Pay It Forward

For Paragraph a Week this week, you will be writing a response inspired by the movie, "Pay It Forward." Perhaps you have seen this movie. If so, then you know that the theme of the story is that it is best to do good deeds for others out of goodness and unselfishness and not expect something in return. The giver "pays it forward" in the hope that the recipient will then "pay it forward" and so on. On the back of this sheet, brainstorm a list of activities that might show that "paying it forward" is better than expecting something in return. Narrow your list, and write about two or three in depth OR select only one and create a personal narrative about it. Whatever you choose, limit your writing to one paragraph.

Check:

1. _____ 5 to 8 sentences
2. _____ Five elements of good writing, focus on PURPOSE and DIRECTION
3. _____ Strong introductory sentence
4. _____ Good concluding sentence
5. _____ Clearly reworked draft
6. _____ All three papers stapled with final copy on top.
7. _____ The signature of an adult who helped you proofread your rough draft.

submitted by Amy B.

Return to the Paragraph a Week Index.