TYPES OF

PARAGRAPH
 EXERCISE 1
What type of paragraph does each paragraph belong to? Why?
Text 1:

Discovering that a bird species is extinct is a big deal. In 1973, students

from the University of Hawaii discovered a new species of bird on
Maui. They named the bird po’ouli. A census in the early 1980s located
about 140 birds. Since then, the number of birds has diminished
sharply. In 1994, only six birds could be located, and two years later
only three were found. In September 2004, a single po’ouli was
captured in an effort to breed more individuals in captivity. Sadly, that
bird died of malaria two months later. Despite intensive searches by
dozens of professional and amateur birders, no po’ouli have since
been found.
Text 2:

We placed our tent in a clearing and had an unobstructed view of

Mount Pilatus. The peak of the mountain was snow covered. Just
below the snow, there were rows of pines cut by crevices. Under the
pines there was a rocky cliff where several mountain goats wandered.
At the bottom of the mountain was a village. We could see the church
steeple and the red and black roofs of mining houses.
 Exercise 2
What type of paragraph does each paragraph belong to? Why?
The Age of the Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs existed about 250 million years ago to 65 million years ago.
This era is broken up into three periods known as the Triassic, Jurassic
and Cretaceous periods. The Triassic Period lasted for 35 million years
from 250-205 million years ago. Planet Earth was a very different
place back then. All the continents were united to form one huge land
mass known as Pangaea. The Jurassic Period was the second phase.
The continents began shifting apart. The time scale for this famous
period is from 205 to 138 million years ago. The Cretaceous Period
was the last period of the dinosaurs. It spanned a time from 138
million to about 65 million years ago. In this period the continents
fully separated. However, Australia and Antarctica were still united.
Vicious Predators

The Cretaceous Period was filled with dangerous predators, but two of the
most feared hunters were the tyrannosaurs rex and the velociraptor. The
tyrannosaurs rex was one of the largest carnivores to ever walk the Earth. He
was 20 feet tall and weighed seven tons. His jaws could crush down with
3,000 lbs. of force, enough to smash the bones of his prey. The velociraptor
was very small compared to rex. Raptors only stood three feet tall and were
seven feet long, weighing merely 35 pounds. But the velociraptor was fast.
Scientists think that raptors could run 24 miles per hour and turn on a dime.
Both dinosaurs used their jaws to kill prey, but the raptor had a secret
weapon: a retractable toe claw that he pulled out like a knife to slash at his
prey. Both dinosaurs had eyes on the front of their heads, which helped them
track prey. If these two dinosaurs had fought, it would be difficult to say which
would win; however since raptors died over ten million years before the first
tyrannosaurs was born, scientists don’t believe such a fight ever occurred.
Creating a Dinosaur Sculpture

• Materials: pipe cleaners, clay, non-toxic paint

Wouldn’t you like a scary dinosaur model on your desk to protect your
pencils and textbooks? You can easily make one by following these
simple directions. First, bend your wire to make the frame of your
dinosaur. I suggest you create a tyrannosaurus frame by using one
long pipe cleaner as his neck, spine, and tail, and then bend another
into a u-shape to make his feet. Wrap the feet around the spine piece.
Next, roll out clay to wrap around the pipe cleaners. Let the clay dry
overnight. The next day you may want to paint your dinosaur using
non-toxic paint. His eyes should be white, but feel free to color your
dinosaur as you wish. Nobody really knows how dinosaurs were
colored, so don’t let anyone tell you that your dinosaur can’t be pink.
Lastly, put him on your desk and watch as he or she scares away bullies
and pencil thieves.
What Happened to the Dinosaurs?

There are many theories about why the dinosaurs vanished from the
planet. One theory that many people believe is that a gigantic
meteorite smashed into the Earth. Scientists believe that the
meteorite was very big and that the impact may have produced a large
dust cloud that covered the Earth for many years. The dust cloud may
have caused plants to not receive sunlight and the large plant eaters,
or herbivores, may have died off, followed by the large meat eaters, or
carnivores. This theory may or may not be true, but it is one
explanation as to why these giant reptiles no longer inhabit the Earth.
Fossil Mishap

It’s important to think critically about the information that you receive,
or else you may be led astray. For example, the brontosaurus is a type
of dinosaur that never really existed. Many people still believe in the
brontosaurus today, but the “Brontosaurus” is actually the body of an
Apatosaurus with the head of a Camarasaurus. This concocted
creature was made from two mismatched fossils. Had more people
thought critically about these findings, analyzing the components that
were presented, entire generations of school children may not have
been misinformed; therefore, think critically about the information
that people tell you, even if it’s information you find on a book or in a
worksheet.
• Keep these problems in mind when conducting your studies.
Dino the Dinosaur

One day Dino the Dinosaur decided to go for a walk to the watering
hole. It was a sunny day and the sky was blue and clear. Dino was
thinking about his girlfriend Dina when he saw a pack of wild lizards
and animals running through the plains in a frenzy. Dino tried to ask
the critters why they were running, but they just kept running. Dino
scratched his dinosaur head and continued walking toward the
watering hole. Soon after, Dino heard a loud thumping noise like the
slow beat of a drum. The earth shook and fruit fell from the trees, but
Dino was so deep in thought over his girl Dina that he didn’t even
notice. The thumping grew louder and louder as Timmy the
Tyrannosaurs Rex approached Dino. Dino kept thinking about his girl
Dina until the moment Timmy ate him.