Essay Structure

Essay StructureModule 1 Reviewing What You KnowParts of an EssayIntroduction- slides 3- 7Body Paragraph- slides 8-10Conclusion- slides 11-12

(This slide is where they can choose out of the 3 different options)

There are three basic parts to an essay. An introduction, body paragraph, and a conclusion. You can click on any of the three buttons to get started. 2Introduction

An arresting statistic or shocking statementA relevant story, joke, or anecdote

A quotation from a recognized authority, historical figure, or literary source

TOP 3:Step 1: Start with a Lead-In (also called a hook or an attention-getter)http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/8823/10030750_2.jpg?v=8CE71411C11F350

When we talk about introduction were really talking about the first paragraph of your essay. The first thing you want to do- the very first sentence- you want to write a lead-in. A lead-in has many different names: hook, attention-getter, attention-grabbar, but your book uses the term lead-in so thats what Im going to stick with. In your book in chapter 4, it lists multiple types of lead-ins and theyre all acceptable, but I want to highlight what I personally consider the best 3. Using a suprising fact or statistic is a great way to begin. And the key word there is surprising- dont just write a true statement- find something that really shocks us and makes us want to find out more. Another way to begin is to use a quotation that is related to your topic, and the third way is to begin with a relevant story, joke, or anecdote. This last one really gives your essay some human interest. Who doesnt love a good story? So I would suggest that you concentrate on these three types of lead-ins when you write your essays for this course. 3IntroductionStep 2: Follow the Lead-In (Hook) with some background infoTIP: This should help connect your lead-in to your thesis statement. Think of it like a bridge.

Lead-InThesis StatementBackground Info & Connection

After youve written your lead-in, you need to follow it with some background information on your topic. This part of your intro really needs to function like a bridge. You started with a lead-in, youre going to end the paragraph with your thesis. How are those two things connected? This background and connection part really needs to make that clear for us. 4IntroductionStep 3: End your introduction with your Thesis StatementTIP: It is the big picture of what your entire essay is about, boiled down to one sentence.

Parts of a ThesisYour topic (what your essay is ABOUT)Your opinion (what do you want to say about the topic you are writing about?)Essay Map (this is optional: It gives a map of what the order of topics you will cover)Florida is my favorite place to go for vacation because of the beaches, Disney World, and the nice weather.

Like I mentioned, youre going to end your introductory paragraph with your thesis statement. Many people fear thesis statements, but really- a thesis statement is just a sentence. It gives us the main gist of your entire essay in one little sentence. Lets look at an example. (Karen, show the thesis statement). Florida is my favorite place to go for vacation because of the beaches, Disney World, and the nice weather. There are three parts to this essay. (Show your topic) The first part is the topic. What is your essay about? This essay is about Florida. Thats it. Thats my topic. (Show your opinion) The second part of the thesis is your opinion about the topic, or what it is you are trying to tell your reader about the topic. What do I want to say about Florida? In this essay, I want to say thats its my favorite place to go for vacation. (Show essay map) The third part is the essay map, and this part is actually optional. You dont have to include an essay map in your thesis, but its usually a good idea as it lists for the reader and for you as you write- what you are going to be discussing and in what order. In this essay, I start by talking about the beaches, then I talk about Disney World, and lastly I talk about the nice weather in Florida. I hope this helps make thesis statements a little less scary for you!5Interactive Practice 1When my older brother substituted fresh eggs for our hard-boiled Easter eggs, he didnt realize our father would take the first crack at hiding them. My brothers holiday ended early that particular day in 1991, but the rest of the family enjoyed the warm April weather, outside on the lawn, until late into the evening. Perhaps it was the warmth of the day and the joy of eating Easter roast while Tommy contemplated his actions that make my memories of Easter so sweet. Whatever the true reason, the fact is that my favorite holiday of the year is Easter Sunday and I love the family gatherings, all the food, and the Easter Egg hunt.

Read the following intro paragraph and answer the questions.

( put arrow or button for next slide at bottom of paragraph)

You now have an interactive practice. Please read the paragraph below, and when you are ready, click the Next button to answer some questions.6Interactive Practice 1What type of attention getter is used?A. interesting fact or statisticB. a quotation from authority or literary sourceC. relevant story, joke, or anecdote (*correct answer)

What is the thesis statement?A. Whatever the true reason, the fact is that my favorite holiday of the year is Easter Sunday and I love the family gatherings, all the food, and the Easter Egg hunt. (*correct answer).B. When my older brother substituted fresh eggs for our hard-boiled Easter eggs, he didnt realize our father would take the first crack at hiding themC. Perhaps it was the warmth of the day and the joy of eating Easter roast while Tommy contemplated his actions that make my memories of Easter so sweet.

(Put paragraph here, but smaller. Each question comes up to be answered; when student selects correct answer, the next question comes up. Submit will take student to next slide.7Interactive Practice 2Read the following intro paragraph and answer the questions.Henry David Thoreau, an American poet, once wrote, Our life is frittered away by detail simplify, simplify! These words of advice are difficult to follow in a society where a hectic pace of life is the norm and the attainment of more material goods is encouraged. However, I believe that this philosophy of living simply has quite a bit of merit. The difficulty of following this philosophy is knowing where we should begin, but the result is well worth the effort. I believe there are a number of ways in which to simplify our own lives and yet live richly, such as reducing screen time, taking regular vacations, and paring back on material possessions.

Same as last practice( put arrow or button for next slide at bottom of paragraph)

You now have an interactive practice. Please read the paragraph below, and when you are ready, click the Next button to answer some questions.

8What type of attention getter is used?A. interesting fact or statisticB. a quotation from authority or literary source (*correct answer)C. relevant story, joke, or anecdote

What is the thesis statement?A. Henry David Thoreau, an American poet, once wrote, Our life is frittered away by detail simplify, simplify! B. I believe there are a number of ways in which to simplify our own lives and yet live richly, such as reducing screen time, taking regular vacations, and paring back on material possessions. (*correct answer)C. The difficulty of following this philosophy is knowing where we should begin, but the result is well worth the effort.

Interactive Practice 29Body ParagraphsStep 1: Begin with a topic sentence that transitions from the previous paragraphTIP: Topic sentences should be general (no specifics) and reflect wording from the thesis.MY THESIS: Florida is my favorite place to go for vacation because of the beaches, Disney World, and the nice weather. Topic sentence (first sentence) of Body paragraph #1: The best part about a Florida vacation is definitely the beaches. Topic sentence (first sentence) of Body paragraph #2: The beaches are a great destination, but Disney World is an even more amazing experience.

Topic sentence (first sentence) of Body paragraph #3: Disney World is great to visit in almost any weather, and luckily in Florida, there is plenty of beautiful weather to go around.

(transition)(transition)

In the middle, between the introductory paragraph and the concluding paragraph lies the meat of your essay- the body paragraphs. To write a body paragraph, you will want to begin with a topic sentence. Its important to remember that a topic sentence should transition your reader from the last paragraph and should introduce what this new paragraph is going to cover. The exception to transitions is the very first body paragraph. You dont need to transition from the thesis or the intro paragraph. Also, remember that topic sentences should be very general- youre not going to have specific facts or details in them. Lets take a look at the thesis statement about Florida that youve already seen. (show thesis statement). Now Im going to show you the topic sentences for each of the three body paragraphs. (Show first topic sentence). Ok, the first sentence of the first body paragraph: The best part about a Florida vacation is definitely the beaches. This is very general no specific beaches, no details about it- and lets us know this paragraph will be about beaches, which is the first topic we listed in our thesis. (Show second topic sentence). The second topic sentence is:The beaches are a great destination, but Disney World is an even more amazing experience. I start by transitioning from the previous paragraph by repeating key words from that last paragraph- The beaches are a great destination and then I introduce the new topic but Disney World is an even more amazing experience. (Show third topic sentence) And finally, our last body paragraph: Disney World is great to visit- theres my transition from the last paragraph- in almost any weather, and luckily in Florida, there is plenty of beautiful weather to go around there is my new topic, without any specifics about the weather itself. 10Body ParagraphsBE SPECIFIC!GIVE LOTS OF DETAILS AND EXAMPLES!VagueI dont like going to the movies. Many people in movie theaters are inconsiderate. They make noises and create disturbances at their seats. Both young and old act as if they were at home in their own living room.

SpecificI dont like going to the movies. Little kids race up and down the aisles. Teenagers try to impress their friends by talking back to the screen, whistling, and making what they consider to be hilarious noises. Adults act as if they were at home in their own living room and comment loudly on the ages of the stars and quality of the movies.

Once youve got the topic sentence written, you need to go on and give specific examples about the topic. This is where I would go into details about the beaches, all the rides I rode at Disney, and the 80 degree weather. There are two things to remember about body paragraphs.1. Give details and 2. give lots of them. You can give one very specific detail, but it will not be a well developed paragraph. You could give four examples, but if they are not very specific, its not a well written paragraph. Lets look at a couple of examples. (show first one) This one gives reason why he doesnt like going to the movies, but they are vague and dont show us anything. (show second one). This one goes into specific details. Instead of just saying Both young and old act as if they were at home in their living room it gives specific examples about how they act they comment loudly on the ages of the stars and the quality of the movies. Heres a tip for you when you write your essay. Always go back when you are finished and add at least one or two even more specific details. You can always get more specific.11Interactive PracticeSome sentences below provide specific evidence to support the opening point. Some are vague, general, wordy sentences. Choose the ones that provide specific evidence.

_____ 1. The people who have moved in beside us are unpleasant neighbors. (*correct answer)They barely say hi when were in our neighboring yards. When we invited them to a neighborhood barbecue, they said they were going to be busy. They sometimes turn loud music on late at night, and we have to close our window to shut out the noise. To top it off, they own a dog, which they let roam free in our street.______ 2. My mother was a harsh disciplinarian.When I did something wrong, no matter how small, she would inflict serious punishment. She had expectations that I was to live up to, and she never changed her attitude. When I did not behave as I should, I was dealt with severely. There were no exceptions as far as my mother was concerned._____ 3. Pets can be more trouble than children.My dog, unlike my children, has never been completely housebroken. He still has an occasional problem. We dont have to worry about our grown children anymore. However, we still have to hire a dog-sitter.______ 4. Some things are worse when theyre improved. (*correct answer)A good cheese cake, for one thing, is perfect. It doesnt need pineapple, cherries, blueberries, or whipped cream smeared all over it. Plain old American blue jeans, the ones with five pockets and copper rivets, are perfect too. Manufacturers only made them worse when they added flared legs, took away the pockets, tightened the fit, and plastered white logos and designers names all over them.

Make this a vague or specific choice for students.

Heres some practice sentences. Some provide specific evidence to support the opening point, and some are vague, general, wordy sentences. Choose whether you think the sentences are vague or if you think they are specific enough.

12Conclusion

The concluding is often overlooked, but its really very important since its the final impression you are leaving on the reader. There are three parts to the conclusion. You need to restate the thesis, which is one specific sentence. Although you can, and probably should, try to reword it somewhat instead of just copying and pasting it. You also need to give a little broader summary of your main points, but still keep it somewhat short- maybe 2-4 sentences. And finally you will end with a very broad final thought or final impact for your reader.13Conclusion

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There are many ways you can leave a final thought with your reader, and chapter 4 of your textbook gives you a good list, but Im just going to highlight the main idea, which is So What? Your reader has read your essay, but why should they care? There are two basic ways to go with this- you can focus on the reader personally or you can focus on society at large. You can either highlight why your essay is important to the readers daily life. How will this impact them? Or you can show the reader that your essay topic is connected to something important in their larger society or their world. I recommend you spend some time in chapter 4 looking at all the ways to do this and some of the examples that are given. 14Next up