• 1. What is a bibliography?
• 2. What is an annotation?
• 3. What 2 things must an
annotation have?
• 4. What is the format of an
annotated bibliography?
The Basic Rule: Keep One Idea
to One Paragraph
If you begin to transition into a
new idea, it belongs in a new
paragraph.
To be as
effective as
possible, a
paragraph
should contain
each of the
following:
Topic
Sentence
Adequate
Development
Unity
A topic sentence is a
sentence that explains
the idea you will discuss
in that one paragraph.
Use examples and illustrations
You MUST adequately
develop your idea and
sufficiently support it for
each paragraph.
A lack of explanation
and support leads to
unclear ideas and
confusion for the reader.
Some methods to make
sure your paragraph is
well-developed:
Cite data (facts, statistics,
evidence, details, and others)
Examine testimony (what
other people say such as
quotes and paraphrases)
Use an anecdote or story
Define terms in the
paragraph
Compare and contrast
Evaluate causes and reasons
Examine effects and
consequences
Analyze the topic
Offer a chronology of an
event (time segments)
• All topic sentences should be
clearly related to the thesis.
• Unified—All of the sentences in
a single paragraph should be
related to the topic sentence.
Use an organizational structure that
arranges your information in a way that
will make sense to the reader.
Claim: Topic sentence.
Data: Evidence gathered to support the
claim. (YOUR RESEARCH)!
Warrant : Explanation of why or how
the data supports the claim.
5-step
Process to
Paragraph
Development
(Claim) Topic sentence—
the main idea of the
paragraph in a
sentence.
• Explanation of topic
sentence—Explain your
topic/idea in further
detail and how it relates
to the thesis.
• DATA—Give support or
evidence for the idea and
the explanation that came
before it.
• WARRANT—the reasoning
behind why you chose to use
this particular example as
evidence to support the major
claim in your paragraph.
• Every time you include information
that is not your own, you MUST
explain how the information you used
supports your claim.
• You must NEVER end a paragraph
with quote/summary/paraphrase!!!
• If you present data to your audience
without explaining how it supports
your thesis they may not make a
connection between the two or they
may draw different conclusions.
• This pattern continues until all
points/examples that the reader deems
necessary have been made and
explained.
• NONE of your examples (research)
should be left unexplained; the
relationship between the example and
the idea should always be expressed.
• End the paragraph:
Give the reader a one
sentence
summary/review.
• Topic sentence: The fetus is a human being.
• Explanation: The fetus has human features almost from
the very beginning and from three to five weeks the heart
begins beating which is definite evidence that a life is
present.
• Data: “At eight to nine weeks the eyelids have begun
forming and hair appears. By the ninth and tenth weeks
the preborn child sucks her thumb, turns somersaults,
jumps, can squint to close out light, frown, swallow, and
move her tongue” (“Abortion Methods”).
Such movement means that a being is alive, a
human being as is evidenced by its appearance and
bodily functions.
When it was a mass of tissue, the woman did not
know she was pregnant, when she realizes she is, a human
has already formed.
• You must OWN your research paper. Your
ideas should be dominant throughout the
entire paper. If you use TOO many quotes,
you will LOSE ownership.
• DO NOT “string” quotes along. You must
have enough common knowledge of your
topic to be able to make connections
between your researched data and your
claims.
• The topic is “Dress Code.”
• Thesis: Students should be mandated to wear a school uniform
because it will lessen the division amongst students in school,
saves parents money, and increase school pride.
• Write the first body paragraph. Use our 5-step process to body
paragraph development. Make sure to use in-text citations if
you use research. (Make it up!) If you do not use research,
make sure to use an example.
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» Make headings and fill in the info:
Topic sentence
Explanation of TP:
Data
Warrant
Data
Warrant