Essay Review

In Preparation for our In Class Essay Tomorrow!

Part 1

What will I be looking for?

The Evaluation• Plan: done, complete, used/improved on

• Structure: follows what we discuss in class

• Focus: stay on topic, prove your thesis

• Ideas: mature, complex, fully explained

• Matters of Correctness: few errors

• Word Choice: effective and appropriate

Can You Sketch Out the Parts of an Essay?

Can You Sketch Out the Parts of a Hamburger Paragraph?

Use This Structure to Guide You in Writing Your Plan and

in Writing Your Essay GENERAL

Introduction Paragraph SPECIFIC

Body Paragraphs

Conclusion SPECIFIC Paragraph GENERAL

THESIS

THESIS

(in new words)

Your Plan Should Include

Thesis Statement: The one sentence statement that answers the questions and tells what you will be proving in your essay.

Main Idea of each body paragraph

The points, examples, or proof that you will use to support each main idea.

Sample Plan

What is the best way a student can prepare in

order to do well on their exams?

Thesis: In order to do well on their exams a student must study effectively, get plenty of rest, and arrive ready to write.

Body 1: Knowing how to study effectively is essential to being well prepared and doing well.

• Know what to study• Over a number of days• Ask for help• Rewrite or engage with notes (don’t just read

them)

Body 2: No matter how well prepared a student is, if they are not well rested then they will not be able to do their best work.

• Being tired increases stress, makes it harder to concentrate, makes it harder to remember things

• When you are well rested your brain has had a chance to go over the material, you will be better prepared to concentrate and better able to remember things.

Body 3: In order to do well a student must arrive physically and mentally ready to write their exam.

• Bring all supplies (water, pen/pencil, etc…)

• Leave distractions or items not allowed at home

• Go to the bathroom

• Know that they have done everything they could to prepare and actively seek to reduce stress (breathing exercises, thinking of calm things, not cramming)

Use the Plan to Write the Essay!!

Hamburger Paragraph

Main Idea of Paragraph

Explanation, Examples,

Reasons

Main/ Concluding Idea

Your Turn!!In small groups, practice creating a plan for one of the following essay topics.

Reminder: I will be looking for mature, complex ideas that can be fully explained.

Choose 1 Topic and Write an Essay Plan

• What one toy should every child have? (ex. ball, lego, barbie, blocks, sled, etc…)

• What is the best strategy for an athlete to improve their game?

• What book/tv series/video game should everyone be exposed to?

Can I Study for the In-Class Essay?

YES!• Know where you struggle and practice (your

previous essay is a good place to look)

• Make sure you know the structure of an essay and the structure of a paragraph.

• Make sure you know what needs to go in a plan (and what doesn’t)

• Practice generating essay plans fairly quickly (~15 minutes) – looking up debate topics will give you ideas of what to write about.