Helping Your Child Write a Whopper Paragraph
What You Should Know:
This isn’t a “new” way to write. It is a standard eight sentence paragraph with a topic
sentence, three detail sentences, three elaboration sentences, and a conclusion sentence.
The label, Whopper Paragraph, was created to make students aware that they are
expected to write a well written paragraph whenever an essay is required and to create a
common language for all teachers and students to use.
The Basics:
• The first sentence is a topic sentence. This sentence tells what the paragraph is
about (without saying, “This paragraph is about…”!). It should be creative and get
the reader’s attention while helping to form the main idea for the paragraph.
• Next, students write three detail sentences followed by an elaboration sentence
for each (don’t forget the detail sentences should be preceded by a transition
word). The detail sentences are the facts, reasons, or ideas that support the
student’s answer to the essay question. Elaboration sentences should use examples
from the text to support the facts reasons, or ideas in its detail sentence. This is
called the body of the paragraph and is six sentences long.
• Finally, students end with a conclusion sentence. The conclusion sentence should
use wording that restates the topic in different words and ties back to the
question or topic sentence (without saying, “And that’s why ….” or “These are the
reasons why….”.).
Helping to Edit/Revise:
• Check to make sure your student only indented at the beginning of the paragraph.
The student should follow the margins on the left and right side of the paper for
the rest of the paragraph. If using looseleaf paper the holes should be on the left
hand side of the paper.
• Make sure the paragraph has a topic sentence that really shows the main idea for
the paragraph.
• Make sure that every detail sentence is a fact, reason, or idea that answers the
question. Make sure the elaboration sentences really expand on the fact, reason,
or idea and uses the text to support it (it shouldn’t be a new fact).
• Make sure the conclusion wraps up the paragraph.
• Check to see that your child uses his or her best vocabulary (having a dictionary
and thesaurus nearby helps!).
• Make sure that the paragraph is free of spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.
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Whopper Paragraph
Model
Topic Sentence
Transition word + Detail Sentence 1 (fact, reason, or idea that answers the question)
Elaboration Sentence 1 (examples from the text to support the facts reasons, or ideas in
its detail sentence)
Transition word + Detail Sentence 2 (fact, reason, or idea that answers the question)
Elaboration Sentence 2 (examples from the text to support the facts reasons, or ideas in
its detail sentence)
Transition word + Detail Sentence 3 (fact, reason, or idea that answers the question)
Elaboration Sentence 3 (examples from the text to support the facts reasons, or ideas in
its detail sentence)
Conclusion or Clincher Sentence
A Whopper Paragraph will have strong paragraph structure.
First, a paragraph starts with a topic sentence. A topic
sentence needs to respond to the prompt and clearly state the
main idea of the whole paragraph. Second, the body of the
paragraph supports the topic sentence. It gives reasons or
facts that support the main idea, and explains the reasons or
facts in detail using examples from the text when possible.
Third, the paragraph concludes with a clincher sentence that
reminds the reader of the topic. This closing restates the topic
sentence, contains a tie back to the question, and provides a
concluding thought on the topic. In conclusion, using the
Whopper Paragraph model leads to a well written paragraph!
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Transitions
Transition words
also
another
equally important
finally
first
second
third
in addition
next
last
one
then
along with
likewise
secondly
thirdly
additionally
therefore
initially
Transition Sets
First…..Second…..Third…..
First…. .Another…..Next…..
First…..In addition…..Equally important…..
One….. Another…. .Finally…..
One…..Then…..Another…..
First of all…..The next…..Another…..
First of all…..In addition…..Finally…..
First of all…..Second…. .Last…..
The first….. A second…..A third…..
At first…..After…..Lastly…..
One good example….. Another…..Finally…..
At the beginning…..Then…..Following this…..
First of all…..Besides…..In addition…..
To start…..furthermore…..additionally…..lastly…..
In the first place…..After that…..Later on…..At last…..
First…..Along with…..Likewise…..
Initially…..Then…..After that…..Finally…..
To begin…..At the same time…..Finally…..
It started when…..As a result…..Then…..Therefore…..
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Helping Your Child to Write an
OCCASION/POSITION STATEMENT
as a Topic Sentence
An occasion is the first part of the topic sentence. It introduces your reason for
writing. An occasion can be any event, problem, idea, solution or circumstance that
gives you a reason to write.
The position states what you plan to prove or explain in your paragraph.
An occasion/position statement is a complex topic sentence and begins with one of
the following subordinate conjunctions: If…After…Though…When…In order…
that…Although…Before…Because…As…Where…While…Whenever…Even
though…Since…Even if…Even…Until…Unless…So that…Wherever…As long as…As if…
As soon as...
“A WHITE BUS” is a mnemonic to help your child to remember the subordinate
conjunctions used to begin an occasion/position topic sentence:
A
after, although, as
W
H
I
T
E
when, whenever, where, wherever, while
how
if
than
even though, even if
B
U
S
because, before
unless, until
since, so that
O/P EXAMPLES:
•
•
Although my family and I have taken many wonderful vacations, none was more fun and
exciting than our trip to the Grand Canyon.
Even though bike helmets are sometimes unfashionable and uncomfortable, all cyclists
should wear them.
The occasion/position statement should then be followed with appropriate transition words,
detail sentences, elaboration sentences about the detail sentences, and conclusion sentence
which will result in a well-written paragraph.
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