Body Paragraphs

What are they? They are the toppings (veggies, cheese, condiments) on the sandwich. They ALL work to support the claim made in the thesis. They ALL use evidence and SHOW your argument to be valid.

Key Components Topic Sentence – Relates the topic of the paragraph to your thesis. Supporting Evidence – 2-3 pieces of specific evidence that SHOW. Analysis – Analysis (1-3 sentences) that discuss how your evidence shows your detail AND supports your thesis. Concluding sentence – That goes beyond simply saying “this is why…”

Topic Sentences Relate the topic of the paragraph to your thesis. It functions as a “mini-thesis” for the paragraph. Sample Thesis: Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete of all time because of his athleticism, mental toughness, and extensive accolades. Michael Jordan is extremely athletic. Michael Jordan’s athleticism is unparalleled by any other athlete. Of all of his attributes, Michael Jordan’s athleticism is the most incredible. THE 2 nd is best because it connects the DETAIL to your THESIS.

What about the rest? The rest works like a mini-Response Paper! Include evidence using the 3Cs (context, claim, citation). Analyze your evidence to connect your details from the paragraph to the claim made in your thesis. Wrap up your paragraph with a sentence that says more than, “This is why Michael Jordan is athletic.” (Instead: “Michael Jordan’s athletic feats are still admired and emulated by fans and athletes to this day.”

How do I organize them? Great question! Organize by Quality/Characteristic being discussed. Organize Chronologically from beginning-end of the literature. Organize by Character being discussed.

This sounds too easy… That’s because you are already good at it. Here is what you should DEFINITELY watch out for: – Do NOT simply offer a plot summary of what happens in the story or to a character. – Do NOT include details or information that does not directly relate to your thesis. – Do NOT fail to include a strong topic sentence. – Do NOT fail to analyze/connect your evidence.

Let’s Recap Topic Sentence – Relates the topic of the paragraph to your thesis. Supporting Evidence – 2-3 pieces of specific evidence that SHOW. Analysis – Analysis (1-3 sentences) that discuss how your evidence shows the detail AND supports your thesis. Concluding sentence – That goes beyond simply saying “this is why…”