Writing an Essay

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Writing an Essay
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Created by Jennifer Davis
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The Diagram

• When we write an essay the flow of information
  can be fit into a diagram that looks something
  like this

You will find out what fits into all of these
shapes. For now lets start at the beginning.
Think about the way that you would start an essay.
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The Introduction

• When we start a project we usually start at the
  beginning. Keeping this in mind, where do you
  think the introduction is found in the essay?
• Click on the section in the essay to the right
  where you think the introduction would be found.

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• Try again.
• Hint You use the introduction to let the reader
  know what the topic of your paper will be. They
  would read this information first.

Click here to try again.
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Great!

• The introduction is that paragraph that is used
  to introduce the writer to the essay. Therefore,
  it is the first paragraph in the essay.
• For the essay diagram the introduction looks like
  this

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To Format an Introduction . . .

• The first sentence of an introduction should
• be about the main theme of your essay.
• After the first sentence the information is
• narrowed until the thesis is reached.

Broad Sentence
Thesis
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• Click on the sentence below that you think
• would make the best first sentence for an
• introduction for an essay on the topic of
• your favorite singer.

I am going to talk about my favorite singer in
this essay. Frank Sinatra is a great
singer. Working hard often helps to add
character to a person.
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• Not Quite.
• Remember the first sentence should not be too
  specific and it should include a broad topic that
  you will address in your essay.

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Right!

• The first sentence of an introduction is broad.
  So using the sentence
• Working hard often helps to add character to a
  person.
• means that you will focus on how your favorite
  singer worked hard to become successful.

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The Thesis

• This is the most important sentence in your
  essay!
• A thesis is a sentence that tells the reader what
  your paper is about. It also provides some main
  points for your paper.

Click here for an example
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For example. . .

• If you were writing an essay on Marilyn Monroe,
  your thesis might say
• Although Marilyn Monroe suffered a tragic end,
  she had survived a traumatic childhood to become
  one of the most well-known actresses of all time.
• If this was your thesis you would have 3 main
  points in your paper
• Marilyn Monroe suffered a tragic end.
• Marilyn Monroe had a traumatic childhood.
• Marilyn Monroe is one of the most well-known
  actress of all time.

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• Think of your thesis as an umbrella for your
  essay. All of the information in your essay
  should fit under the umbrella.

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Going back to the example

• Although Marilyn Monroe suffered a tragic end,
  she had survived a traumatic childhood to become
  one of the most well-known actresses of all time.
• All of the information in your essay will fit
  under this umbrella. It will need to fit under
  one of the three main points.

Marilyn Monroe survived a traumatic childhood.
She is one of the most well-known actresses of
all time.
Marilyn Monroe suffered a tragic end.
Supporting Information
Supporting Information
Supporting Information
Supporting Information
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Back to those 3 main points

• Marilyn Monroe suffered a tragic end.
• Marilyn Monroe had a traumatic childhood.
• Marilyn Monroe is one of the most well-known
  actress of all time.
• Based on the three main points listed above,
  click on the sentence that would make good
  supporting information in your essay.
• Marilyn Monroe was a natural brunette.
• Marilyn Monroe was in some movies.
• Marilyn Monroe seemed to shine on camera.

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• Try Again.
• Hint Read the three main points and try to
  determine which sentence could fit under the
  umbrella.

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Correct!

• That sentence fits under the umbrella of the main
  point
• Marilyn Monroe is one of the most well known
  actresses of all time.

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• The thesis is the last sentence of your
  introduction.
• It is found here on the diagram

The Introduction
Thesis
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The Body of the Essay

• The body of the essay is where all of the
  supporting information is located. This is the
  middle section of the essay.
• Its section on our essay diagram looks like this

The body portion is the longest part of an essay.

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What information fits here?

• Click on the group of information below that you
  think would fit the best into the body portion of
  an essay.

• Name
• Date
• Hour

• Topic sentence
• Quotes
• examples

• Thesis
• Restatement of thesis
• A list of the works cited in the essay.

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• Not Quite!
• Hint The body portion of the essay contains all
  of the information needed to support the thesis.
  
• What kind of information would you use to back up
  what you wrote in your thesis?

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Correct!

• In the body portion of the essay we use items
  like quotes and examples to back up what was
  stated in the thesis sentence.
• Each body paragraph is also started with a topic
  sentence.

Click here to learn about topic sentences
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Topic Sentences

• A topic sentence
• is located as the first sentence of each body
  paragraph
• provides the main idea for each paragraph
• shows how the information in that paragraph will
  connect to the thesis
• Ties together information in the paragraph

Topic Sentence
Supporting Information
A Body Paragraph
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Click on the first word of the topic sentence in
the paragraph below.
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn love
adventure. For example, Tom convinces Huck and
their friend, Joe, to go to Jacksons Island with
him to pretend that they are pirates. Later Tom
and Huck explore a haunted house in search of
treasure. The boys seem to thrive on the
adventures that they encounter.
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• Try again.
• Remember The topic sentence is like an
  introduction to
• a body paragraph. Think of where an
• introduction is located.

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Right!

• The topic sentence introduces the paragraph and
  fits in with one of the main ideas in your
  thesis. It also connects the ideas in a
  paragraph.

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The Conclusion

• The conclusion of a book or movie comes at the
  end. Click on the part of the essay diagram
  below that you think is the conclusion.

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Yes!

• The conclusion of the essay is the last section.
• The conclusion is used to
• Restate the thesis
• Give a finished feel to the essay
• Leave the reader with a final thought

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• Not quite.
• The first section is called the introduction.
  It is used to introduce the essay and provide the
  main points.

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• Not quite.
• This is the body of the essay. It is used to
  provide supporting information for the thesis.

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• Now think back to the shape of the introduction.
  The conclusion is like the introduction, but it
  is flipped upside down.
• Click the place in the diagram of the conclusion
  where you think you would restate the thesis.

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Right!

• The thesis is stated at the point of the
  triangle. After the thesis is restated the
  conclusion moves on to some final thoughts.

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• Try again.
• Remember that in the introduction the thesis was
  the last sentence. It was found at the point of
  the triangle.

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Remember. . .

• The base of the triangle in the diagram shows us
  where a broad statement belongs. We started the
  essay with a broad statement, now we end with one
  at the base of the conclusion triangle.

Broad Statement
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A Review

• Which format is correct for an essay?

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Great Job!

• Youre off to a great start for writing your
  essay!

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• Not quite.
• Hint Remember the thesis is located at the
  point in each triangle. It is the last sentence
  of the introduction and the first sentence of the
  conclusion.

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