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I Do · You model it

Model Paragraph

A Model Paragraph is written in front of students, with the choices named as they are made — which evidence was picked, why that sentence goes second. TeacherHero generates it for the I Do phase with guided notes alongside, so students track the construction rather than admire a finished product.

Compose and annotate a complete model paragraph.

Real generated output

Build a Body Paragraph One Decision at a Time

The I Do phase of a Grade 6 ELA lesson, as TeacherHero generated it. Planned for 9 minutes.

  1. Teaching point

    A strong body paragraph makes one claim, introduces and quotes exact evidence, and explains what the evidence shows and how it supports the claim.

  2. Think-aloud

    • Claim: “I choose an idea that can be supported with evidence and that answers the lesson’s question about acting when afraid. I avoid a plot-only statement such as saying Ada walks down the gangway.”
    • Evidence setup: “I give only the context the reader needs. The setting and Ada’s promise matter because they create the pressure behind her decision.”
    • Quoted evidence: “I select a short sentence that captures the choice. I copy it exactly because changing a word would make it no longer a reliable quotation.”
    • What the evidence shows: “I focus on the phrase ‘did not falter.’ I explain its meaning and connect it to Ada’s behavior instead of just saying the quote is important.”
    • How it supports the claim: “I name the pressure in the setting and then show how Ada’s obligation helps her move forward. This is the reasoning that links the evidence to my claim.”
    • Complete body paragraph: “I place the parts in a logical order: claim, context, quotation, explanation, and connection. I reread to check that the explanation answers how the evidence proves the claim.”

  3. Checks for understanding

    • After the Claim slot, ask students to show a thumbs-up if the model makes an arguable point about courage and fear rather than only naming an event. Look for a claim that explains an idea about Ada’s action.
    • After the Quoted evidence slot, have students point to the copied words while the teacher checks that the quotation matches the displayed passage and uses quotation marks.
    • After the explanation slots, ask: “Which words in the quotation show that Ada acts without letting fear stop her?” Look for students to identify the phrase “did not falter” and connect it to her action.
    • At the end, students point first to the claim and then to the sentence that explains how the evidence supports it. This checks whether they can distinguish evidence from explanation.
Why the coach chose it here — A Model Paragraph best fits Grade 6 writers who are beginning the first body paragraph of the unit essay. Students have just retrieved the purpose of explanation in the warm-up, so this section can immediately demonstrate how a claim, an exact quotation, and connected explanation work together in a complete response. The guided notes make each expert decision visible while keeping cognitive load manageable; the later We Do and You Do phases can fade these supports. This strategy directly prepares students for the final product, a written argument with evidence, and uses the worked_examples and elaboration levers by modeling both the construction of the paragraph and the reasoning that connects evidence to the claim.

Frequently asked questions

Why build the paragraph live instead of showing a finished one?

A finished paragraph shows the destination and hides the route. Students who only see exemplars often reproduce the shape without the reasoning. Building it in front of them names the decisions — evidence choice, ordering, how the reasoning attaches — which is what they have to do themselves next.

Does it use the lesson's own text?

Yes. TeacherHero passes the lesson's sources into every phase's prompt, so the model paragraph is written about the text your students are reading. A generic model about an unrelated passage is the thing this is designed not to produce.

What comes after it?

The We Do phase, which practises the same move with you before students try it alone. Because each phase's prompt includes the sections already generated, the guided step continues the paragraph that was just modelled instead of starting somewhere unrelated.

Strategies that pair with it

Ready, Set, Vocabulary

I Do · Run the same per-word card for every term: definition, synonyms and antonyms, the sentence from the text, and a use-it move.

See the example

Think-Aloud Model

I Do · Narrate expert thinking while annotating a model.

See the example

Worked Example

I Do · Build an exemplary response one decision at a time.

See the example

Analysis Chart

You Do · Organize evidence, examples, or steps in an analysis chart.

See the example
Example free · generation with Pro

One move out of six phases.

A TeacherHero lesson generates all six with your course, unit, week and text in context, so the I Do phase continues the one before it instead of starting over.

Explore a whole example lesson