How to Write and Essay using Colors!

So I teach my students how to write essays using the Step up to Writing method. 

In this method, one uses colors to describe the parts of a paragraph. 

I start out by giving my kids strips of green, yellow, and red paper. 

I then explain to students that the parts of a paragraph are much like that of a stoplight!

1. (Green) Topic Sentence: The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is going to be about
2. (Yellow) Slow down...Detail: fact or key idea about your topic
3. (Red) STOP! Explanation: Explain your detail or fact with figurative language or adjective
4. (Yellow) Slow down...Detail: fact or key idea about your topic
5. (Red) STOP! Explanation: Explain your detail or fact with figurative language or adjectives
6. (Green)Closing Sentence: The closing sentence reminds the reader of your topic and will either summarize, encourage, convince, or challenge them

I have them write an introductory paragraph on the strips of paper and arrange them in order!

I then like to have students shuffle up their paragraphs and let a partner try to put them back in order!

We then graduate to a prezi and marking our paragraphs with either colored dots or pink (for red), green, and yellow highlighters.

If you are tired of hearing "That's why Lebron James is my favorite athlete" a thousand times, you should definitely try the step up to writing method of teaching!