How should my essay look?

Introduction

Body paragraph 1

Conclusion

Body paragraph 2

Body paragraph 3

Introduction paragraph

Parts of an Introduction •Sentence 1

HOOK!

ATTENTION-GRABBER!

•Sentences 2, 3

BACKGROUND INFO ON TOPIC

•Sentence 4

THESIS STATEMENT

-3 MAIN IDEAS FOR 3 BODY PARAGRAPHS

THESIS STATEMENT

Hooks

Your hook sets the tone for the rest of your essay. This is the first impression you will make on your reader/(grader)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl3O6DMsJgI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1-nt5_bRlQ

Types of Hooks

Use personal experience

Flashback

Tell a short story

Use a quote

Ask a question

Start right in the middle of an action

Set the scene

State an interesting or shocking fact

Definition

Introduce a theme

Hook Example- personal experience

I walked into the cold, white room on April 23, 1992. The beeping of the machines echoed immensely in my head and I knew that noise would haunt me for the rest of my life. I walked in further to join my family that stood beside the bed. I hung my head in grief and through tears got one last look. I bent over and gently whispered, "Good-bye Grandma, I love you." It was then the nurse made the machines make a more painful sound; the sound of silence. This is the act of euthanasia which is the hardest decision for a family to make when the choice is suffering in life or inflicting immediate death.

Hook Example- ask a question

Acne, baldness, sterility. Sound attractive,

fellas? Or ladies, how about a deep voice, facial

hair, and kidney damage? All of these appealing

attributes, along with many others, are side

effects of using steroids, yet people continue to

use them!

THESIS STATEMENT is the…

_____________ of the WHOLE ESSAY

*TOPIC + OPINION/(argument)*

+outline of

supporting evidence

Make sure your thesis statement answers the

topic question (in your introduction – 1st paragraph)

The thesis is the most important sentence in

your essay.

Main Point

Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is the point you are trying to

prove in your essay.

It goes at the end of your first paragraph

It is a contract!!

It determines what MUST be in your essay and what cannot

be in your essay.

Example thesis statement: “Most students dislike

writing essays because they would rather be doing

exciting science experiments, reading poetry, or

playing sports.”

The 9/11 terrorist attack is one of the most significant moments in American history because (A.) it has changed the way

politicians handle foreign affairs, (B.) it has changed security measures for US citizens at home, and (C.)has committed

hundreds of thousands of American troops and resources to the middle east.

Thesis Statement

Example

[Attention-Getter] After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New

York's World Trade Towers and the Pentagon, the debate surrounding racial

profiling in airports intensified. Many people believed that profiling was the best

way to identify possible terrorists, but many others worried about violations of civil

liberties. While some airports began to target passengers based solely on their

Middle Eastern origins, others instituted random searches instead. [Begin setting-up

the thesis] Neither of these techniques seems likely to eliminate terrorism. Now

many experts in the government and in airport security are recommending the use of

a national ID card or Safe Traveler Card. [Thesis] If every US citizen had such a

card, airlines could screen for terrorists more effectively than they do now and avoid

procedures that single out individuals solely on the basis of race.

Example

People like heroes. Even more so, people like heroes they can

relate to. When John Osborne’s play, Look Back in Anger, first appeared

in British theater in 1956 the main character, Jimmy Porter became seen

as a social revolutionary by many: a hero. He was the common man,

representing the angst so many British people were feeling at the time.

The common response to Jimmy Porter was that he was a man with

strong working- class allegiance, fighting out against the oppressive

upper classes. However, this reading of the play mistakenly ignores the

fact that Jimmy does not have an alliance, because he does not even have

an identity. Jimmy is angry because he is confused, frustrated, and

jealous. Osborne’s play is actually a critique on the social class structure

for constructing a world that creates confused identities and a lack of

one’s own sense of self.

Example

People like heroes. Even more so, people like heroes they can

relate to. When John Osborne’s play, Look Back in Anger, first appeared

in British theater in 1956 the main character, Jimmy Porter became seen

as a social revolutionary by many: a hero. He was the common man,

representing the angst so many British people were feeling at the time.

The common response to Jimmy Porter was that he was a man with

strong working- class allegiance, fighting out against the oppressive

upper classes. However, this reading of the play mistakenly ignores the

fact that Jimmy does not have an alliance, because he does not even have

an identity. Jimmy is angry because he is confused, frustrated, and

jealous. Osborne’s play is actually a critique on the social class structure

for constructing a world that creates confused identities and a lack of

one’s own sense of self.

Example

Recently a driver reached for his cell phone, lost control of

the car, and crashed into another car. The passenger, a world

famous model, sustained extensive liver damage and will spend

many months in rehabilitation. Using a hand held cellular phone in

your car while you are driving can be very dangerous and possibly

cost you your life. When a driver uses a hand held cell phone

while the car is in motion, he has limited control of his vehicle,

becomes prone to reckless driving, and makes himself more

vulnerable to getting into an accident. The State of California

should ban the use of hand held cell phones while a car is in

motion to reduce the amount of accidents, to reduce the amount of

innocent people being injured, and to reduce the amount of money

being spent on traffic accidents.

Example

Recently a driver reached for his cell phone, lost control of

the car, and crashed into another car. The passenger, a world

famous model, sustained extensive liver damage and will spend

many months in rehabilitation. Using a hand held cellular phone in

your car while you are driving can be very dangerous and possibly

cost you your life. When a driver uses a hand held cell phone

while the car is in motion, he has limited control of his vehicle,

becomes prone to reckless driving, and makes himself more

vulnerable to getting into an accident. The State of California

should ban the use of hand-held cell phones while a car is in

motion to (A.)reduce the amount of accidents, (B.)to reduce the

amount of innocent people being injured, and (C.)to reduce the

amount of money being spent on traffic accidents.

Active vs. Passive Voice • In a sentence using active

voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb

– I broke the window.

– The boys ate all of the pie.

• In the passive voice, the receiver of the action is the subject of the sentence.

– The window was broken.

– The window was broken by me.

Transitions

• Words that show some type of change or relation to other ideas in your writing.

• Examples

• Firstly • To begin with, • Next • Furthermore • At the same time • Additionally • In contrast • Finally • In conclusion

Transitions

In groups of 2-3 you will choose one of the

following topics to give instructions for.

When writing your instructions, you MUST use

a transition for each step (you may only use a

number transition once i.e. first, second, third,

etc.).

Topics

How to make a grilled cheese

How to make a pizza

How to build a birdhouse

Another idea? Check with me first.

There must be at least 5 steps

Example

How to Dougie

First, you need a beat that is super

bumping.

Next, you will have to back it up

And subsequently, you will then

dump it

Furthermore, you will put your arms

out font.

And most importantly, you need to

lean side to side.

CONCLUSION

Sentence 1:

___________ IN DIFFERENT WORDS

Sentences 2, 3, 4: RE-STATE 3 BIG IDEAS OF

EACH BODY

Sentence 5: CLOSING THOUGHTS

-GENERAL IDEA OF WHOLE TOPIC

-POWERFUL STATEMENT

1) RE-STATE THESIS

RE-STATE THESIS

A reminder of how your essay should look…

Introduction

Body paragraph 1

Conclusion

Body paragraph 2

Body paragraph 3

Transitions

Your paper doesn’t show a smooth flow of thoughts. You need to add

transitions between ideas and paragraphs.

I have no idea what a transition

is. What are some words that

I can use to make my paper

flow?

Transitions… Transition words and phrases are vital to the success

of any essay. They are the bread and butter of writing.

They are the glue that holds all essays together.

There are several categories of transition devices.

Each category leads the reader to make certain

connections or assumptions.

Let’s play with transitions!