1. Hook Introduce the human nature debate Introduce the behavior Thesis (claiming cause of behavior)

2. #1 – HOOK Short Anecdote (brief story to serve as an example. Sets the context. Should be interesting.) Less than a year after taking his first ecstasy pill, Daniel, a once athletic high school sophomore described himself in the following way: "I was skinny. My skin was the color of paper. My teeth were rotting out. I would steal anything I could get my hands on. I stole valuables from my dad. I didn't see anything wrong with the way I was acting."

3. #1 – HOOK Surprising Fact (not common knowledge; relates to your topic; jaw dropper) According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the medical cost of teen drug abuse came to roughly $60 billion in the United States last year alone.

4. #1 – HOOK Reference to Pop Culture (“pop” doesn’t necessarily mean Miley Cyrus; relate to your audience in some way; allude to something your audience knows.) For every “This is your brain on drugs” type message pushed on a teenager, five dealers are willing to give out the first hit for free. For every student who sincerely buys into the D.A.R.E. program at school, many more rifle through their parents’ medicine cabinet once home seeking that perfect high.

5. #2 & #3 – Introduce HUMAN NATURE DEBATE and BEHAVIOR Consider posing a question to introduce the controversy. So, what separates the kids who choose to experiment with drugs from those who are able to abstain?

6. #2 & #3 – Introduce HUMAN NATURE DEBATE and BEHAVIOR These two ideas may be kept separate or work together as a single statement. Along with a multitude of other human behaviors, the debate concerning teen drug use often focuses on intrinsic biological reasons versus environmental factors.

7. #4 – THESIS STATEMENT CONCESSION / REFUTATION yes, but Concession = acknowledging the other side of the argument Despite the fact that / Although / Even though / Though / While While the developing region in the adolescent brain that controls judgment contributes to a teen’s decision to use drugs, Notice the comma after the concession phrase

8. #4 – THESIS STATEMENT Concession / Refutation Refutation = Presenting the primary factors responsible for your chosen factor (it outweighs the first argument) that decision is predominantly influenced by the media’s glamorization of drug use and the lack of parental involvement in a teen’s education. Notice that the factors are specific – not just “nature” or “nurture”.

9. #4 – THESIS STATEMENT Concession followed by primary cause of behavior broken down into specific factors While the developing region in the adolescent brain that controls judgment contributes to a teen’s decision to use drugs, that decision is predominantly influenced by the media’s glamorization of drug use and the lack of parental involvement in a teen’s education.

10. #4 – THESIS STATEMENT Again – be as clear and specific as possible when presenting your thesis.

11. ALL TOGETHER NOW Hook Introduce the human nature debate Introduce the behavior Thesis (claiming cause of behavior) For every “This is your brain on drugs” type message pushed on a teenager, five dealers are willing to give out the first hit for free. For every student who sincerely buys into the D.A.R.E. program at school, many more rifle through their parents’ medicine cabinet once home seeking that perfect high. So, what separates the kids who choose to experiment with drugs from those who are able to abstain? Along with a multitude of other human behaviors, the debate concerning teen drug use often focuses on intrinsic biological reasons versus environmental factors. While the developing region in the adolescent brain that controls judgment contributes to a teen’s decision to use drugs, that decision is predominantly influenced by the media’s glamorization of drug use and the lack of parental involvement in a teen’s education.