M.E.A.L. Plan Organizing Essays

Introduction Paragraph Audience begins in own lives, out in the world, not thinking about your topic Begin with a “hook” Quote (or Definition) Surprising fact Anecdote (mini-story) Rhetorical question Introduce the general topic Title, author, key plot points Statistics or key facts Anything the audience should know in order to understand the thesis Thesis statement Hook (Grabs the audience and draws them in) General Info (gives them background) Thesis Audience may agree or disagree, but they should understand what you mean at this point

Body Paragraphs Body paragraphs follow the M.E.A.L. format Typically three or more of these: Body Paragraph 1 (MEAL) Body Paragraph 2 (MEAL) Body Paragraph 3 (MEAL)

M: Main Idea Also known as: Supports the thesis Topic Sentence Claim Supports the thesis Frames the paragraph by showing upfront what will be proven Statement should logically relate to thesis Connection may not be obvious in this sentence Will be made clear later in the paragraph

E: Evidence Quote or fact Supports main idea “You can’t use quotes like hand grenades, just throwing them in and expecting them to do all the work on their own.” ~Mr. Cooper (That is, you need to both introduce quotes, and explain/ analyze them). “Assertions without evidence are hollow.” ~Mrs. Zentz (That is, your opinion is no good unless you can back it up with facts). Quote or fact Supports main idea (and therefore thesis!) Must be introduced/ embedded May need an extra sentence between M and E

A: Analysis Analyze / evaluate the evidence Explain its significance to the main idea and/or to the story Dig into deeper meanings where applicable Answers the question, “So what?” about the evidence Should make up most of the paragraph (typically three or more sentences)

L: Link With analysis, makes up the warrant This is key!! Last sentence of a paragraph should provide transition by linking to the thesis Shows how this main idea supports the thesis This is key!! Connects the ideas of the essay Provides cohesion Supports thesis Basically, makes the whole thing work!

Give a mission, “book ends” (recap “hook”) Conclusion Audience is wrapped up in the topic at this point, so review all the evidence to drive the point home! Restates thesis In new words! NEVER the exact same wording as the thesis statement Recaps what has been proven Again, avoiding repetition Sends the audience back to their lives with a new purpose or mission Like, “go buy this book,” for example. Sometimes, refers back to “hook” in a “book end” technique Restate Thesis Recap Body ¶s Give a mission, “book ends” (recap “hook”) Send audience back out to their lives with new ideas, and maybe a mission!