Your lead made a promise. Now it's time to keep it โ with a nut graf, real evidence, powerful quotes, and a body that's organized to build understanding step by step.
๐ฏChapter Objective: By the end of this chapter, you will be able to write body paragraphs for a science article using a nut graf, evidence, quotes, and organized supporting details.
๐ Introduction
Your Lead Made a Promise. Now Keep It.
Last time, you wrote your lead.
You hooked your reader. You gave them the most important fact. You made them curious enough to keep reading.
Now they're reading. And they're waiting for you to deliver everything your lead promised.
That's the body's job.
The body is the middle section of your article. It's where the real explaining happens. It's where your evidence goes. It's where your sources finally get to speak.
Think of your lead as the trailer. The body is the full movie.
๐ฌ Section 6.1
The Purpose of the Body
The body doesn't just fill space between your lead and your ending. Every paragraph in the body has a specific job.
Job 1
๐ก๏ธ Supporting the Lead
Your lead made a claim. The body proves it. If your lead says a student invented a solar-powered water purifier โ your body explains how it works, who verified it, and what experts say about it. If you skip that, your reader is left thinking: Okay, but how? And says who?
The body answers the follow-up questions your lead created.
Job 2
๐ Providing Details
Your lead was short on purpose. The body is where you expand. More facts. More context. More specific numbers. More explanation of the science behind the story.
This is where your research from Chapter 4 finally shows up on the page.
Job 3
๐งฑ Building Understanding
Science stories explain things that aren't always easy to understand. Your body paragraphs build that understanding step by step. Don't dump everything at once. One idea per paragraph. Then the next. Then the next.
By the end of the body, your reader actually gets it.
๐ฅ Section 6.2
The Nut Graf
Here's a term every science writer needs to know.
๐ Key Term
A nut graf โ short for "nut paragraph" โ is the paragraph that explains why your story matters. It usually comes right after your lead. It's the "so what" paragraph.
Your lead says what happened. Your nut graf says why it's important for your readers.
What Is a Nut Graf?
Think of it as the bridge between your hook and your evidence. Your lead grabs the reader. Your nut graf tells them why they should keep caring.
Why It Matters
Without a nut graf, your reader might finish the lead and think: Interesting. But why does this affect me? The nut graf answers that directly. It connects the science to real life. It shows the bigger picture. It gives your reader a reason to read every paragraph that follows.
Example
๐ฐ
The Lead
"A Grade 5 student from Nueva Ecija has developed a low-cost trap that reduces the mosquitoes in her classroom by 80 percent."
๐ฅ
The Nut Graf
"Her invention could offer a simple, affordable solution to one of the Philippines' biggest health problems. Dengue fever infects hundreds of thousands of Filipinos every year โ and most cases begin in schools and homes."
See what the nut graf does? It takes one student's invention and connects it to a national health issue. Now the reader understands why this story is worth their time.
๐ฌ Section 6.3
Using Evidence
After your nut graf, you build your body with evidence. Evidence is information that proves or supports your main point. There are three main types.
Type 1
โ Facts
Specific, verifiable pieces of information. Not opinions. Not guesses. Confirmed information from reliable sources.
"Dengue cases in the Philippines rose by 43 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the Department of Health." Specific. Sourced. Verifiable.
Type 2
๐ Statistics
Numbers that come from research, surveys, or official data. They show your reader the size or scale of an issue. Always explain what the numbers mean โ don't just drop a number and move on.
"DOST: 2.3 million Filipino households lack clean drinking water โ roughly the combined population of Quezon City and Makati." The second sentence makes the number imaginable.
Type 3
๐งช Research Findings
The results of a study or experiment. Powerful evidence because it comes directly from the science. Always name the study, the researchers, or the institution.
"A 2025 study by researchers at De La Salle University found that mosquito traps made from recycled bottles reduced mosquito populations by up to 78 percent." Named institution, specific year, specific result.
๐ฌ Section 6.4
Using Quotes
Evidence alone can feel dry. Quotes bring your article to life. A quote is the exact words a real person said โ written inside quotation marks.
Source Type 1
๐ Expert Quotes
From scientists, doctors, engineers, teachers, or researchers. They add credibility โ they show your reader that real professionals back up your story.
"'This is exactly the kind of grassroots innovation we need,' said Dr. Villanueva, a public health researcher at UP Manila." Named expert, clear institution, specific opinion.
Source Type 2
โค๏ธ Community Voices
From regular people affected by the issue. They add heart โ they show your reader how the science connects to real families and real lives.
"'Before, we had at least two or three students absent every week because of fever,' said Mrs. Abad, a Grade 3 teacher." Numbers tell you what happened. People tell you what it felt like.
Attribution
Attribution means telling your reader exactly who said each quote. Never leave a quote floating without a name attached.
Format: "[Quote]," said [Name], [brief identification]. Or: According to [Name], [identification], "[quote]."
Always. Every time. No exceptions.
๐๏ธ Section 6.5
Organizing Body Paragraphs
You've got your nut graf. You've got your evidence. You've got your quotes. Now โ what order do they go in?
1
Background Information. After your nut graf, give your reader any background they need to understand the story โ a brief explanation of the science, a little history, or context about the community. Keep it short. One or two paragraphs at most.
2
Evidence and Data. After the background, present your strongest evidence โ facts, statistics, research findings. This is the heart of your body section. Put your most important and surprising data first.
3
Quotes and Supporting Details. After your evidence, let your sources speak โ expert quotes, community voices, specific details that bring the story to life. End each section with something that carries the reader naturally to the next paragraph.
๐ Section 6.6
Let's Check Two Examples
Here are two body paragraphs. One does nothing. One earns its place. Let's see why.
โ Weak Body Paragraph
"Mosquitoes are bad. They cause diseases. Scientists have been studying mosquitoes for a long time. There are many types of mosquitoes. Some are dangerous."
Evidence? NO โ no facts, no numbers, no research.
Quotes? NO โ no sources mentioned.
Supports the lead? NO โ too vague to help anyone understand anything.
โ Strong Body Paragraph
"Dengue remains one of the most serious mosquito-borne diseases in the Philippines, with over 200,000 cases recorded in 2025 alone, according to the DOH. Most infections occur in homes and schools... 'A trap this simple and cheap could actually reach the communities that need it most,' said Dr. Ramos, an infectious disease specialist at PGH."
Evidence? YES โ specific number, sourced from DOH.
Quotes? YES โ named expert with clear attribution.
Supports the lead? YES โ directly connects the invention to the national problem.
= A body that proves the lead and keeps your reader hooked.
โ๏ธ Practice Time
Apply what you learned. Work through the activities below step by step.
1
Arrange the Body Parts
The five paragraphs below are out of order. Drag them into the correct sequence: Nut Graf, Background, Evidence, Expert Quote, Community Voice.
๐ฑ๏ธDrag and drop each paragraph card into the order you think is correct. Then click Check My Order to see how you did and read the explanation for each position.
2
Writing Paragraphs 2โ5
Use the story prompt below to write four body paragraphs: Nut Graf, Background, Evidence, and a Quote with proper attribution.
๐Paragraph 2 โ Nut Graf: why does this matter? Paragraph 3 โ Background: what does your reader need to know first? Paragraph 4 โ Evidence: the most important facts and data, with attribution. Paragraph 5 โ Quote: use Mrs. Flores or Mr. Bautista, with proper attribution.
๐ Story Prompt
Story Prompt
A group of Grade 6 students at Mabini Elementary in Tarlac City collected rainwater samples from five locations near their school and tested them for bacteria. Their results showed that two of the five samples contained unsafe bacteria levels. Their Science teacher, Mr. Bautista, helped them present the findings to the barangay health officer last week. The barangay health officer, Mrs. Flores, said the findings were concerning and that the barangay will conduct its own water testing this month. According to the DOH, unsafe drinking water causes over 5,000 hospitalizations in Central Luzon every year.
"The students' findings highlight a water safety problem that affects thousands of Central Luzon residents every year. According to the DOH, unsafe drinking water causes over 5,000 hospitalizations in the region annually โ and many of those cases begin with contaminated sources that go untested in local communities."
โ๏ธ Write Your Four Body Paragraphs
๐ Self-Check Guide
What to Check
Done โ
Try Again ๐
Paragraph 2 explains why the story matters โ the "so what"
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Paragraph 3 gives background without repeating the lead
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Paragraph 4 has specific evidence with proper attribution
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Paragraph 5 has a quote with a name and identification
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Each paragraph has one clear focus โ not too many ideas at once
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๐ Simple Rubric
โ โ โ
All four paragraphs complete with attribution โ your body section is solid. Your lead has backup.
โ โ
Three paragraphs complete โ almost there. Write the missing one and check attribution.
โ๏ธ
One or two paragraphs complete โ good start. Go back to Sections 6.3 and 6.4 and try the missing parts.
Answers for writing activities will be different for each student. Use the rubric above or ask your teacher for help.
๐ง Match It
Match each term to its correct description. Pick the description that fits the term shown.
0/6
Score
Term 1 of 6
TERM 1 OF 6
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out of 6
Score Guide
6 / 6
Your body paragraphs are going to be packed with the right stuff. ๐ช
5 / 6
Really close. Check the one you missed and lock it in.
4 / 6
Getting there. Review Sections 6.2 to 6.4 and try again.
1โ3 / 6
That's okay. Head back to the Learn section โ everything you need is there.
Up Next
Chapter 7: Writing an Effective Ending
Your article is almost complete. Now learn how to write the last piece โ the ending that closes your story and leaves your reader thinking.