Writing the Essay“Without words, without writing,

and without books there would be no history, and there could be no

concept of humanity.”

Explore TopicsO Use knowledge and personal

experienceO Think about your purpose

O Inform, Entertain, Persuade

Thesis StatementsO Similar to a topic sentence in a

paragraphO Introduces the topic of the essay and

arouses the readers’ interest

CharacteristicsO Expresses the main topic of the

essayO Contains a controlling ideaO A complete sentence that usually

appears in the essay’s introductory paragraph

Effective Thesis Statements

O Ask yourself…O Is my thesis statement a complete

statement with a controlling idea?O Does my thesis statement make a

valid and supportable point?O Can I support my thesis statement in

an essay?

Let’s Practice!O All teachers have a class favorite.

O The streets are becoming more dangerous.

O How to use a digital camera.

The Essay PlanO Helps you organize your thesis

statement and supporting ideas before you write a draft

O Examples: p. 184-187

Organization Template

Thesis StatementI. Topic Sentence

I. Supporting DetailII. Supporting Detail

II. Topic Sentence

The Writer’s Desk pg. 187

The IntroductionO Introduces the subject of your essayO Contains the thesis statementO Lead-Ins

O QuotationO Surprising, Provocative StatementO Question

Introduction StylesO Give general or historical

background informationO Tell an interesting anecdoteO Present a vivid descriptionO Present the opposing positionO Give a definition

The ConclusionO Final paragraphO Rephrases the thesis statement and

summarizes the main points of the essay

O Close with a prediction, suggestion, quotation, or call to action

O David’s Conclusion – p. 191

The Essay TitleO Write after you’ve completed your

essayO Brief; Depict the topic and purpose;

Attract the reader’s attentionO Center on the page; Capitalize first

words (not prepositions or articles)O Descriptive TitlesO Titles Related to Writing Patterns