Hook
 Catches the readers attention and makes them want to
keep reading
 Question
 Quote that needs no explanation
 Anecdote
 Statement
Example Hook
 What does the average American dream for?
Tag/Background Information
 Title, Author, Genre
 For an essay with multiple texts you do not need to
include this but the idea of the American Dream was
coined by a person so we can use this as a tag
 Background Information
 Information that will help the reader understand the
context of the essay (location, age, time period,
relevance, important words that may be misinterpreted,
etc.)
Example Tag
 The term the American Dream was coined by James
Truslow Adams in 1931 and was originally defined as “a
land in which life should be better and richer and
fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each
according to ability or achievement…”
Thesis Statement
The central purpose/argument of your essay. It typically
has a subject, an argument and evidence. Sometimes the
thesis will only have a subject and an argument and the
evidence is explored in the body of the essay.
Thesis Statement Example
The American Dream is the hope to achieve more
than the last generation, the right to equality and
one’s ability to have control over their life. It is
illustrated in literature and media by questioning
injustice and presenting new ideas.
What does the average American dream for?
For each American this may differ but there are
components that remain the same among time
period and class. The term the American Dream
was coined by James Truslow Adams in 1931 and
was original defined as “a land in which life should
be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with
opportunity for each according to ability or
achievement…” The American Dream is the hope
to achieve more than the last generation, the right
to equality and one’s ability to have control over
their life. It is illustrated in literature and media by
questioning injustice and presenting new ideas.
Let’s try one together
 What rights should students have in school?
Brainstorm a list of possible writes
Try one on your own
 Should students be required to wear school uniforms?
 The question why is implied because you couldn’t write
an entire essay on the word yes or no.
 Remember…




to brainstorm pros/cons
start with a hook
give background information
write a thesis that has all three parts
Thesis = Map
Before you can write the body of your essay you need a
thesis statement. Your thesis will map out your essay.
The American Dream is the hope to achieve more than the
last generation, the right to equality and one’s ability to
have control over their life.
Paragraph Format
 Topic Sentence (TS)
 Evidence
 Explanation (also know as analysis)
 Evidence
 Explanation
 This layering may go on if you have more
evidence that supports the topic of this
paragraph
 Concluding or Transition Sentence (CS)
Terminology Used in Writing Essays
Topic sentence (TS)
Evidence (EV)
Explanation (EX)
Concluding sentence (CS)
Topic Sentence (TS)
 Is NOT a FACT
 Must present an informed opinion
 An opinion that can be supported by facts from the text
 Ask yourself: Could someone logically argue against it?
 Yes=good TS
 No= rewrite TS
Sample TS
 Part of the American Dream is having the hope to
achieve more than the last generation.
 Could someone logically argue against it?
 Yes
 You do not need hope to work hard
 Doing the same as the last generation is fine
Sample TS
 Part of the American Dream is having the hope to
achieve more than the last generation.
 Is this a fact from the text?
 No, but I can support it with facts.
Practice- TS
Using your self-practice introduction,
write a topic sentence for each of the
ideas in your thesis.
Evidence (EV)
 Ideas from a story, discussion or your
life
 Fact from text
 Paraphrase from text
 Summary from text
Sample EV
 TS: Part of the American Dream is having the hope to
achieve more than the last generation.
What fact/action from the text supports this?
 CD: In Langston Hughes poem I, Too, Sing America he
illustrates hope for a better tomorrow, “Tomorrow,/ I’ll
be at the table/ when company comes” (8-10).
Why is this evidence?
 EV: In Langston Hughes poem I, Too, Sing America he
illustrates hope for a better tomorrow, “Tomorrow,/ I’ll
be at the table/ when company comes” (8-10).
 Action/fact from the text
Practice- EV
 Make sure to use “quotations” and place
the period after the (parenthesis).
 Example: In Langston Hughes poem I,
Too, Sing America he illustrates hope for
a better tomorrow, “Tomorrow,/ I’ll be at
the table/ when company comes” (8-10).
Where are we now?
 TS: Part of the American Dream is having the hope to
achieve more than the last generation.
 EV: In Langston Hughes poem I, Too, Sing America he
illustrates hope for a better tomorrow, “Tomorrow,/ I’ll
be at the table/ when company comes” (8-10).
 How many explanation sentences do I need?
 As many as it takes to explain your evidence and show
how the evidence supports your topic sentence/thesis
Explanation (EX)
 Thoughts from your head regarding EV
 The “so what?” “why?” or “how”
 Analysis
 Interpretation
Sample EX
EV: In Langston Hughes poem I, Too, Sing America he
illustrates hope for a better tomorrow, “Tomorrow,/ I’ll
be at the table/ when company comes” (8-10).
EX: This illustrates the importance of hope because
without it Hughes would have given up.
Why is this a EV?
EV: This illustrates the importance of hope because
without it Hughes would have given up.
 Has commentary words (importance; determination)
 It’s your interpretation of what the quote means or
shows about the American Dream.
Practice- EX
 Write your first Commentary Sentence
Sentence starters:
This shows…
This point illustrates…
Hughes highlights…
Sample of Second EX

Ex: This demonstrates the importance of hope
because without it Hughes would have given up.
Why is this part of the American Dream?
How is it illustrated in the text?
EX2: Hope is part of the American Dream because it is
what drives Americans to keep working hard.
Ex3: Hughes illustrates this value by giving a personal
example of what he hopes for.
Why is this a EX?
Exs: Hope is part of the American Dream because it is
what drives Americans to keep working hard.
Hughes illustrates this value by giving a personal
example of what he hopes for.


Commentary words
More interpretation of what text means/shows
Practice- EX
Sentence Starters:
_____ is part of the American Dream because…
_______ illustrates this value by …
________ demonstrates this value by…
________ confirms this value by …
Looks good, but what’s missing?
Part of the American Dream is having the
hope to achieve more than the last generation. In
Langston Hughes poem I, Too, Sing America he
illustrates hope for a better tomorrow,
“Tomorrow,/ I’ll be at the table/ when company
comes” (8-10). This illustrates the importance of
hope because without it Hughes would have given
up. Hope is part of the American Dream because it
is what drives Americans to keep working hard.
Hughes demonstrates this value by giving a
personal example of what he hopes for.
What is a CS?
 Do not REPEAT the TS
 No evidence
 All commentary
 Transitions into your next point.
Sample CS
 The hope for more than the last generation often
reveals the lack of equality in America.
 All commentary
 No evidence
 Refers to TS without repeating the vocabulary
 Transitions to next idea
Practice
 Write concluding sentence
Part of the American Dream is having the
hope to achieve more than the last generation. In
Langston Hughes poem I, Too, Sing America he
illustrates hope for a better tomorrow,
“Tomorrow,/ I’ll be at the table/ when company
comes” (8-10). This quote shows the importance of
hope because without it Hughes would have given
up. Hope is part of the American Dream because it
is what drives Americans to work hard. Hughes
illustrates this value by giving a personal example
of what he hopes for. The hope for more than the
last generation often reveals the lack of equality in
America.
Lasting impression
 Make a statement that does not introduce new ideas
but makes the reader think about the point of your
thesis
Try one of the following
 Include a brief summary of the paper's main points.
 Ask a provocative question.
 Use a quotation.
 Evoke a vivid image.
 Call for some sort of action.
 End with a warning.
 Universalize (compare to other situations).
 Suggest results or consequences.
Have some freedom
 Restate the purpose of your thesis
 Summarize/wrap up your argument
 Make sure:
 You do not introduce any new information
 You have at least 4 sentences