How do I write an essay?
It's not as hard as you think.
First you must have a thesis!
So in your essay, you will argue and give evidence for each of these issues, but your CORE argument will be that slavery led directly to the Civil War. You will come back to that idea again and again to make your point. That's the point of a thesis. It's the heart of your essay.
Your thesis will be part of your introduction paragraph of your essay. Info about what an introduction needs below:
Next... Sources!
You want ALL of your writing to either back up your statements in a strong way, or to show how weak the opposing argument is. You achieve this with solid sources.
Weak sources: Wikipedia, blogs, obviously biased sites, Facebook posts, biased books with weak evidence themselves, self-authored sites, etc.
Strong sources: journals from well respected authors and historians, websites from credible institutions like the Dept. of Justice, primary source statistics, scientific journals or research, websites ending in .edu or .gov, etc.
Here are some easy guidelines, which I got from https://writingcenter.appstate.edu/sites/writingcenter.appstate.edu/files/Credible%20v%20Non-Credible%20Sources13.pdf
Questions to ask when determining whether or not something is a credible source:
• Who is the author? Is he or she known and respected in the specific field? Citing a speech from Martin Luther King Jr. on Civil Rights is usually a better choice than citing a speech from John Williams, who is an unknown person.
• When was the material published? Typically, dated publications, from the 1990's and older, may have dated information, and more current information may be available. The exception for this is with primary sources, and primary versus secondary sources are discussed below. Biases can sometimes be masked. Look for over-generalized statements or authors writing for religious or political groups.
• What is the purpose of this source? When we find sources, we want to find clear and unbiased sources that give the facts. We don’t want opinions that aim to alter and persuade people’s views.
• How is this source proved? Does the publication have references and evidence to prove its point? If the publication just gives claims without support, it may not be the best source. • Is this website from an organization or author I can trust? Websites from governmental agencies or institutions are most likely better resources than a website anyone can post to, like Wikipedia.
Primary and Secondary Sources
What is a primary source?
A primary source is a document, speech, or other piece of evidence that was created during the period of study. Examples of primary sources include: autobiographies, letters, diary entries, photographs, public records, poetry, news film footage, and speeches.
What is a secondary source?
A secondary source provides interpretation and analysis of primary sources. Examples of secondary sources include: textbooks, encyclopedias, databases, and literary analyses or critiques.
Primary sources are always more desirable than secondary sources, but both are acceptable and credible sources to use on any paper.
How to use sources
How to cite your source in your paper
Re-Wording sources
Essay format example
Body paragraphs
This is where students make the most mistakes. They either get too simple... "My first point is that.. blah blah" "My second point is..." That's boring. Or they get too wrapped up in the evidence that they forget to tell me WHY that evidence proves what they are trying to say. Or they get so scared of writing itself to even put pencil to paper. It's OK, it happens to everyone.
Put it like this. If you were arguing with someone or wanted to prove something to someone with your words... you wouldn't stumble. You wouldn't worry. You would just say it. You would tell them why, you would point to evidence, and you would make a clear point as to why you felt the way you did.
Writing is just speaking on the page. It's an argument that I give you to make, or that you choose to make. It may not be something you are passionate about, but the mechanics are the same.
Body paragraphs are where you make that argument. The best way to think of them is this. If you are writing 3 body paragraphs, then the first two will each be about an idea and the last will give evidence about the opposing viewpoint. To go back to the team analogy, my first body paragraph may be about how the offense is better and my second will be about the defense. My last paragraph will be about how the other team is not better, using the evidence that I have found to prove that they aren't better.
Always save one body paragraph to show the other side of the argument, because nothing kills the opposing side more than showing how weak they are before they even get a chance to say otherwise. By proving that the opposing viewpoint is incorrect, you make your argument stronger and more clear. It's a requirement in higher level education and will cost you almost a letter grade on any essay in this class.
Conclusion paragraph
More info below:
Mr. Church
Email: Joshua.Church@marion.k12.fl.us
Website: https://www.marionschools.net/Page/43193
Location: Dunnellon High School, Dunnellon, FL, United States
Phone: 352-465-6745 (58319)