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Classroom Strategies
Paragraph Hamburger
The "paragraph hamburger" is a writing organizer that visually outlines the key components of a paragraph. Topic sentence, detail sentences, and a closing sentence are the main elements of a good paragraph, and each one forms a different "piece" of the hamburger.
Why use a paragraph hamburger organizer?
- It helps students organize their ideas into a cohesive paragraph.
- It helps show the organization or structure of concepts/idea.
- It demonstrates in a concrete way how information is related.
| When to use: | Before reading | During reading | After reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to use: | Individually | With small groups | Whole class setting |
How to use paragraph hamburger
- Discuss the three main components of a paragraph, or story.
- The introduction (top bun)
- The internal or supporting information (the filling)
- The conclusion (bottom bun)
- Ask students to write a topic sentence that clearly indicates what the whole paragraph is going to be about.
- Have students compose several supporting sentences that give more information about the topic.
- Instruct students on ways to write a concluding sentence that restates the topic sentence.
Download blank templates
- Template 1 (78K PDF)*
- Template 2 (158K PDF)*
Examples
This PowerPoint presentation shows each of the pieces of the hamburger. The example provided is about why a teacher loves teaching!
This site walks readers through each step of using the paragraph hamburger writing strategy. Examples and instructions are given for writing topic sentences, supporting ideas, and conclusions of paragraphs.
Children's books to use with this strategy
Are We There Yet?
Picture book
An 8-year old girl and her family tour their county, Australia, as tourists. Not only amusing, but this appealing book introduces the culture and diversity of this huge continent.
Bunnicula
Easy fiction
A small rabbit is found by the Monroe family at the movies on the night they saw a vampire movie makes Harold, the family dog, wonder if it's really a vampire bunny. The story is told from Harold's point of view, whose observations of the animals and the humans are laugh-out-loud funny.
Diary of a Worm
Picture book
The life of a worm — from the worm's point of view as revealed in his diary makes a very funny picture book.
Flat Stanley
Easy fiction
Stanley functions quite normally in spite of the fact that he becomes only a quarter inch thick after a bulletin board flattens him - literally. This is the first of a series of books about Stanley and his travels.
I Face the Wind
Picture book/nonfiction
The nature (the properties and characteristics) of the wind is introduced in this easy informational book.
Nic Bishop's Frogs
Nonfiction
Stunning color photographs of frogs are used to show how these beautiful creatures survive in the wild. The Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley (Scholastic) uses Bishop's amazing photographs to relate the saga of one creature and is appreciated by even younger children.
Two Bad Ants
Picture book
Separated from the colony, readers join two adventurous ants and see the world from a very different perspective.
Differentiated instruction
For second language learners, students of varying reading skill, students with learning disabilities, and younger learners
- Show them numerous examples of well-written paragraphs and have them identify the parts. Or let them study it on their own by providing a number of paragraphs with the parts labeled.
- Provide students with some of the parts already filled in. For example, you provide all the "filling" sentences, and ask students to write a good introductory or wrap up sentence.
- Provide students with one example filled in entirely. Ask them to cut out each portion and then rearrange the pieces.
- Ask students to find a paragraph within their textbook. See if they can identify the different pieces of that paragraph. If necessary, have them revise the textbook paragraph!
- Have them speak the paragraph before writing the paragraph. Use scaffolding. For example, "What is one thing you would like to tell me about Fido (name of child's dog)." "How is Fido a lot fun to play with?" (elicit details). "So what did you tell me about Fido?" (conclusion).
See the research that supports this strategy
Richards, R. (2008). A Student's Perspective on Writing.
Richards, R. (2008). The Writing Road: Reinvigorate Your Students' Enthusiasm for Writing.
I always use the hamburger organizer when teaching paragraphs to second graders, so I love the powerpoint. Thanks for sharing it!
Posted by: V. Schissler | November 09, 2010 07:59 AMI do something similar to this, but with a ham sandwich. It makes it easy to explain to the kids that their sandwiches can have turkey or salami, but they are still sandwiches- just different!
Posted by: Tracy | November 22, 2010 01:46 PMLooking for a new strategy to teach writing. I think I've found it. Thanks.
Posted by: Jan Johnson | August 13, 2011 05:40 AMI really need to learn writting paragraphs, so this is usefull for me
Posted by: Omar | January 01, 2012 11:46 AMHow would you use the picture books in with the hamburger writing? To summarize the book?
Posted by: Carly | January 19, 2012 04:02 PMHeyy This is probably the easiest one I've ever heard usually our class is Topic Sentence Explanation Illustration & conclusion I will remember this for futre reference thanks readingrocets.org :) !!!!!!****
Posted by: Lauren Smith | March 15, 2012 01:54 AMAs a parent, I am fine w/the hamburger idea, even though it teaches kids to write in a very boring and constrained way. Still, I think it's fine for elementary school. My main problem is that our school teaches paragraph writing too early, in my opinion. Our second-graders really struggle with it, but some of them still don't form their letters correctly. I wish they would push off paragraph writing until late third- or even fourth-grade and focus on grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the younger grades.
Posted by: Tina | April 17, 2012 07:15 PMThis relationship is great for forming the main idea of a section of text.
Posted by: Frank Bonner | April 24, 2013 08:38 PM
Comments
Thanks for this great graphic organizer idea! I usually use the "umbrella" plan, but it doesn't include a concluding statement. Also I like the students to use multiple kinds of graphic organizers so that the concept transfers to other situations.
Posted by: Kristi | March 12, 2010 11:32 AM