Building an Essay

1
Building an EssayFirst, Pre-write its
important!

• Consider the prompt and decide how you want to
  organize your essay.
• How will you hook the reader?
• What is your thesis or main idea? Write a thesis
  statement to guide your essay.
• What are your supporting details? Can each
  expand into a paragraph?

2
How to begin

• What type of hook or lead will you use to engage
  the reader?
• Consult the handout for ideas.
• Do you want to start with a statistic? Some
  interesting facts? An anecdote?

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Then, give some background on your topic.

• Why is this topic important? What supporting
  ideas will you use in your essay?
• Dont give too much detail in the introductory
  paragraph just enough to pique interest.

4
End your introductory paragraph by stating your
thesis.

• The thesis or main idea for your essay is best
  placed at the end of the introductory paragraph.
• All paragraphs that follow will back up the
  thesis statement.
• Lets look at the prompt

5

• Writing Situation
• Your principal is considering adding a new
  academics class to the connections schedule.
  This class must be academic it cannot be a sport
  or hobby. Some examples of an academic connection
  are astronomy, genetics, creative writing,
  psychology, sociology, or journalism. There are
  many more possibilities. Choose one. Ms. Lyons is
  taking recommendations from the student body.
• Writing Prompt
• (Expository) Use your expert voice
• Ms. Lyons has chosen you to select an academic
  connections class to solve the problem of student
  apathy. Describe the class and how it will
  motivate apathetic students. You will address
  apathy as a problem and your class as the
  solution.

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Your first task

• Write an introductory paragraph for the
  expository prompt.
• Ms. Lyons, choosing Basic Psychology as an
  addition to the connections schedule was a wise
  decision. This class will not only combat the
  growing problem of student apathy, but it will
  allow students to understand why apathy occurs.
  Middle school students have a natural curiosity
  about the workings of the mind. Now, young
  scholars will have a captivating experience as
  they navigate their way through the mysteries of
  human behavior exploring psychological terms,
  concepts, and case studies.

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Next, use the key ideas that support your thesis
statement to craft body paragraphs

• Each paragraph will detail one of your supporting
  ideas.
• For example, in my introductory paragraph, I
  explained that in Basic Psychology, students
  would learn about new terms, concepts, and case
  studies. My first body paragraph will discuss
  the importance of learning the terms.

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1st Body Paragraph

• In the beginning, students will need to tackle
  the terminology of Basic Psychology. Phrases
  like phobia, personality disorder, and coping
  strategy will seem foreign at first. Add example
  using phobia. However, learning the vocabulary
  of psychology will provide a foundation for
  further understanding. Familiarity with the
  language of human behavior will enable middle
  schoolers to better navigate complex concepts.