1. Introductions and Body Paragraphs
Expository Essay

2. In ANY argumentative/expository essay you must remember the following:
You are answering the questions:
What do I think?
Why do I think it?
How do I know?

3. In ANY argumentative/expository essay you must remember the following:
You are answering the questions:
What do I think?
Why do I think it?
How do I know?
...which then become….
Your thesis/intro (What do I think?)
Your topic sentences in your body paragraphs (Why do I think it?)
Your evidence (How do I know?)

4. What do I think? (Thesis/Intro)

5. What do I think? (Thesis/Intro)
The three reasons you provide in your thesis must answer the question “What do I think”
Three Pronged Thesis/Claim: Protecting children from guns is an important issue to our country because too many children die each year in the home due to unprotected guns, an exponential amount of school shootings keep occurring, and suicides could be prevented if children did not have access to a gun.
What do I think? (Thesis/Intro)
Remember this from the Vote Your Future example? →
Reason 1
Reason 2
Reason 3
***Make sure your thesis does this before moving on!

6. What do I think? (Thesis → Full introduction)
You need to provide an introduction for your thesis that gives background information and “sets the stage” for your thesis (What you think). But don’t over-do it.
The United States is a country dedicated to protecting its’ citizens no matter the cost. Our forefathers provided us with the constitution that ensures all citizens to unalienable rights, but what happens when these rights are conflicting with the safety of American citizens? Protecting children from guns is an important issue to our country because too many children die each year in the home due to unprotected guns, an exponential amount of school shootings keep occurring, and suicides could be prevented if children did not have access to a gun.
What do I think? (Thesis → Full introduction)
You will take your polished three pronged thesis and turn it into a full introductory paragraph
**Note: Blue = Thesis statement/claim
Now your intro is done! Time for the body paragraphs

7. 2. Why do I think it? (Topic Sentences)

8. 2. Why do I think it? (Topic sentences for body paragraphs)
Reason 1 from thesis: too many children die each year in the home due to unprotected guns
Take this reason and expand it to create the topic sentence for body paragraph one (Note: Reason 1 becomes paragraph 1)
2. Why do I think it?
(Topic sentences for body paragraphs)
Body paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: One reason that protecting children from guns is a critical issue that deserves America’s attention is because too many children die each year in the home due to lack of gun protection and adults neglecting to keep them locked up in a safe place.
You will take your three reasons and elaborate to make your topic sentences for each body paragraph. Let’s take reason one.
**Note: Blue = reason given in thesis
Now your topic sentence for paragraph one is done, let’s continue..

9. 3. How do I know?
Evidence →
Picking a good quote
Integrating and citing a quote
Analyzing your evidence

10. 3. How do I know? Evidence to support your reason
Quote 1 from from research that supports my topic sentence: “80% of unintentional firearm deaths of kids occur at the home”
Body paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: One reason that protecting children from guns is a critical issue that deserves America’s attention is because too many children die each year in the home due to lack of gun protection and adults neglecting to keep them locked up in a safe place.
3. How do I know?
Evidence to support your reason
You will pick evidence from your research that you want to put in the paragraph to support your claim
**Notice how the quote I chose above in blue supports the statement I made in my topic sentence. This is good evidence and now I have to put it into my paragraph somehow

11. 3. How do I know? B. Integrating and citing your quote
S: Set up your quote
Q: Quote
U: Use Citation
I: Interpret Quote
D: Determine its connection to your claim
You have your quote that you know helps support your topic sentence. Now let’s set it up
Remember this acronym: S.Q.U.I.D

12. 3. How do I know? B. Integrating and citing your quote
Body paragraph 1:
Topic sentence: One reason that protecting children from guns is a critical issue that deserves America’s attention is because too many children die each year in the home due to lack of gun protection and adults neglecting to keep them locked up in a safe place. According to the Brady Campaign,“80% of unintentional firearm deaths of kids occur at the home,” (“Risks of Having a Gun in the Home”) which demonstrates that children are most often in danger from the guns that are in their own homes. The fear we have of guns extends beyond the streets into our homes and must be addressed by our government.
3. How do I know?
B. Integrating and citing your quote
Quote 1 from from research that supports my topic sentence: “80% of unintentional firearm deaths of kids occur at the home”
In text citation: (“Risks of Having a Gun in the Home”)
(S)et up your quote: (Author) (verb) ex. The Brady campaign states...
(Q) uote: “Insert quote”
(U)se Citation: (“Title of Website Title Page”)
(I)nterpret the quote
(D): Determine how it connects to your main claim