Paragraph Unit
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Lesson 7 Staying on Topic
Tennessee Standard - 6th Grade
Assessed - 6.spi.2.10 - Identify sentences irrelevant to a paragraph's theme or flow.

 

Begin with this oral activity.

 

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     After Myra was unable to make up her mind about who she wanted to marry, Elya decided to leave Latvia. He moved to America where he fell in love and was married. Soon afterwards he began having bad luck, and he felt he was cursed. Walking under a ladder, black cats, and spilling salt are bad luck. Hoping to change his luck he tried to find Madame Zeroni's son, but had no luck. 
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. After Myra was unable to make up her mind on who she wanted to marry, Elya decided to leave Latvia.
    2. He moved to America where he fell in love and was married.
    3. Soon afterwards he began having bad luck, and he felt he was cursed.
    4. Walking under a ladder, black cats, and spilling salt are bad luck.
     Elya Yelnats' wife decided to name her son Stanley because she noticed that Yelnats spelled backwards was Stanley. Words that are spelled the same backwards or forwards are known as palindromes. Naming the first son Stanley became a family tradition in the Yelnats family. The Stanley of Camp Green Lake was actually Stanley Yelnets IV.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. Elya Yelnats' wife decided to name her son Stanley because she noticed that Yelnats spelled backwards was Stanley.
    2. Words that are spelled the same backwards or forwards are known as palindromes.
    3. Naming the first son Stanley became a family tradition in the Yelnats family.
    4. The Stanley of Camp Green Lake was actually Stanley Yelnets IV.

 
   The shovel felt heavy in Stanley's soft, fleshy hands. The boys at Camp Green Lake have been told that if they find anything interesting or unusual to report it to Mr. Pendanski or Mr. Sir. The warden promised a day off if she likes what the boys find. While digging his second hole, Stanley finds a fish fossil. When he shows the fossil to Mr. Pendanski, he tells Stanley that the fossil is not the kind of thing the Warden finds interesting. Stanley does not get the day off.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. The shovel felt heavy in Stanley's soft, fleshy hands.
    2. The boys at Camp Green Lake have been told that if they find anything interesting or unusual to report it to Mr. Pendanski or Mr. Sir.
    3. When he shows the fossil to Mr. Pendanski, he tells Stanley that the fossil is not the kind of thing the Warden finds interesting.
    4. Stanley does not get the day off.

 
     Stanley finds a gold tube engraved with the initials "KB". He gives the tube to X-Ray, who decides to wait until the next day to give it to the Warden. Although he is small and cannot see well, X-Ray manages to take charge and have the other boys follow his orders. Once the Warden sees the tube she takes control of the diggers and organizes a new digging routine. Stanley realizes they are searching for something specific, but in the wrong place. Since the campers are now digging in a different place from where the tube was actually found.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. Stanley finds a gold tube engraved with the initials "KB".
    2. He gives the tube to X-Ray, who decides to wait until the next day to give it to the Warden.
    3. Although he is small and cannot see well, X-Ray manages to take charge and have the other boys follow his orders.
    4. Once the Warden sees the tube she takes control of the diggers and organizes a new digging routine.

 
     Stanley was walking home from school when a pair of shoes fell on his head. Stanley takes the shoes because he feels it is a sign. His father is working on a way to recycle old sneakers. Old sneakers can be turned into the spongy sport-court surface for playgrounds. Stanley is arrested for stealing the shoes which had been donated by baseball player Clyde Livingston for a charitable auction. Stanley is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake, a youth correctional facility.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. Stanley was walking home from school when a pair of shoes fell on his head.
    2. Stanley takes the shoes because he feels it is a sign.
    3. His father is working on a way to recycle old sneakers.
    4. Old sneakers can be turned into the spongy sport-court surface for playgrounds.
     When Stanley learns Zero is unable to read, he and Zero come to an agreement. The inability to read is a major problem for many Americans. Zero will help dig Stanley's hole. In return Stanley will give Zero reading lessons. During these lessons they become friends.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. When Stanley learns Zero is unable to read, he and Zero come to an agreement.
    2. The inability to read is a major problem for many Americans.
    3. In return Stanley will give Zero reading lessons.
    4. During these lessons they become friends.
     Sam, the onion peddler, repairs the school's leaky roof in exchange for Katherine's spiced peaches. There are other problems with the schoolhouse which are also repaired by Sam in exchange for peaches. Peaches contain Vitamin C and Beta Carotene. Eventually Sam runs out of things that need to be fixed and is heartbroken.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. Sam, the onion peddler, repairs the school's leaky roof in exchange for Katherine's spiced peaches.
    2. There are other problems with the schoolhouse which are also repaired by Sam in exchange for peaches.
    3. Peaches contain Vitamin C and Beta Carotene.
    4. Eventually Sam runs out of things that need to be fixed and is heartbroken.
       In Holes three stories from different times in history are combined. As we read we learn of all three stories while Stanley and Zero only know the small bits and pieces that have been passed down to them. Both boys are surprised that they know the same song, yet they do not know the song was passed down from their ancestors living in the same town in Latvia. Latvia is a small country in eastern Europe. The boys could have been aided further if they had known Kate and Sam's story.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. In Holes three stories from different times in history are combined.
    2. As we read we learn of all three stories while Stanley and Zero only know the small bits and pieces that have been passed down to them.
    3. Latvia is a small country in eastern Europe.
    4. The boys could have been aided further if they had known Kate and Sam's story.

 
      Louis Sachar establishes links between the past and the present. Kate turns violent when the people of Green Lake kill Sam. When Mr. Pendanski repeatedly taunts Zero, he becomes violent. Camp Green Lake is dry, hard, and hot. It is a physically unpleasant place to be and the people who live there lead unpleasant lives. After learning that Sam uses onions to heal Becca Tennyson, we find that Stanley is also using onions to heal Zero. We know the yellow spotted lizard killed Kate Barlow. Will lizards also be the end of Stanley or Zero?
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. Kate turns violent when the people of Green Lake kill Sam.
    2. When Mr. Pendanski repeatedly taunts Zero, he becomes violent.
    3. Camp Green Lake is dry, hard, and hot.
    4. After learning that Sam uses onions to heal Becca Tennyson, we find that Stanley is also using onions to heal Zero.
    The past and the present come together in an interesting way in Holes. When Stanley and Zero reach God's thumb the reader recognizes that this is Sam's onion patch where Sam claimed water ran uphill. It is at this point in the story that we realize a parallel between Stanley and Zero's lives and that of Elya Yelnats and Madame Zeroni. Elya promised to carry Madame Zeroni up a mountain to a place where a stream ran uphill and sing to her about the wolf and the woodpecker. Stanley, unlike his great-great grandfather, does just that with Zero. Stanley takes care of Zero and sings to him. The song tells about a wolf who is hungry and lonely howling at the moon. By doing this Stanley shows great commitment and determination.
  1. Which sentence does not belong in the paragraph?
    1. The past and the present come together in an interesting way in Holes.
    2. It is at this point in the story that we realize a parallel between Stanley and Zero's lives and that of Elya Yelnats and Madame Zeroni.
    3. Stanley, unlike his great-great grandfather, does just that with Zero.
    4. The song tells about a wolf who is hungry and lonely howling at the moon.

Practice

Using the outline you created in Lesson 2, and the topic sentences written in Lesson 4 continue writing your paragraphs by adding detail sentences. Use the graphic organizer provided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graphic Organizer - Hamburger Model
 Graphic Organizer

 

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Answer Key

  1. d

  2. b

  3. a

  4. c

  5. d

  6. b

  7. c

  8. c

  9. c

  10. d

 

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