1. Journey into the Unknown Source: Mr. Leal
The Perfect Essay
Journey into the Unknown
Source: Mr. Leal

2. Introduction Presents the subject of the essay Responds to the prompt
Proceeds from general to specific
3-6 sentences
Ends in thesis statement
Strong, academic diction

3. Thesis Statement Central focus for essay
Argumentative- establishes what you’re going to prove
Responds to prompt
Not a list
Goes beyond classroom discussion

4. Body Paragraphs Logical steps in a complete argument
Solid topic sentence
Smooth transitions, when necessary
Concrete details (quotation/evidence) set up correctly
Profound and insightful analysis of evidence

5. C-SEE or Evidential Block
C = Claim
S = Set-Up
E = Evidence
E = Explanation

6. C = Claim Topic sentence for the paragraph NOT summary or quotation
Proves / supports your Thesis Statement
Can be more than one sentence
Ex.: The museum represents Holden’s desire for childhood innocence.

7. S = Set-up Gives the context for your quotation / evidence
Can be more than one sentence
Must be punctuated properly
“,” Use comma after dialogic set-up
“:” Use colon after independent clause set-up
Ex. Holden finds comfort and stability in the museum, because unlike Holden, it is a place that never changes:

8. E = Evidence MUST NOT be merely summary
“Holden went to the Natural History Museum”
MUST relate to your thesis statement and/or claim
MUST have page or line reference
Ex.: “The best thing though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was” (121).

9. E = Explanation
Never assume that the connection between you Evidence and Thesis is obvious to the reader.
Do the work of explaining HOW the quotation PROVES your claim
Should be 1:5 ratio with quotation
Ex.: If Holden never changed, and he were able to remain in childhood forever, he wouldn’t be experiencing all the growing pains he’s now enduring. The museum represents his attachment to childhood, the time in life before things started to change and get so complicated. Holden believes that if life were like the museum and never changed, he wouldn’t be so conflicted. Holden’s appreciation of the museum shows that he desires permanence and stability.

10. Example of Evidential Block
C: Mr. Leal is mentally unstable.
S: After class yesterday,
E: Mr. Leal was sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth and drooling all over himself.
E: For the average adult, sitting in a corner and drooling on oneself indicates that all is not well mentally and emotionally. Usually, we refer people with these symptoms to psychiatric care. We do not put them in charge of American teenagers.

11. Example of Evidential Block
C: Mr. Leal dominates on the basketball court.
S: I talked to one of my friends this morning who tried to play defense against him, and he said,
E: “Mr. Leal scored 43 points off me yesterday, draining threes, slamming on my head, and faking me out of not only my shoes but my socks, too!”
E: Anyone who can score 43 points in one game is pretty good. My friend has always been recognized as a great defender, so if anyone scores off him, they’re doing pretty well. Furthermore, we can agree that any player who can fake his defender out of his socks and his shoes clearly dominates. [etc.]

12. Example of Evidential Block
C: Simba matures physically, but, more importantly, he has grown emotionally over the course of the story.
S: At the end of the story,
E: Simba confronts Scar and the evil hyenas.
E: Though it is significant that Simba confronts his enemies physically, it is more important that he no longer runs from his problems but faces up to his mistakes of the past. He admits to the truth of his father’s death, accepting responsibility in a new and healthy manner. Furthermore, he demonstrates his inherently heroic nature by confronting the enemies of his civilization in a way others have been unable to.

13. Example of Evidential Block
C: The narrator of Green Eggs and Ham changes for the better.
S: At the conclusion of the epic, the narrator exclaims,
E: “I do so like / green eggs and ham! / Thank you! Thank you, / Sam-I-am!” (62).
E: The narrator’s gratitude reflects his inner emotional growth. He has discovered that trying new things might be better than sticking to his old, uninspired ways. Though he has been resistant to Sam-I-am throughout most of the text, here, at the end, he relents to Sam-I-am’s indefatigable pressure to stretch his boundaries. After a person extends himself, he often feels better about himself, even though it might have been difficult and uncomfortable initially.

14. Conclusion 3-6 sentences, reversing the funnel of the introduction.
Specific to general
Profound insights
Rewording of the thesis
Hardest paragraph to write
Least important

15. For the Perfect Essay, you need…
Skill
Practice
Forward-looking perspective
thinking, planning, and practicing
Sentence variety
Vocabulary growth
Philosophical and academic maturity