Introducing a Topic in Paragraphs and Sections

"Ernie? What was THAT?" "Oh that? Just a little earthquake, nothing to be worried about." "How can you be so sure?" "Because of this!" "You just happen to have written an article on earthquakes?!" Let's see how Ernie organized his informative text by learning about... Introducing a Topic in Paragraphs and Sections. When writing an informational text, the primary purpose is to share information with the reader about a topic. Informational texts are organized into paragraphs... starting with an introduction followed by body paragraphs... and ending with a conclusion. Each paragraph starts with a TOPIC SENTENCE. A topic sentence tells the reader the most important information or main idea of your paragraph. And it needs to be interesting so the reader wants to know more. Let's look at each paragraph of Ernie's text a little more closely, starting with the introduction. Earthquakes are a sudden, sometimes violent, shaking of the earth. Earthquakes actually happen all the time. The way an earthquake feels depends on where you are, where the earthquake is, and how big the earthquake is. Even if you've never felt an earthquake, it's always a good idea to be prepared. Here, Ernie states the main topic of his writing, earthquakes, using adjectives to grab the readers attention. The following sentences describe the SUBTOPICS of the body paragraphs. These let the reader know what they will learn about the topic. Let's look at his first subtopic: The National Earthquake Information Center detects about twenty thousand earthquakes per year. That's fifty-five per day! Although that is a large number, we don't feel all of them because some are too little or they occur deep beneath the earth's surface. Here, Ernie starts his body paragraph with statistics about the number of earthquakes per year, which makes a STRONG topic sentence. Then he gives more supporting facts and details. Notice that his details are STILL focused on the main topic: earthquakes. The next subtopic says: During an earthquake, you may feel an intense shaking or just a small tremble. That's because if you're closer to an earthquake, you're going to feel it more strongly. If you are further away, you might hardly feel anything. Also, a bigger earthquake will be felt further away than a smaller earthquake. What is Ernie's topic sentence? (...) THIS is Ernie's topic sentence(...)... which is followed by supporting details. Do all of the details support his topic sentence? (...) Yes, each detail gives more information on what you might feel during an earthquake. Here's the third subtopic: Knowing what to do during an earthquake can help keep you safe. If you're indoors, drop to the ground, take cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on until the shaking stops. If you're outside, go to an open area away from buildings and trees and stay low until the shaking stops. Following these tips will help keep you safe during an earthquake. What is Ernie's topic sentence? (...) Ernie started his body paragraph with THIS topic sentence(...)... and then followed it with supporting details. Write one supporting detail Ernie used in the comment section below this video! Now, let's look at the last paragraph: the CONCLUSION. An earthquake is the shaking and rumbling of the earth's surface. These occur constantly around the world. The size, location, and where you are in relation to the earthquake will affect how it feels to you. Knowing what to do during an earthquake can help keep you safe if you ever experience one. Conclusion paragraphs start with the topic sentence, just like the introduction and body paragraphs. The following sentences restate the subtopics and summarize the ideas of the body paragraphs. This gives the reader a sense of closure. Before we check in with Ernie and Jane, let's summarize. Remember, (...) an informational text shares information with the reader about a topic... beginning with an introduction... followed by body paragraphs that give details about the subtopics... and ending with a conclusion. Each paragraph starts with a TOPIC SENTENCE which states the most important information . And it needs to be interesting so the reader wants to know more. "Jane what are you doing?" "Preparing for the next earthquake!"