to record thoughts and feelings; and to analyze the processes experienced. (see Metacognition) Adapted from an article originally published in The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. II, No. 3, March 1996. http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Gibson-PeerReview.html Adapted with permission.	Additional Resources See Presentation Lesson in Communication & Social Skills Section.