•

•

•

SAMPLE

Oops – Megan just submitted her news story to her editor and realised that she

forgot to insert paragraphs! Help Megan by inserting square brackets ([…]) wherever a

new paragraph should go. Remember that for a news story, paragraphs don’t necessarily

have to be long – they can even be just one or two sentences as long as they are all based

around the same topic.

Place square brackets at the points where each paragraph should begin. Q1

May 6 2010

FESTIVAL FEVER Gemma Clarke

The Gold Coast’s iconic glitter strip will become a cultural haven for the next nine weeks after

Sunday saw the beginning of the first annual Surfers Paradise Festival. An initiative of Surfers

Paradise Alliance and produced by the Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council, the

festivities will showcase Australian talent through an assortment of film, food, art, fashion, music

and fringe events. Festival coordinator Jolie Hertzberg revealed the celebration’s objectives at

Sunday’s free Launch It! concert. “This (festival) will transform the area into a vibrant, dynamic

precinct that promotes our emerging grassroots culture and incorporates local community

members,” she said. “It's time we prove how incredible our creative industries are.” According to

Surfers Paradise Alliance Chairman, Graeme Downie, Launch It! - which saw renowned acts such

as Bertie Blackman, Yves Klein Blue and You Am I perform on the beach to a thronging crowd –

was proof that locals are “ready to re-engage with Surfers.” “We’ve shown them it’s more than

just nightclubs,” he said. Former Gold Coast resident Macey Greenway, who performed with folk

singer Lisa Mitchell at Surfers Paradise Beergarden last night, said she was overwhelmed by the

cultural depth her former hometown has adopted. “Since I’ve been back I’ve seen burlesque

performances, Japanese drummers, taken a salsa class and of course there’s all these gigs... I’m

starting to wish I’d never left!” she joked. The festival’s more noteworthy events include A la

Carte in the Park, In the Bin Film Festival, Chalk Art street gallery, Oneway Project laneway

festival and the Common People Dance Project. It will wrap up on Sunday June 27 with the Great

Aussie BBQ.

SAMPLE

Lyndon is strongly opposed to the sport of boxing, and thinks that it should be

banned from the Olympics. He has written an essay about it, but his computer broke

before he had saved it. He has salvaged most of the essay, but his topic sentences aren’t

in the right place.

Boxing Has to Go!

The heavy controversy surrounds boxing’s recognition as an official sport due to its harmful nature is well-founded, and as a result it should be banned from all future Olympic Games. The force of a punch from a professional boxer was found to be equivalent to being struck by a 6 kilogram bowling ball swung at 35 kilometres per hour. Studies have shown between 2000 and 2005, 53 people around the world died as a result of professional boxing related injuries. According to the rules that both the Commonwealth and Olympic committees adhere to, a boxer wins a round by scoring more direct hits, and knocking an opponent out wins the fight immediately. In addition to this, boxers are penalised for essentially avoiding life-threatening injuries: turning one’s back around or falling over in anticipation of a punch amounts to a foul. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Croatia’s Marijo Sivolija-Jelica was cheered with wild enthusiasm by the crowd when he hit his Samoan opponent Farani Tavui so viciously that Tavui was carried away unconscious from the match on a stretcher to get a CT scan. According to Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, president of the Australian Medical Association, “International events based on a spirit of goodwill - such as Olympic and Commonwealth Games - are no place for interpersonal violence and injury.” We live in an increasingly civilised world where the value of human life has come to be properly appreciated. How a primitive sport promoting gratuitous violence and causing thousands of injuries could possibly still be recognised by an official international event purporting to promote goodwill like the Olympics is beyond me. Boxing has to go.

Boxing’s very essence is in stark contrast with traditional Olympic spirit; and the sport even goes so far as to glorify its more aggressive competitors.

Participants in boxing have been proven to face numerous health issues, particularly chronic and acute brain damage, which in many cases has proven fatal.

The rules of boxing directly promote violence, with the object of the game being to knock the other player out.

Body paragraph: Body paragraph: Body paragraph:

Label Lyndon’s topic sentences so that they correspond with the correct paragraphs by

writing the correct paragraph in the box. Q1

SAMPLE

Tsari is moving to Australia, so is reading his travel guide about some of

Australia’s capital cities. He is learning English and would like to practise his

paragraphing skills by identifying each aspect of the paragraphs in the guide.

Hobart was founded in 1803 as a penal colony, and is the second oldest city in Australia. It never really has shaken off its historic and quaint feel. Beautiful architecture is peppered by majestic trees that line the streets, and the whole city echoes with romance. Perch at a cosy restaurant overlooking the docks and enjoy a glass of wine from one of the state’s countless famous wineries. Melbourne is a bustling multicultural city that never really sleeps. With residents made up from every corner of the globe, it’s no wonder you can walk down a street and instantly feel as though you’ve been transported to Greece or Vietnam. Melbourne is slightly grungier and more old world than Sydney, and is rich with culture, with something on every night in any bar or café you wander into. Canberra is the capital city of Australia, and is lodged inland between Victoria and New South Wales. It is the country’s only planned city, and its smaller population can be attributed to the capital’s late birth, only being selected as the nation’s leader in 1908. Due to ski towns like Jindabyne being only a stone’s throw away, Canberra is ideal to visit in the winter months. Famous for the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and for being the site of the 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney can’t help being achingly cool. With this added perk of housing some of Australia’s most famous attractions, Sydney is definitely worth a visit. Spend your days trawling through vintage markets and your nights soaking up the buzzing nightlife with a cocktail in hand. Brisbane has traditionally always been considered a second-rate city when compared to the bright lights and culture of the cities further south. But it has recently emerged from Sydney and Melbourne’s shadow and staked its own claim as a cosmopolitan and unique city that still manages to maintain the laid-back feeling of a small town. Its best attractions include the Fortitude Valley Markets, a collection of world class art galleries and museums, a young live music scene and the beautiful botanical gardens perched on the river.

! Read through the travel guide and identify the topic sentences and main points of each

paragraph. The first one has been done for you. Q1

• It might be a good idea to

highlight the topic sentences

and points in different colours.

There is some space for you to

make a key below.

Hint

SAMPLE

Like a phoenix from the ashes, Darwin continues to prove that it is indeed a battler. Despite the many hardships it has endured, from cyclones to bombings, the city has rebuilt itself and is renowned for being contemporary and unique. The tropical atmosphere is permeated with a strong Asian influence due to the capital’s proximity to the continent, and as a result it is home to some of the best restaurants in the country. So come to Darwin to experience a colourful city that has somehow managed to keep itself centred on the great outdoors. With its sunny, carefree lifestyle, it’s sometimes hard to believe that Perth is even a city. But it’s not just a place to chill out – Perth’s recent resources boom has woken it from its slumber. It is fast becoming a cultural hub, with plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes and cultural attractions competing for attention. South Australia’s capital, Adelaide, truly is a city to be marvelled at. Walk around the city’s expansive boulevards admiring the sophisticated architecture and lavish gardens, before stopping in at a café to discuss the latest arthouse cinema. No matter how big or small you want your holiday to be, Adelaide is the perfect getaway.

SAMPLE

•

•

•

SAMPLE

Firstly, thank you for your support of Mighty Minds and our resources. We endeavour to create high-

quality resources that are both educational and engaging, and results have shown that this approach

works.

To assist you in using this resource, we have compiled some brief tips and reminders below.

About this resource

This Mighty Minds ‘Fundamentals’ Lesson focusses on one subtopic from the NAPLAN Tests and

presents this skill through a theme from the Australian Curriculum (History, Science or Geography).

This lesson is also targeted at a certain skill level, to ensure that your students are completing work

that is suited to them.

How to use this resource

Our ‘Fundamentals’ Lessons are split into two main sections, each of which contain different types of

resources.

The student workbook contains

• The main title page; and

• The blank student worksheets for students to complete.

The teacher resources section contains

• This set of instructions;

• The Teacher’s Guide, which offers information that may be needed to teach the lesson;

• The Item Description, which gives a brief overview of the lesson and its aims, as well as extension

ideas;

• The student answer sheets, which show model responses on the student worksheets to ensure

that answers to the questions are clear;

• The teacher’s answer sheets, which provide a more detailed explanation of the model responses

or answers; and

• Finally, the ‘end of lesson’ marker.

We suggest that you print the student workbook (the first set of pages) for the students. If students

are completing this lesson for homework, you may also like to provide them with the student answer

pages.

Feedback and contacting us

We love feedback. Our policy is that if you email us with suggested changes to any lesson, we will

complete those changes and send you the revised lesson – free of charge.

Just send your feedback to resources@mightyminds.com.au and we’ll get back to you as soon as we

can.

SAMPLE

This teaching guide is continued on the next page...

Paragraphs are essential to make your writing flow. Text “flow” and cohesion are crucial aspects of writing a good essay, should audiences not be left

confused about the intentions of the writer, or his/her ideas. A good essay needs to have its ideas

sequenced in a logical (understandable) and effective order. This can be thought of as a ‘consistent

line of thought’, with each argument adding to the overall purpose of the essay.

Once ideas are sequenced into a logical order, they then need to be formally structured into

paragraphs. Each paragraph should only consist of one of the main ideas. Writing in any longer form

of prose is bound to leave readers confused, as they will likely be ‘flooded’ with too many ideas.

Paragraphs also have a specific structure (topic sentence, examples, explanations and a link to the

next paragraph) that needs to be adhered to.

Finally, there also needs to be cohesion (flow) between and within each paragraph. The idea of a

‘consistent line of thought’ can easily be disrupted if there is no effective flow from one paragraph to

the next. The ‘readability’ of an essay is also severely affected if there is no ‘flow’ within each

paragraph. Cohesion can be gained in writing by using ‘text connectives’ (e.g. cohesive ties such as

firstly, additionally, for instance, subsequently etc.), substitutions for repeated words (i.e. referring to

Barack Obama later on as him and The President) and by adhering to the idea of a ‘consistent line of

thought’ throughout the essay (i.e. reverting back to reiterate the underlying point, e.g. “another factor

in favour of the argument is...”). Another useful technique to achieve this is the repetition of key words

and ideas. If students have a solid idea of their hypothesis, they should be able to consistently refer

back to it in order to create a strong and cohesive argument. This doesn’t mean that they should

constantly repeat the same words, though – this will quickly become irritating and inhibit the elegance

of the writing. Instead, they should find some synonyms or similar terms so that they can refer to the

same ideas in a clever and engaging manner.

Thus, it can be seen how text structure, paragraphing and cohesion all work together to create a

logical, flowing essay.

Cohesion and paragraphing can be practised by giving students examples of essays with disjointed

paragraphs and poor cohesion, and asking them to ‘correct’ these paragraphs to improve text flow.

Conversely, they can be asked to practise writing two paragraphs on a chosen topic, with focus on

cohesion between paragraphs and proper paragraphing structure (topic sentence, example,

explanation etc.).

Cohesion within the paragraph can be practised by giving students examples of a paragraph with

poor flow between sentences, with students asked to improve the cohesion of the paragraph.

Students should be explicitly taught the most basic essay structure to use as a scaffold for their ideas.

Once they have this mastered, they can build on it to create more advanced pieces of writing. The

basic outline of the structure can be found on the following page.

SAMPLE

...This teaching guide is continued from the previous page.

Introduction

In the introduction, students should

orientate their readers with the outline of

their argument and the main ideas within the

argument. These main ideas should be

presented in the introduction in the same

order that they will appear in the body of the

essay.

Body Paragraph

One

The first body paragraph should contain

one main idea (the first idea presented in

the introduction). The structure of this

paragraph should be:

• Topic sentence: introduces the reader

to the main idea of the paragraph.

• Point one: the first supporting point of

the argument.

• Evidence one: evidence to support

point one (this could be quotes,

statistics or other).

• Point two: the next supporting point.

• Evidence two: evidence to support

point two.

• Point three: the last supporting point.

• Evidence three: evidence to support

point three.

• Concluding sentence: wraps up the

paragraph’s argument, links the

paragraph back to the main argument

of the essay, and links the paragraph

to the next paragraph.

Body Paragraphs

Two & Three

These paragraphs should have the same

structure as body paragraph one. The

concluding sentence of B.P. 1 should link

to the topic sentence of B.P. 2. Similarly,

the concluding sentence of B.P. 2 should

link to the topic sentence of B.P. 3.

It is often advised that the strongest

argument should be presented in the first

paragraph; however, this is subjective.

Some prefer to have their strongest

argument in the final paragraph in order to

finish on a strong note. This is up to the

teacher and the students to decide.

Conclusion

The conclusion should restate the main

argument or hypothesis of the essay. It

should then reiterate the major points (in

order of appearance within the body of the

text) and then, finally, tie everything

together with a finishing statement. Many

writers like to make this statement

memorable or particularly effective through

techniques such as figurative language.

SAMPLE

Please note: any activity that is not completed during class time may be set for homework or

undertaken at a later date.

‘News Story’, ‘Boxing’ and ‘Australia’s Capitals’

• Activity Description: • These activities are all centred on a different topic and are focused on paragraphing and

cohesion. The first contains a news article about a Gold Coast festival, and asks students

work out how to split it into paragraphs. The second is a persuasive piece about banning

boxing, and students have to order the sentences within it so that it flows according to

whether they are topic sentences, a hypothesis or body points. The third activity asks

students to write topic sentences for paragraphs about Australia’s capital cities.

• Purpose of Activity: • Through completing these activities, students’ awareness of how to divide

text into paragraphs and how to structure paragraphs themselves should be

improved.

• KLAs: • English, Geography

• CCEs: • Recognising letters, words and other symbols (α1)

• Interpreting the meaning of words or other symbols (α4)

• Structuring/ organising extended written text (β21)

• Interrelating ideas/ themes/ issues (β31)

• Generalising from information (β38)

• Synthesising (θ44)

• Using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar (π9)

• Using vocabulary appropriate to a context (π10)

• Creating/ composing/ devising (π46)

• Suggested Time Allocation: • This entire activity is designed to be completed in an hour – approximately 20 minutes per

worksheet.

• Teaching Notes: • Explain to your class the importance of paragraphing, and how it allows the author to

properly arrange their ideas. Also discuss how it helps the reader to better understand the

text, and how clarity is important when you are attempting to persuade someone.

This Item Description is continued on the next page...

Item Description

SAMPLE

…This Item Description is continued from the previous page.

‘News Story’, ‘Boxing’ and ‘Australia’s Capitals’

Paste whatever you need from the previous page – make sure you use the ‘little paintbrush’ to paste

so the formatting stays the same.

• Teaching Notes (cont’d): • Explicitly teach the structure of paragraphs using the information provided within the

Teacher’s Guide. Even if students are already aware of this structure, it will probably be

useful just to do a quick recap of their knowledge.

• Do the first activity as a class. Ask students why they want to break the text into two

paragraphs at each particular place, and get them to highlight each topic sentence and

justify why they think it is a topic sentence.

• Mark each worksheet as you go, so that any errors students make early on are not carried

through to the next activity.

Item Description – continued

SAMPLE

May 6 2010

FESTIVAL FEVER Gemma Clarke

The Gold Coast’s iconic glitter strip will become a cultural haven for the next nine weeks after

Sunday saw the beginning of the first annual Surfers Paradise Festival. An initiative of Surfers

Paradise Alliance and produced by the Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council, the

festivities will showcase Australian talent through an assortment of film, food, art, fashion, music

and fringe events. [Festival coordinator Jolie Hertzberg revealed the celebration’s objectives at

Sunday’s free Launch It! concert. “This (festival) will transform the area into a vibrant, dynamic

precinct that promotes our emerging grassroots culture and incorporates local community

members,” she said. “It's time we prove how incredible our creative industries are.” [According

to Surfers Paradise Alliance Chairman, Graeme Downie, Launch It! - which saw renowned acts

such as Bertie Blackman, Yves Klein Blue and You Am I perform on the beach to a thronging

crowd – was proof that locals are “ready to re-engage with Surfers.” “We’ve shown them it’s

more than just nightclubs,” he said. [Former Gold Coast resident Macey Greenway, who

performed with folk singer Lisa Mitchell at Surfers Paradise Beergarden last night, said she was

overwhelmed by the cultural depth her former hometown has adopted. “Since I’ve been back

I’ve seen burlesque performances, Japanese drummers, taken a salsa class and of course there’s

all these gigs... I’m starting to wish I’d never left!” she joked. [The festival’s more noteworthy

events include A la Carte in the Park, In the Bin Film Festival, Chalk Art street gallery, Oneway

Project laneway festival and the Common People Dance Project. It will wrap up on Sunday June

27 with the Great Aussie BBQ.

Oops – Megan just submitted her news story to her editor and realised that she

forgot to insert paragraphs! Help Megan by inserting square brackets ([…]) wherever a

new paragraph should go. Remember that for a news story, paragraphs don’t necessarily

have to be long – they can even be just one or two sentences as long as they are all based

around the same topic.

Place square brackets at the points where each paragraph should begin. Q1

SAMPLE

News Story

Question One:

Students were required to place square brackets at the points where each paragraph should have

started. The text below is the passage that the students read, broken up into the appropriate

paragraphs. The topic sentence of each paragraph is highlighted, and explanations are included.

These explanations can be used to guide class discussion.

FESTIVAL FEVER Gemma Clarke

The Gold Coast’s iconic glitter strip will become a cultural haven for the next nine weeks after Sunday

saw the beginning of the first annual Surfers Paradise Festival. An initiative of Surfers Paradise

Alliance and produced by the Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council, the festivities

will showcase Australian talent through an assortment of film, food, art, fashion, music and fringe

events.

The topic sentence of this paragraph introduces the main topic of the article, ensuring that readers

are aware what they are reading about. It is then followed by introductory information.

Festival coordinator Jolie Hertzberg revealed the celebration’s objectives at Sunday’s free Launch It!

concert. “This (festival) will transform the area into a vibrant, dynamic precinct that promotes our

emerging grassroots culture and incorporates local community members,” she said. “It's time we

prove how incredible our creative industries are.”

This paragraph is about the objectives of the Surfers Paradise Festival. It contains evidence to

support its brief point.

According to Surfers Paradise Alliance Chairman, Graeme Downie, Launch It! - which saw renowned

acts such as Bertie Blackman, Yves Klein Blue and You Am I perform on the beach to a thronging

crowd – was proof that locals are “ready to re-engage with Surfers.” “We’ve shown them it’s more

than just nightclubs,” he said.

This paragraph outlines the success that the Festival has had so far. It is from the perspective of the

organisers and has evidence in the form of a quote.

Former Gold Coast resident Macey Greenway, who performed with folk singer Lisa Mitchell at Surfers

Paradise Beergarden last night, said she was overwhelmed by the cultural depth her former

hometown has adopted. “Since I’ve been back I’ve seen burlesque performances, Japanese

drummers, taken a salsa class and of course there’s all these gigs... I’m starting to wish I’d never left!”

she joked.

This paragraph is similar to the previous paragraph in that it discusses the success of the Festival so

far. However, this is from the perspective of a former local and performer. It is also supported with a

quote.

The festival’s more noteworthy events include A la Carte in the Park, In the Bin Film Festival, Chalk

Art street gallery, Oneway Project laneway festival and the Common People Dance Project. It will

wrap up on Sunday June 27 with the Great Aussie BBQ.

This conclusion doesn’t reiterate the main points; however, in an article like this one, this is not really

necessary. The conclusion in this article functions to give extra information.

SAMPLE

Lyndon is strongly opposed to the sport of boxing, and thinks that it should be

banned from the Olympics. He has written an essay about it, but his computer broke

before he had saved it. He has salvaged most of the essay, but his topic sentences aren’t

in the right place.

Boxing Has to Go!

The heavy controversy surrounds boxing’s recognition as an official sport due to its harmful nature is well-founded, and as a result it should be banned from all future Olympic Games. The force of a punch from a professional boxer was found to be equivalent to being struck by a 6 kilogram bowling ball swung at 35 kilometres per hour. Studies have shown between 2000 and 2005, 53 people around the world died as a result of professional boxing related injuries. According to the rules that both the Commonwealth and Olympic committees adhere to, a boxer wins a round by scoring more direct hits, and knocking an opponent out wins the fight immediately. In addition to this, boxers are penalised for essentially avoiding life-threatening injuries: turning one’s back around or falling over in anticipation of a punch amounts to a foul. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Croatia’s Marijo Sivolija-Jelica was cheered with wild enthusiasm by the crowd when he hit his Samoan opponent Farani Tavui so viciously that Tavui was carried away unconscious from the match on a stretcher to get a CT scan. According to Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, president of the Australian Medical Association, “International events based on a spirit of goodwill - such as Olympic and Commonwealth Games - are no place for interpersonal violence and injury.” We live in an increasingly civilised world where the value of human life has come to be properly appreciated. How a primitive sport promoting gratuitous violence and causing thousands of injuries could possibly still be recognised by an official international event purporting to promote goodwill like the Olympics is beyond me. Boxing has to go.

Boxing’s very essence is in stark contrast with traditional Olympic spirit; and the sport even goes so far as to glorify its more aggressive competitors.

Participants in boxing have been proven to face numerous health issues, particularly chronic and acute brain damage, which in many cases has proven fatal.

The rules of boxing directly promote violence, with the object of the game being to knock the other player out.

Body paragraph: one Body paragraph: two Body paragraph: three

Label Lyndon’s topic sentences so that they correspond with the correct paragraphs by

writing the correct paragraph in the box. Q1

SAMPLE

Boxing

Question One:

In this activity, students were required to number boxes according to their place in an essay about

boxing. The text below outlines the structure of an essay that uses the boxes in order. Explanations

(in italics) are provided for the three body paragraphs and their topic sentences.

Introduction

Hypothesis: The heavy controversy surrounds boxing’s recognition as an official sport due to its

harmful nature is well-founded, and as a result it should be banned from all future Olympic Games.

Three Main Points:

• 1 Health issues

• 2 Rules promote violence

• 3 Nature of boxing goes against the Olympic Spirit

Body Paragraph 1

Topic Sentence: Participants in boxing have been proven to face numerous health issues, particularly

chronic and acute brain damage, which in many cases has proven fatal.

Supporting point/s:

• The force of a punch from a professional boxer was found to be equivalent to being struck by a 6

kilogram bowling ball swung at 35 kilometres per hour.

• Studies have shown between 2000 and 2005, 53 people around the world died as a result of

professional boxing related injuries.

Students should be able to recognise this topic sentence through the link between the “numerous

health issues” and the two points in the paragraph. There is clearly a link between health and the

number of people who have died as a result of boxing.

Body Paragraph 2

Topic Sentence: The rules of boxing directly promote violence, with the object of the game being to

knock the other player out.

Supporting point/s:

• According to the rules that both the Commonwealth and Olympic committees adhere to, a boxer

wins a round by scoring more direct hits, and knocking an opponent out wins the fight immediately.

• In addition to this, boxers are penalised for essentially avoiding life-threatening injuries: turning

one’s back around or falling over in anticipation of a punch amounts to a foul.

This topic sentence, which talks about the object of the game and the rules of boxing, clearly links to

the points in the paragraph. These points, as outlined by the topic sentence, discuss the rules of

boxing.

This answer guide is continued on the next page...

SAMPLE

...This answer guide is continued from the previous page.

Body Paragraph 3

Topic Sentence: Boxing’s very essence is in stark contrast with traditional Olympic spirit; and the

sport even goes so far as to glorify its more aggressive competitors.

Supporting point/s:

• In the game of boxing, beating your opponent to a pulp will earn you a gold medal and its

accompanying respect and prestige.

• At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Croatia’s Marijo Sivolija-Jelica was cheered with wild enthusiasm by

the crowd when he hit his Samoan opponent Farani Tavui so viciously that Tavui was carried

away unconscious from the match on a stretcher to get a CT scan.

• According to Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, president of the Australian Medical Association, “International

events based on a spirit of goodwill - such as Olympic and Commonwealth Games - are no place

for interpersonal violence and injury.”

This topic sentence clearly links to the points in the paragraph. The topic sentence talks about

Olympic spirit, as do the points within the paragraph. Terms such as “spirit of goodwill” are explicit

references to the traditional Olympic spirit.

Conclusion

We live in an increasingly civilised world where the value of human life has come to be properly

appreciated. How a sport promoting gratuitous violence and causing thousands of injuries could

possibly still be recognised by an official international event purporting to promote goodwill like the

Olympics is beyond me. Boxing has to go.

SAMPLE

Tsari is moving to Australia, so is reading his travel guide about some of

Australia’s capital cities. He is learning English and would like to practise his

paragraphing skills by identifying each aspect of the paragraphs in the guide.

Hobart was founded in 1803 as a penal colony, and is the second oldest city in Australia. It never really has shaken off its historic and quaint feel. Beautiful architecture is peppered by majestic trees that line the streets, and the whole city echoes with romance. Perch at a cosy restaurant overlooking the docks and enjoy a glass of wine from one of the state’s countless famous wineries. Melbourne is a bustling multicultural city that never really sleeps. With residents made up from every corner of the globe, it’s no wonder you can walk down a street and instantly feel as though you’ve been transported to Greece or Vietnam. Melbourne is slightly grungier and more old world than Sydney, and is rich with culture, with something on every night in any bar or café you wander into. Canberra is the capital city of Australia, and is lodged inland between Victoria and New South Wales. It is the country’s only planned city, and its smaller population can be attributed to the capital’s late birth, only being selected as the nation’s leader in 1908. Due to ski towns like Jindabyne being only a stone’s throw away, Canberra is ideal to visit in the winter months. Famous for the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and for being the site of the 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney can’t help being achingly cool. With this added perk of housing some of Australia’s most famous attractions, Sydney is definitely worth a visit. Spend your days trawling through vintage markets and your nights soaking up the buzzing nightlife with a cocktail in hand. Brisbane has traditionally always been considered a second-rate city when compared to the bright lights and culture of the cities further south. But it has recently emerged from Sydney and Melbourne’s shadow and staked its own claim as a cosmopolitan and unique city that still manages to maintain the laid-back feeling of a small town. Its best attractions include the Fortitude Valley Markets, a collection of world class art galleries and museums, a young live music scene and the beautiful botanical gardens perched on the river.

Read through the travel guide and identify the topic sentences and main points of each

paragraph. The first one has been done for you. Q1

Hint

• It might be a good idea to

highlight the topic sentences

and points in different colours.

There is some space for you to

make a key below.

• Topic sentence

• Points

SAMPLE

Like a phoenix from the ashes, Darwin continues to prove that it is indeed a battler. Despite the many hardships it has endured, from cyclones to bombings, the city has rebuilt itself and is renowned for being contemporary and unique. The tropical atmosphere is permeated with a strong Asian influence due to the capital’s proximity to the continent, and as a result it is home to some of the best restaurants in the country. So come to Darwin to experience a colourful city that has somehow managed to keep itself centred on the great outdoors. With its sunny, carefree lifestyle, it’s sometimes hard to believe that Perth is even a city. But it’s not just a place to chill out – Perth’s recent resources boom has woken it from its slumber. It is fast becoming a cultural hub, with plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes and cultural attractions competing for attention. South Australia’s capital, Adelaide, truly is a city to be marvelled at. Walk around the city’s expansive boulevards admiring the sophisticated architecture and lavish gardens, before stopping in at a café to discuss the latest arthouse cinema. No matter how big or small you want your holiday to be, Adelaide is the perfect getaway.

SAMPLE

Australia’s Capitals

Question One:

Students were required to read the travel guide and identify the topic sentences and main points.

Explanations are provided in italics below each paragraph. Please note that there can be slight

deviations from these model responses.

Students and teachers should note that, as these paragraphs aren’t traditionally structured, their main

points were generally the attractions of the cities. They didn’t contain a hypothesis or any evidence.

Furthermore, the paragraphs had no concluding sentence as there was really nothing to sum up;

also, assuring the reader that they should visit the place would become repetitive and boring if

repeated for every paragraph. Therefore, these paragraphs are very basic, and not the more complex

ones you would find in an academic essay. However, each paragraph did contain a topic sentence

and several main points.

Hobart was founded in 1803 as a penal colony, and is the second oldest city in Australia. It

never really has shaken off its historic and quaint feel. Beautiful architecture is peppered by

majestic trees that lines the streets, and the whole city echoes with romance. Perch at a cosy

restaurant overlooking the docks and enjoy a glass of wine from one of the state’s countless

famous wineries.

The topic sentence introduces Hobart by giving the reader a brief historical fact. The main points

of the paragraph are its beautiful architecture, romantic vibe, cosy restaurants, docks, and

famous wineries.

Melbourne is a bustling multicultural city that never really sleeps. With residents made up from

every corner of the globe, it’s no wonder you can walk down a street and instantly feel as

though you’ve been transported to Greece or Vietnam. Melbourne is slightly grungier and more

old world than Sydney, and is rich with culture, with something on every night in any bar or café

you wander into.

The topic sentence of this paragraph briefly introduces Melbourne as a ‘happening’ place. The

main points are its multicultural population (students could have highlighted either ‘residents

made up from every corner of the globe’ OR ‘transported to Greece or Vietnam’ for this point),

its culture, and its bars and cafés.

Canberra is the capital city of Australia, and is lodged inland between Victoria and New South

Wales. It is the country’s only planned city, and its smaller population can be attributed to the

capital’s late birth, only being selected as the nation’s leader in 1908. Due to ski towns like

Jindabyne being only a stone’s throw away, Canberra is ideal to visit in the winter months.

This paragraph begins by presenting the most important point about Canberra in its topic

sentence: that it is the capital city of Australia. In the topic sentence, it also orientates the reader

by giving them a location within Australia. The main points of the paragraph are that it is the

nation’s leader, and that it has numerous ski towns nearby.

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Famous for the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and for being the site of the 2000

Olympic Games, Sydney can’t help being achingly cool. With this added perk of housing some

of Australia’s most famous attractions, Sydney is definitely worth a visit. Spend your days

trawling through vintage markets and your nights soaking up the buzzing nightlife with a cocktail

in hand.

The topic sentence of this paragraph introduces the reader to the city by first presenting its

strongest points. This is again reiterated by the term ‘famous attractions’. The paragraph’s main

points are these famous attractions, its vintage markets, and its buzzing nightlife.

Brisbane has traditionally always been considered a second rate city when compared to the

bright lights and culture of the cities further south. But it has recently emerged from Sydney and

Melbourne’s shadow and staked its own claim as a cosmopolitan and unique city that still

manages to maintain the laid-back feeling of a small town. Its best attractions include the

Fortitude Valley Markets, a collection of world class art galleries and museums, a young live

music scene and the beautiful botanical gardens perched on the river.

This paragraph opens by addressing Brisbane’s reputation in its topic sentence. Its main points

are its cosmopolitan culture, the laid-back feeling, the Fortitude Valley Markets, world class art

galleries and museums, the young live music scene, and the botanical gardens.

Like a phoenix from the ashes, Darwin continues to prove that it is indeed a battler. Despite the

many hardships it has endured, from cyclones to bombings, the city has rebuilt itself and is

renowned for being contemporary and unique. The tropical atmosphere is permeated with a

strong Asian influence due to the capital’s proximity to the continent, and as a result it is home

to some of the best restaurants in the country. So come to Darwin to experience a colourful city

that has somehow managed to keep itself centred on the great outdoors.

This topic sentence introduces Darwin with an elegant simile. The main points of the paragraph

are its contemporaneity and uniqueness, tropical atmosphere, strong Asian influence, its

restaurants, and its focus on the great outdoors.

With its sunny, carefree lifestyle, it’s sometimes hard to believe that Perth is even a city. But it’s

not just a place to chill out – Perth’s recent resources boom has woken it from its slumber. It is

fast becoming a cultural hub, with plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes and cultural attractions

competing for attention.

Perth is introduced in this topic sentence as a city with a ‘sunny, carefree lifestyle’, paving the

way for the rest of the main points. Its main points include its resource boom, its status as a

cultural hub, as well as its bars, restaurants, cafes, and cultural attractions.

South Australia’s capital, Adelaide, truly is a city to be marvelled at. Walk around the city’s

expansive boulevards admiring the sophisticated architecture and lavish gardens, before

stopping in at a café to discuss the latest arthouse cinema. No matter how big or small you want

your holiday to be, Adelaide is the perfect getaway.

This topic sentence briefly introduces Adelaide by providing a general statement, allowing the

writer to then go into more specific points. The main points of the paragraph are Adelaide’s

expansive boulevards, sophisticated architecture, lavish gardens, cafes, and arthouse cinema.

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