"Mr Francis entered the room. There was a piece of paper on the floor"

The writer has put the piece of paper on the floor for a reason; therefore it must have significance. It may be there to create tension or it could link to something that has already occurred, or perhaps the writer has chosen to write about the detail to create a messy atmosphere.

The piece of paper could be on the floor of a classroom and it is there to help show that a teacher has lost control of their class as the pupils are starting to throw paper across the room. The paper could represent something, for example a crumpled relationship as Mr Francis discovers an old lover is in the room with him. Or maybe, the paper could contain a list of names that he has been searching for, but someone had not wanted him to find the list as it has been littered on the floor. 

Something could be printed, written or hidden inside the paper that is of great importance to Mr Francis as the writer has brought attention to the detail. Although it is seen as litter and Mr Francis will most likely think nothing of it, there could be something within the paper that is valuable and he does not realise this.

However, the paper could just be there to signify that the room is messy or the writer has put it there for him not to pick up to show that he does not care about mess and litter. It may even be there to distract the reader from what has previously happened. Whatever the reason is behind why there is a piece of paper on the floor, whether it is to help create a scene or to build upon the tension, the paper has a significance as does every other detail the writer has brought attention to.

But all of this is speculation as at the end of the lesson i picked it up and put in my bag and i know what it was. I hope you remember your frozen peas and loaf of bread for tonight.