Transitions
Shape Up Your Essay
Introduction
[pic]
Conclusion
[pic]
[pic] Quick Write Directions [pic]
This strategy develops the ability to write on demand.
1. All students will need a piece of paper and a pen or pencil.
2. Select a prompt.
3. Explain to the students that they will be writing for________ minutes.
4. During this time they may not stop writing or pick up their pen/pencil from their paper.
5. Tell students that if they get stuck they are to keep repeating the last word they wrote until a new idea comes to them.
6. Tell students not to worry about spelling, grammar, meticulousness because the purpose of this activity is to increase their ability to write on demand.
7. When students are ready, give out the topic and begin timing.
8. At the end of the time period call “Time.”
9. Have students count the number of words they wrote. Tell them NOT to include repeated words.
10. Have students record the number of words they wrote at the top of their page.
• I start with 5 minutes and 100 words as a goal. A count of 100 would receive 10/10 points. 70 words would receive 7/10 points for example.
11. As students become more proficient you can increase the difficulty of the task.
• Have a list of terms posted on the board. Give students 2 points for every term they use correctly in their quick write.
o In this case have students highlight/underline each term they used. Then have them count the words as usual (1pt) The teacher will then look at the quick write’s highlighted words to determine the additional point value.
• Have a group of words/terms/ideas you would hope to find in a good response. After the quick write and the counting display the words and have students check to see how many of these words they got. Give extra points for their use.
Scaffolding a Document Based Question
The Question: Discuss how the ideas of neutrality and isolationism in
American foreign policy changed from the administration of George Washington to that of James K. Polk.
State Standard:
|8.5 |Students analyze U.S. foreign policy in the early Republic. |
Skills: Change across time; dealing with multiple tasks in a prompt; identifying
implicit directions (compare/contrast)
Bloom’s: Analysis
Marzano’s: Identifying Similarities and differences/ Learning Groups/advance
organizers
Level One.
In groups of 4 students had to research and take notes on the foreign policy of six presidents and then follow the ideas of neutrality and isolationism through each one. They organized this info in a graphic organizer.
Then they created a visual that showed this change. They created a visual for 6 presidents.
Then they wrote a paragraph about the change they saw.
Level Two.
These students also had to read several primary sources on this topic.
They were instructed to highlight only the parts of the document that dealt with the foreign policy ideas of neutrality and isolationism
Each group then wrote a paragraph that analyzed the foreign policy of each president on these two ides. They had to include quotes from the primary source whenever possible.
Finally the group created a thesis statement that described the changes they observed.
Both Levels made arranged their work on a poster.
Seven Steps of Essay Writing
1. Read and analyze the question.
• What is the question asking?
• What is the question asking you to do?
• What type of question is it?
2. Collect and sort the data needed to answer the question.
• Brainstorm a list of factual information.
• Create categories for this information.
3. Create your thesis statement.
• The thesis is your answer to the question. It is the guiding argument of the essay.
• The thesis must fully address the question, take a position with regard to the question, and provide organizational categories for analysis.
4. Write the introduction to your essay.
• Begin with a broad statement on the topic.
• Narrow the paragraph with 2-3 sentences that bring the question into focus.
• Conclude with the thesis statement.
5. Write the body of the essay.
• Each paragraph must have a topic sentence.
• Each paragraph must have evidence, or historical fact.
• Each paragraph must have analysis, which may be presented as interpretation or commentary.
• Each paragraph must contain a “clincher” sentence.
• Each paragraph must contain a transition sentence that directs the reader to the next paragraph.
6. Write the conclusion.
• The conclusion must reinforce the thesis, not restate it.
• The conclusion must summarize the main points of the body paragraphs.
• The conclusion must synthesize the clincher sentences.
• The conclusion must address “So what?” (historical significance).
7. Proofread your essay.
• Eliminate grammatical errors.
• Eliminate contradictions between the thesis and the body.
Common Types of Essay Questions
1. Change over time – Questions that ask you to look at a period of history and explain the evolution of a particular aspect within the time frame given. For example, “Between 1790 and 1870 the economic growth of the US was significantly stimulated by government aid.” Discuss this growth.
2. Cause and effect – Questions that ask you to weigh factors and explain the resulting relationship between those factors and the end result. For example, “Why did the US enter the First World War?”.
3. Compare and contrast – Questions that ask you to show similarities and differences on the topic given. For example, “Compare and contrast the Northern Renaissance with the Italian Renaissance.”
4. Define and Identify – Questions that ask you to identify key factors by both definition and historical significance. “Identify the social, political and economic factors that led to the Age of Exploration.”
5. Statement/Reaction – Questions that ask you to form an opinion, on a given statement, based on historical evidence. For example, “‘Slavery was the sole cause of the Civil War.’ Evaluate this statement.”
6. Evaluation – Questions that ask you to form an opinion based on good or bad, right or wrong, based on historical evidence. For example, “Select any three of the following and evaluate their effectiveness as political leaders.”
7. Analyzing Viewpoints – Questions that ask you defend or refute a given historical viewpoint based on historical evidence. For example, “Defend the economic policies of Hitler in the years 1921 – 1933 in Germany.”
Transition and Signal Words for Essays
Sequence and Chronological Order Stems
After
Afterwards
Ago
Already
At last
At the same time
As
Before
During
Eventually
Even now
Finally
(the) final
First, first of all
Following
For a time
Further, furthermore
Immediately
Initially
In the first place
In the meantime
Last, lastly
Later
Long after
Meanwhile
Next
Now
Not long after
Once
On (date)
Preceding
Presently
Second, secondly
Several
Sometimes
Soon, soon after
Some
Subsequently
Suddenly
Then
Thereafter
Third
To begin with
Today
Until
While
Compare and Contrast Stems
Although
Also
As opposed to
As well as
But
By comparison
Compared with
Conversely
Despite
Different from
Either…or
Even though
Equally important
However
In comparison
In contrast
In like manner
In the same way
In spite of
Instead of
Just as
Like
Likewise
Neither…nor
Nevertheless
Notwithstanding
On the contrary
Not only…but also
On the other hand
Rather then
Regardless
Same as
Similarly
Still
Unlike
Unless
Whereas
While
Yet
Cause and Effect Stems
Accordingly
As a result
As if
As though
Because
Consequently
Hence
In order to
If…then
It follows that
May be due to
Nevertheless
Provided that
Since
So
So that
Then
Therefore
Thus
Emphasis Words
Besides
Certainly
Furthermore
Indeed
Moreover
Obviously
Of course
Stems for Examples
Another
For example
For instance
Furthermore
First, second, etc…
In addition
Most important
Namely
Specifically
Such as
To begin with
That is
To illustrate
Conclusion Words
As a result
Consequently
For this reason
In brief
In other words
In short
It follows that
In fact
On the whole
Therefore
Thus
To summarize
To sum up
Transitions
Chronological
(Change over time)
▪ At first…Next…Then finally
▪ For years…After that…And then
▪ Beginning with…Next came…This finally led to
Cause & Effect
(explain why)
▪ At first…Adding to this…Finally
▪ One factor explaining…Then there was…Also
▪ To begin with… Also…Together, all these factors
Compare & Contrast
(describe similarities and differences)
▪ To begin with… Moreover…
However…Finally
▪ On one hand…In contrast
▪ It is true that…But nevertheless…Also
Order of Importance Transitions
(describe important factors)
▪ The most important factor
…Also significant…Then finally
▪ One more reason…More importantly…But most of all
▪ First of all…another factor…And in addition to…
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Remember your thesis should
-address all parts of the question
-take a position
-set up categories
Your introduction should start with a general statement.
Next narrow in on
your thesis idea
Then get to your point.
(Your thesis)
(
(Reinforce your thesis…
(Then synthesize your clincher sentences.
(Tell us why we should care…historical significance
In this paragraph you should start with your point out broaden out to a bigger idea.
Thesis
Category 2
Topic sentence
Category 3
Topic
sentence
Category 1
Topic sentence.
Example 1
Evidence (3)
Example 2
Evidence (3)
Example 3
Evidence(3)
Example 1
Evidence (3)
Example 2
Evidence (3)
Example 3
Evidence(3)
Example 1
Evidence (3)
Example 2
Evidence (3)
Example 3
Evidence(3)
Make sure each body paragraph has
-topic sentence
-evidence
-interpretative commentary
-clincher sentence
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