1. (Example from “The World on a Turtle’s Back”)
Writing an Essay
(Example from “The World on a Turtle’s Back”)

2. Essay Prompt
A theme is a central idea that the author wants to communicate to the audience. There are several universal themes in “The World on a Turtle’s Back.” Please track the development of 2 (regular) or 3 (honors) of these themes over the course of the story and explain how the themes come together to express the story’s overall significance.

3. Introduction Paragraph
First Sentence
Similar to the topic sentence in a paragraph
Introduces audience to the main purpose/idea of your essay
Example: “The World on A Turtle’s Back” is an Iroquois creation myth that contains several universal themes.
Transition to a brief summary of the story
Example: Specifically, the myth involves a woman who falls from the Sky World

4. Introduction Paragraph (Con’d)
Summary
3-4 sentences maximum.
Ask yourself, “what are the most important occurrences in the story that are necessary for the reader to follow my essay?”
Example
Woman falls through Sky World.
With the assistance of animals, lands on a turtle and begins to create the world with dirt from the ocean bottom.
Woman’s daughter eventually gives birth to twin brothers of opposing natures who help her create a balanced world.
Thesis statement is the last sentence in your introductory paragraph.

5. Writing a Thesis Statement
Two Parts
Topic – Universal themes in “The World on a Turtle’s Back”
Stance – What are you trying to prove or communicate about your topic? What do the themes here communicate about the story collectively?
Examples:
By tracing the development of several universal themes, the reader comes to appreciate “The World on a Turtle’s Back” as a multi-faceted myth that speaks not only to the creation of the world but also to the nature of humankind.

6. Writing a Thesis Statement (Con’d)
Examples (Con’d)
The themes in the “The World on a Turtle’s Back” all contribute to the reader’s understanding of the complexities inherent in creating the world.
What are some of your ideas?

7. Example Introduction
(TOPIC SENTENCE) “The World on A Turtle’s Back” is an Iroquois creation myth that contains several universal themes. (SUMMARY) Specifically, the myth tells the story of a woman who falls through the Sky World only to land on the back of a turtle. With the assistance of several animals, she begins to create the world with dirt from the ocean bottom. Eventually, her daughter gives birth to twin boys of opposing natures who help to create the world in a balanced fashion. (THESIS) By tracing the development of the story’s universal themes, the reader comes to appreciate “The World on a Turtle’s Back” as a multi-faceted myth that speaks not only to the creation of the world but also to nature of humankind.

8. Writing an Introduction: Review
All Introductions have 3 parts:
Topic Sentence
Summary
Thesis

9. 4 Elements of a Good Body Paragraph
Transition/Topic Sentence
The first theme that contributes to the reader’s understanding of “The World on a Turtle’s Back is that the universe thrives on balance.
Discussion/Evidence – 2 quotes required
Using textual evidence, describe how this theme evolves over the course of the story.
Follow your theme chart.
Analysis
Explain how this theme is important to the story as a whole and why it supports your thesis.
Concluding Sentence – restates your main idea

10. Example Body Paragraph
(Transition/Topic Sentence) The first theme that contributes to the reader’s understanding of “The World on a Turtle’s Back” is that the universe thrives on balance. (Discussion/Evidence) Throughout the story, twin brothers compete to bring many opposites into the world, “[t]he right- handed twin made berries for his creatures to live on The left- handed twin made poisonous plants. . . with which people kill themselves.” As these competitions continue, it becomes apparent that the twins’ rivalry “made a balanced and orderly world, and this was good.” (Analysis) Indeed the world needs the balance created by the twins. Without it, there might not be enough vegetation to support a large number of plant-eating animals. Carnivores are needed to control the number of vegetarians. The Iroquois understood this example as well as many others that show the importance of balance. Accordingly, they honor both the “right-handed twin through daytime rituals” and “in the nighttime. . . [they] sing for the left-handed twin.” (Conclusion) In conclusion, the competition among the twin brothers in the story demonstrates that balance is essential to creation.

11. Body Paragraphs: Review
Transition/Topic Sentence – Transition from the prior paragraph and introduce topic of new paragraph
Discussion/Evidence – discuss the development of the theme you are focusing on using at least 2 quotes.
Analysis – explain why the theme is important to the story as a whole and any it supports your thesis
Concluding sentence – restates your main idea (parallels your topic sentence)

12. Conclusion The last paragraph in an essay
1st Sentence - Restate your thesis
Summarize the theme in each of your body paragraphs; how does it support your thesis? (1-2 sentences per theme)
Again, rephrase your thesis. How do these theme come together?