Essay Writing English Notes Mrs. Jewett

 We can compare an essay to an umbrella.  In a paragraph, the umbrella symbolizes the topic sentence, or main idea. The Umbrella Model

Why an umbrella?  In an essay, the umbrella symbolizes the thesis paragraph which contains the main idea of the essay.  All other information must fall under this paragraph and support its content.

Opening the umbrella  Tell us exactly what you’re going to say in your first sentence.  Explain how you’re going to prove it in your first paragraph.

Follow the model  Get it done simply and easily in the body paragraphs.  Sum it all up in the conclusion, just in case the reader forgot what you were trying to say in the first place.

Introduction  Your topic sentence tells the reader exactly what you plan to prove  Example  I like ice cream.

Easy, huh? I like ice cream is really simple. If you said, “The Iraq War has several controversies” or “Jerry Spinelli, the author of Star Girl, has written several teen-related novels” we would also know exactly what your paper was about. Now, how are you going to attack the topic?

Decide on subtopics  Topic sentence: I like ice cream  Example  It has many different flavors.  It reminds me of my youth.  Ice cream cools me off on hot days.

Not done yet….  We have three good subtopics, which can easily be developed, but we need to tie the whole paragraph off with a conclusion, just in case the reader isn’t following plan.  It’s like the bow on a present.

Example of Concluding Sentence  I really enjoy ice cream.

The whole thesis paragraph… I like ice cream. It has many different flavors. It reminds me of my youth. Ice cream cools me off on hot days. I really enjoy ice cream.

Umbrella Activity  During the weekend, I would prefer to play sports or talk on the phone, but I often have to do chores around the house. The three chores I dread the most are ________________,_______, and ____________.

 The first chore  The second chore  The third chore

Because I must________, I rarely have time to figure out new soccer strategies or run wild in the grass. My parents say these dreaded chores will help build character, but right now all I’m concerned about building is my stamina on the field.

The body paragraphs…  After you have told the reader exactly what the paper is about, you have laid out a plan of attack for him to follow.

Body paragraphs  The rest of the composition is just filling out the details. For the topic sentence of our second paragraph, we simply look at the second sentence of our introduction:  Ice cream has many different flavors.

Filling it in  We can copy our third sentence as the topic sentence of our third paragraph, and our fourth in the same way.  It is then a simple matter to fill in three specific examples in each paragraph to clarify our ideas.

Body paragraph #1  Ice cream has many different flavors. Chocolate is one of my favorites because it is very sweet and I love sweet things. Rocky Road is yet another great flavor. The nuts add a terrific “chewiness” to the sweet chocolate. A third great flavor is Superman ice cream which mixes all the colors of Superman’s costume into a pretty, tutti-frutti mixture that looks as good as it tastes. These are just a few of the many terrific flavors I like in ice cream.

Body Paragraph #2  Ice cream reminds me of my youth. Every time I have an ice cream cone, I remember the fun I had when I was 14 and I spilled my cone down Helen’s bathing suit. Everyone laughed when she ran screaming down the beach. Ice cream sundaes remind me of the great times we had at Cold Stone when I was younger, ordering huge concoctions called, “Kitchen sinks”. Just hearing the sound of the ice cream man’s truck brings back good memories of all the times Jacob took Anthony’s push-up pops. Even the dog got to enjoy a push-up pop every now and then. Ice cream today always brings back great memories.

Body Paragraph #3  Ice cream is a great way to cool off. Once, when it was 100 degrees in the shade, I had a vanilla thick shake and felt very cool. Another time, it was so hot, we got cool just sitting around the ice cream truck enjoying the cool breeze. Last week, the beach was so hot I was burning my feet in the sand. I got some ice cream and put a little on my feet to soothe the heat. Whenever I’ve needed cooling down, I have always turned to ice cream.

Conclusion  I have many reasons for loving ice cream. It is a great cooler downer. It brings back many fun memories of my childhood. It comes in all kinds of great flavors. When I scream, it’s for ice cream!

Creative Thinking  Now that you understand the idea of the umbrella model, think of other comparisons we could use to symbolize the thesis paragraph in an essay.

Peer Editing Rubric  Does the thesis paragraph express three main points clearly?  Are the three main points developed in the body paragraphs?  Is the topic for each paragraph expressed clearly?  Do the supporting details in each paragraph tie into the topic?  Are there various types of supporting details (facts, examples, sensory, etc) ?  Does the concluding paragraph wrap-up all the main points?

Opinion Essay Rubric  Make sure the thesis is an opinion.  State the three reasons for your opinion in your thesis paragraph.  Least important reason to most important in the body of the essay. Each reason should become a paragraph.  Most important to least important in the conclusion.  Follow sentence guidelines from editing sheet.

Persuasive Essay  State your opinion in the thesis.  Offer reasons to convince the reader to accept the opinion or support the action.  Reasons are often supported by facts, statistics, and examples.  What are the pros and cons? Make sure to make reference to this is your essay.

Searching for a topic  Explore experiences from your daily life that inspire strong opinions.  Think about the following questions:  Do I feel strongly about this topic?  Do people disagree about this topic?  Do I have enough to say about this topic to persuade others to accept my position?