Writing a Good Essay

Essays should be in third person. Do not talk to the reader: –If you think… –If that sounds familiar… –As you can imagine…. Do not use “I” –I am going to tell you… –I think…… Writing a Good Essay General Tips

You should never use just the first name of an important person in history. YES: Christopher Columbus’ voyage marked a turning point in history. NO: The Columbian Exchange was a result of Christopher’s voyage to the New World. YES: The author of A Brief History of the World explains the significance of Columbus’ voyage.

Do not start sentences with: –But- And –So- Because Words to avoid using: –got- a lot –things- like Writing a Good Essay General Tips

Essay Format Every essay that you complete must be in the following format. -Typed in 12pt font -Use Times New Roman font -The title for the essay should be centered. Do not change the font size or color. -Double spaced -Contain a header, aligned right -Full first and last name -Class period -Teacher name -date

Essay Outline Introductory paragraph with a good thesis statement Supporting paragraphs Conclusion paragraph

Introduction The introduction should grab the readers attention. The introduction should not give the reader the details – this is for the supporting paragraphs The introduction should build to the thesis statement

Thesis Statements An effective thesis statement meets three requirements Fully addresses the question asked Takes a position with regard to the question asked Provides organizational categories that will be used in the essay

Fully addresses the question asked. This means that the thesis statement could be read by itself and you would know what the paper was about. YES: The colonists of Jamestown endured many hardships due to location, lack of planning, and poor leadership. NO: They endured many hardships due to location, lack of planning, and poor leadership. NO: The colonists endured many hardships.

Takes a position with regard to the question asked You need to give your opinion (without using I) YES: The voyage of Christopher Columbus had a negative impact on the New World by bringing about the slow decline of Native American culture. YES: The voyage of Christopher Columbus had a positive impact on the world by opening up trade between the old and new world. NO: The voyage of Christopher Columbus led to many good and bad things.

Does it pass the “show me test” If the reader would say after reading your thesis statement “okay show me” – then you have a good thesis statement. If the reader would say “no kidding” after reading your thesis statement – then you have not given a good thesis statement.

Show Me Test The Civil War was a long and bloody war. “yeah no kidding” The major reason that the Civil War was fought was over the issue of slavery. “Really? Show me. Prove it.”

Provides organizational categories that will be used in the essay The thesis statement should tell the reader what topics are going to be discussed in the supporting paragraphs. YES: The colonists of Jamestown endured many hardships due to location, lack of planning, and poor leadership. There will be three supporting paragraphs. One that explains the location, one that explains the lack of planning and one that explains the poor leadership. NO: The colonists of Jamestown endured many hardships. We are unaware what the hardships are that the colonists faced.

Supporting Paragraphs Each effective supporting paragraph contains: A topic sentence –relates back to the thesis –introduces the major topic of the paragraph, and a category of analysis Logically organized evidence with interpretive commentary that supports the thesis A clincher sentence –ties the paragraph together and links it back to the thesis statement. –In some cases, this sentence might also serve as a transition to the next paragraph

The sentence should let the reader know what the paragraph is going to be about. YES: The Jamestown colonists set up their colony in a swampy marsh that led to many problems. NO: The colonists had some problems when they landed. Topic Sentence

Clincher Sentence This sentence can do two things: -Wrap the paragraph up in a conclusion sentence. -Be a transition sentence into the next paragraph. YES: The problem of location was made worse when combined with the poor leadership of the colony. YES: Due to the poor location the colony almost failed within the first year.

Conclusion Stress the importance of the thesis statement Give the essay a sense of completeness Leave a final impression on the reader.

Suggestions for Conclusions Answer the questions “So What?” Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful Synthesize, don’t summarize Do not simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together. Create a new meaning You do not have to give new information to create new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture.

Practice Thesis Statements

Thesis Statement Was the U.S. justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?

The U.S. was justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima for both military and moral reasons. The U.S. was not militarily or morally justified in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The U.S. was justified militarily but not morally in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The U.S. was justified morally but not militarily in dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Identify the three key elements in each thesis

Identify the effective theses based on the three key elements of a thesis. The reforms of the Progressive Era improved the quality of life for Americans. Assess the extent to which this statement is valid.

While Progressive Era reforms did succeed in improving conditions for most Americans, people were often neglected and forced to fight for justice and opportunity on their own. While Progressive Era reforms did succeed in improving conditions for most Americans, African Americans and Native Americans were often neglected and forced to fight for justice and opportunity on their own. Progressive reformers achieved a lot during the Progressive Era. Progressive reformers achieved social and economic change during the Progressive Era.

Read the following thesis statements and determine if they are effective. If they are not tell why they are not effective. Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. Why did this difference in development occur?

1. The difference in development between New England and the Chesapeake can be accounted for primarily by the reasons for the settlement of the two regions. Additionally, each developed very distinctively because of the variance in the geographic conditions, their economic activities, and the social institutions each of the regions created. Contains all the elements

2. By the early 1700s events in Europe caused a mass migration to colonial America. Most of these events were political, religious, and economic in nature. Consequently, a variety of individuals for an assortment of reasons found their way to the New England and Chesapeake Bay colonies. Does not take a position

3. The Chesapeake colonies were sharply different from the New England colonies because of the leadership of John Smith, the presence of a high percentage of young men, and the powerful economic motives that drove its founders. Does not fully address the question

4. Although New England and the Chesapeake appeared to be sharply different from each other, in truth their founding and their early development marked them as similar. Does not provide organizational categories

5. The New England and Chesapeake colonies were not the same; that is a good thing. The two colonies had different religions. This led to war with the Indians, which was another way that the colonies differed. The weather was different because it was very cold in New England and very hot in Virginia. This led to the adoption of slavery in the Chesapeake region. Does not contain any of the elements

Explain how the voyages of Columbus and the Columbian Exchange marked a turning point in history of the Americas. Compare and contrast how the Spanish and English conquests of the Americas affected Native Americans ways of life.