1. The Four-Paragraph Essay
Robert Shelton
George Wythe High School

2. 2 types of essays
There are two types of persuasive essays that we will be studying this year:
1. Personal essays
2. Essays criticizing literature
* brief quiz on the vocabulary having to do with the essay (ts, cd, cm, cs) etc.

3. Bi-part thesis:
Fall is my favorite season because of the beauty and football.
Pre-writing
TS:
Football season
TS:
Beauty CD
tailgating CD
HS fb games CD
leaves CD
weather CD
Pep rallies CD
decorations

4. Topic Sentence for our sample.
Fall is my favorite season because it is beautiful.
CD 3
Cooler Weather TS
Fall is beautiful
CD 1
Leaves
CD 2
Decorations
Each cd is developed by two sentences of commentary which further explain the idea.

5. Topic sentence (opening sentence of the 11-sentence :
TS: Fall is the best season because of the beauty.
Chunk 1:
CD: For example, the leaves are one of the leaves are so visually pleasing.
CM: The leaves change to colors from maroon, yellow, brown, and even burnt orange.
CM: The variety of colors make the mountains look like a patch-work quilt.

6. Chunk 2
CD: Another example is the beauty is found in the decorations of the season.
CM: People often decorate their homes with pumpkins, bales of straw, and happy scarecrows.
CM: These decorations are so full of color and their appearance seems to radiate a happy feeling to all who see them.

7. Chunk 3
CD: The final example of how Fall is beautiful is in the other ways that the cooler weather affects the countryside.
CM: The chilly weather brings frost and fog in the early morning.
CM: The frost and fog seemingly paint the valleys with a beautiful contrast of white on the darker mountainsides.
*** The final sentence of a body paragraph is always the concluding sentence.

8. Putting the outline together.
My favorite season is fall because of the beauty. For example, the leaves are so visually pleasing. The leaves change to colors like maroon, yellow, brown, and even burnt orange. The variety of colors make the mountains look like a patch-work quilt. Another example of the beauty can be found in the decorations of the season. People often decorate using bright orange pumpkins and rustic scarecrows. These types of decorations seem to create a happy mood. Finally, the final way fall is an extremely beautiful season is in how the weather affects the countryside. The cooler weather brings frost and fog. I love when the fog roams the mountainside creating a stark contrast of white on black. Fall is a wonderful season because of the beauty.
Editing: what is the strongest part of this paragraph? What is the weakest? How can it be improved?

9. 2nd body paragraph
Another thing that makes fall wonderful is football season. For example, I love high school football. It is a lot of fun to socialize at Friday night games. It can be a bonding experience to come together with friends to support the Maroons. In addition, tailgating before games is terrific. My mom cooks up the best hot wings. I also love to make my famous potato salad for everyone to eat. Finally, the last thing I love about football season is going to Homecoming. There is nothing better than dancing a celebratory dance after the Homecoming victory. It is also a good opportunity to get dressed up for a special occasion. In conclusion, football season spices up Fall and makes it a great time of year.

10. Your turn…
Create your own body paragraph on why Fall is your favorite season. Either using my outline (on football) or create your own.
*Create your outline and draft on paper; then transfer to a poster.