PLANNING
Let's go through the basic steps of planning an essay.
1. Breakdown the Question.
Read the question, think about it, and underline the important parts. Use the three sentences listed below to practice this process. Underline what it is exactly that you are looking for, whether it is a question based off opinion or argument, or any other key words that you see within the question. When you are finished, check your answers with the person next to you.
-In your opinion, what was George Washington's greatest accomplishment as President and why?
-Fast food will not hurt you as long as you don't eat it every single day. Argue whether this is a true or false statement, providing evidence to back up your claim.
-What are the dangers of posting one's full name, address, or phone number on the internet? In what cases is it okay to give out personal information over the internet?
Now that both you and your partner have an understanding of what the question is asking for, we can move on to the next step in the planning process.
1. Breakdown the Question.
Read the question, think about it, and underline the important parts. Use the three sentences listed below to practice this process. Underline what it is exactly that you are looking for, whether it is a question based off opinion or argument, or any other key words that you see within the question. When you are finished, check your answers with the person next to you.
-In your opinion, what was George Washington's greatest accomplishment as President and why?
-Fast food will not hurt you as long as you don't eat it every single day. Argue whether this is a true or false statement, providing evidence to back up your claim.
-What are the dangers of posting one's full name, address, or phone number on the internet? In what cases is it okay to give out personal information over the internet?
Now that both you and your partner have an understanding of what the question is asking for, we can move on to the next step in the planning process.
2. Search for clues in your text!
Whether you are using an online source, a book, or an article, underline details that will help you to answer the question. Keep track of these clues on a separate sheet of paper so that you are able to look back and answer the question as you write.
Whether you are using an online source, a book, or an article, underline details that will help you to answer the question. Keep track of these clues on a separate sheet of paper so that you are able to look back and answer the question as you write.
3. Organize your thoughts.
In this step, you will make a graphic organizer to plan your response. It will look something like the example provided below, with your claim on one side and your evidence on the other side. Enough details must be provided in each column to support your answer well enough. Let's quickly review what a CLAIM is and what EVIDENCE is before you begin. Roll over the the word "Evidence" below with your mouse to view its definition. Do the same for the word "Claim". Look at your worksheet and fill in the definitions of these two words where it asks for them.
In this step, you will make a graphic organizer to plan your response. It will look something like the example provided below, with your claim on one side and your evidence on the other side. Enough details must be provided in each column to support your answer well enough. Let's quickly review what a CLAIM is and what EVIDENCE is before you begin. Roll over the the word "Evidence" below with your mouse to view its definition. Do the same for the word "Claim". Look at your worksheet and fill in the definitions of these two words where it asks for them.
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Now that we are clear on the definitions of Claim and Evidence, let's see how the graphic organizer should look! Design yours to look something like the example below....