Using flow charts, concepts, story grammar/map, story in action, story pyramid to help write an organised paragraph to primary students (grades 3-5)

1. Strategies to Teach
Paragraph Writing
to
Primary Students
Handbook 3
Kavita Grover

2. 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 2

3. 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 sky’s 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 3

4. 1) This poem tells you about a little boy’s 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 4

5. Zz
Now write a paragraph on ‘Foreign lands’.
3) Now write a paragraph on ‘Foreign Lands’.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Kavita Grover Page 5

6. 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 6

7. Worksheet 3
Describe the water cycle.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Kavita Grover Page 7

8. Worksheet 5
1) Study the concept map and answer the given questions.
a) What was Birbal’s real name?
b) Why was Birbal made a minister in Akbar’s court ?
2) Write a short paragraph on Raja Birbal.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Kavita Grover Page 8

9. Worksheet 5
STORY GRAMMAR
The Tree Goddess
Complete the story-map with appropriate words given in brackets.
1) Setting:
2) Beginning:
3) Happenings or events leading to the end: Middle
End:
Kavita Grover Page 9
Characters (who): ____________________________________________
Place (where): _______________________________________________
Time (when): ________________________________________________
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)
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, felled, warn, _________ )
The ____________ King changes his mind and the _________ deodar tree is spared.
(lofty, astonished)

10. 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.
Kavita Grover Page 10
General Story Map
Setting: When
Where
Characters:
Beginning:
Middle/Main events:
Conclusion:

11. 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 character’s 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 11

12. 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 farmer’s was reluctant but agreed when the farmer assured
her that it would grow up to be a pet for their son.
One day, the farmer’s 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 don’t 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 12

13. Story in Action
Kavita Grover Page 13
A farmer
lived with…….
in ……
--
……… to
earn…..
………….
--
while coming……
………………….
bushes.
--
A ………………..
……………who…
…………………..
--
……………………
…….
…………………
--
was ………… but
then……..
……………….
--
farmer’s wife
……
…………..
--
grocery …………
………………….
--
to………………
………………..
--
black …………..
…………………
-- ……………………
………………
--
saw the …………
………………….
………................
--
blood………………
…………………………
………
--
struck …..
………….
………….
--
She found ………
………………….
………………….
--
lay……………...........
.................
…………….......
--
she realized …….
…………………..
………………….
--
…………………
………………..
…………………..
--
grew
inside the
house
she
he had
When she
returned
he ran
Farmer sawtold her
husband
to
One
day wife
decided to
They
found
one
evening
but
below
the cot

14. 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 14