"A book, too, can be a star, 'explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,' a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe." - from Madeleine L'Engle's Newberry Medal Acceptance Speech

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Argument Essay: From Outline to Essay

1. Reread and revise your outline.
- Is your thesis clear, specific, and convincing? Does it include: opinion, reasons, contrasting or opposing idea, an overview of the body paragraphs?
- Do the topic sentences accurately and clearly state the main idea of the paragraph and connect clearly to the thesis?
- Do you have at least 2 pieces of evidence in each body paragraph? Are they the best evidence to support your claim?
- If necessary, find new evidence.

2. Write the essay.
- for your introduction, begin with a lead, then provide context, and finally, write your thesis statement at the end
- write your body paragraphs; follow guidelines for writing body paragraphs (transition + topic sentence, context, evidence, elaboration, concluding sentence)
- cite your source; at the end of the quotation or paraphrase, include (last name page number).
- write your conclusion - follow guidelines on notetaking worksheet - Why is your topic important? What are your suggestions for improving the problem? How can you further convince the reader of your thesis? Do not just restate the thesis.
- proofread and edit!

1 comment:

  1. Possible lead:
    - an anecdote
    - quotation from one of your sources
    - universal theme
    - thought-provoking statement or statistic,fact
    - comparison/contrast
    - counterargument
    - a definition
    - a clear description of the problem

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