Strategies to Teach

Paragraph Writing
to
Primary Students

Handbook 3

Kavita Grover

Kavita Grover Page 0

As a part of my research in classroom intervention to accelerate students
learning the given worksheets are a compilation of worksheets and strategies to
teach students from grades 3-5 to write an organised paragraph. I have
presented my research work in three parts.

Handbook 1: What is a paragraph and parts of a paragraph

Handbook 2: Types of paragraphs

Handbook 3: Using graphic organisers to teach paragraph writing

Kavita Grover Page 1

 Worksheet 1

Foreign Lands

Up into the cherry tree

Who should climb but little me?
I held the trunk with both my hands
And looked abroad on forging lands.
I saw the next-door garden lie,
Adorned with flowers before my eyes,
And many pleasant places more
That I had never seen before.
I saw the dimpling river pass
And be the skys blue looking glass:
The dusty roads go up and down
With people tramping into town.
If I could find a higher tree,
Farther and farther I could see
To where the grown-up river slips
Into the sea among the ships.
To where the roads on either hand
Lead onwards into fairy land.
Where all the children dine at five
And all the playthings come alive.

Kavita Grover Page 2

1) This poem tells you about a little boys wish to see foreign lands. Now
answer the questions given below.

a) From where did the poet see the foreign lands?

_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
b) What did the poet see next door?
_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
c) How does the poet describe the river?

d) Why was he looking for a higher tree?

_____________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
e) According to the poet what happens in the fairy land?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
2) Rearrange the sentences in the correct order/sequence. Write them in the
flow chart.
a) If the poet could climb a higher tree he would see the river slip into the
sea.
b) He could see the children dine at five and all the playthings come alive.
c) The poet saw the dusky roads go up and down.
d) The poet saw the next-door garden decorated with flowers.
e) The roads on either hand led to the fairy land.
f) The poet wanted to climb a cherry tree.
g) The poet held the trunk of the cheery tree with both his hands.

Kavita Grover Page 3

 Zz

Now write a paragraph on Foreign lands.

3) Now write a paragraph on Foreign Lands.

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Kavita Grover Page 4

 Worksheet 2

1) With the help of the concept map write a paragraph on Nests describing
the types of nests made by different animals.

Your paragraph should have the following: (a) Main idea, (b) Topic
sentence (c) Supporting sentences (d) Concluding sentences.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Kavita Grover Page 5

 Worksheet 3

Describe the water cycle.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Kavita Grover Page 6

 Worksheet 5

1) Study the concept map and answer the given questions.

a) What was Birbals real name?

b) Why was Birbal made a minister in Akbars court ?

2) Write a short paragraph on Raja Birbal.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Kavita Grover Page 7

 Worksheet 5

STORY GRAMMAR

The Tree Goddess

Complete the story-map with appropriate words given in brackets.

1) Setting:
Characters (who): ____________________________________________

Place (where): _______________________________________________

Time (when): ________________________________________________

2) Beginning:
Problem:

1. The king wants to build the most _____________ place supported on one ____________
made from the _____________ of the tallest tree growing in his kingdom.
(trunk, magnificent, column, deodar)

3) Happenings or events leading to the end: Middle

1) The King sends the _________ and his ___________ to find the tallest deodar tree in the
kingdom.
2) They find the most magnificent ________ not far from the city.
3) The tree is ____________ by the people because a Tree Goddess lives in it.
4) The Prime Minister and his people pray and __________ the Tree Goddess that she must leave
her _______.
5) She understands their message and appears to the King in his _______.
6) She _________ to the King to spare the three.
7) When the king refuses her ________ , she requests to be ______in three strokes.
8) The King wants to know the reason of her __________ request.
9) She says that her children grow around her and her heavy weight would ________ all of them.
If she was to be cut in three parts some of them would be ______.
( tree, Prime Minister, worshipped, dream, abode, plea, pleads, spared, men,
End:
The ____________ King changes his mind and the _________ deodar tree is spared.

(lofty, astonished)

Kavita Grover Page 8

 Worksheet 6

Objective: Picture comprehension

Skill: Synthesis of a story using visual prompts.
1) The pictures below have got mixed up. Put them in the correct order and
write a story. Take the help of the story map to write your story.

General Story Map

Setting: When

Where

Characters:

Beginning:

Middle/Main events:

Conclusion:

Kavita Grover Page 9

 Worksheet 7

Build a story pyramid

After you have read a story, you can build a story pyramid. The numbered
directions below tell you how to fill in each level of the pyramid.

1. ___________
2. _________________
3. _____________________
4. _________________________
5. ____________________________
6. __________________________________
7. __________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________

Write a short story about a squirrel.

a) Name the main character
b) 2 words: describe the main character
c) 3 words: describe the setting
d) 4 words: describe the main characters goal or setting
e) 5 words: describe an important event
f) 6 words: describe the conclusion
g) 7 words : describe your favourite part
h) 8 words: what would you tell others about the story?

Kavita Grover Page 10

 Worksheet 8

Story in Action

The Loyal Mongoose

Once there was a farmer who lived with his wife and their little son at the
end of a village. They owned a big field on which they grew seasonal
vegetables. From time to time, they went to the town and sold these
vegetables to earn their living. They always took their son along as there
was no one to care for him while they were away.

One evening, when they were walking back from the field, they heard a
whining sound from the bushes. When they looked in they found a baby
mongoose who was hurt in one foot. They decided to carry it home and
tend it. The farmers was reluctant but agreed when the farmer assured
her that it would grow up to be a pet for their son.

One day, the farmers wife went to the market to buy groceries for the
house. While, leaving, she told her husband to keep an eye on the baby,
who was fast asleep. She was still not confident leaving the baby with the
mongoose.

Please dont be afraid, said the farmer. Our pet is as sweet and loving as
our baby.

As he sat on the veranda cleaning his ploughing implements he saw black

smoke coming from behind a tree. He dropped everything and ran out to
the field to see what had happened.

The farmer wife soon returned with a bag of groceries. She found the
mongoose sitting on the doorstep. He had blood smeared on his mouth
and paws. Searching frantically for her husband, she ran in screaming
Blood! and struck the mongoose with all her strength with a heavy bag.
Inside, she found the baby fast asleep. But on the ground below the cot,
lay a long, black snake, torn and bleeding.

Immediately she realised her mistake and ran out to the mongoose. She
touched the mongoose tenderly and cried, You killed the snake and
saved my child. But the mongoose did not move. He was dead. With
tears in her eyes she looked at the mongoose.

Kavita Grover Page 11

 Story in Action

one
grew evening
lived with. to while
A farmer
earn.. coming
in
. .
They
bushes.
One decided found
farmers day wife to
was
wife A ..
but .
.. then.. who

--
.
to ..
--
told her Farmer saw
grocery to --
black ..
husband
. ..

-- -- -- he ran
he had
-- When she
struck she
-- blood returned --
.. saw the

--
. .

inside the
. ................
house
below
She found lay... she realized
the cot --
....................... .
.. --
-- ..
.
-- ....... but
.
.

-- ..
-- --
..

Kavita Grover Page 12

--
1) Answer the following briefly.

A. Why did the famer and his wife go to the town from time to time?
B. Why did the farmer decide to carry the hurt baby mongoose home?
C. What lesson do you learn from the story?
D. Who do you like more the farmer or his wife and why?

2) Rewrite the story in our own words.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Kavita Grover Page 13