Transitions



Shape Up Your Essay

Introduction

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Conclusion

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[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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