Writing a Paper
This page will be based on the blog post I wrote last year. The original can still be found on Natalie's AWESOME website here.
Formatting:
Your paper must be typed in Times New Roman size 12 font. Also remember to double space and give your paper a good title. After your paper is printed out, remember to highlight your thesis and conclusion. Your entire paper should be around a maximum of four pages and definitely no more than five and a half. But remember- a long essay doesn't necessarily mean a better essay. It's all about the specific examples and information you bring into your essay!
Thesis:
The most important part of papers is the thesis. If your thesis isn't up to par, you’ll be asked to redo it until it’s better. Writing a thesis, however, depends on the type of essay that you have to write. For the most part, your paper will have three body paragraphs, an introduction, and a conclusion. If your prompt calls for a compare/contrast essay you might also want to check out an old post of mine here, as this example will focus on the former type of essay.
Alright, so let’s quickly look at a few prompts that you’ve been given that could be written in three paragraphs; most of your papers will be three paragraphs unless they are a compare/contrast essay.
Example Prompts:
Analyze the reasons for the Anti-Federalists opposition to the ratification of the Constitution.
In what ways did the second Great Awakening in the North affect 3 of the following?
Abolition
Temperance
Cult of Domesticity
Utopian Communities
Analyze how and why the racial, ethnic, and sectional divisions in the United States deepened during the 1840’s.
Compare and contrast the ways that many Americans expressed their opposition to immigrants in the 1840s–1850s with the ways that many Americans expressed their opposition to immigrants in the 1910s–1920s. (note: this could be either two or three paragraphs)
For the sake of the example, I will use a prompt that is NOT on your syllabus- this prompt is actually similar to one of the essays on my exam (see the College Board website to see other prompts).
Analyze the impact of the following on colonial North American development between 1620 and 1776.
Puritanism
The Enlightenment
The First Great Awakening
Thesis:
First things first: you need to figure out what you want to focus on in your paper. For this type of paper you need to choose three topics that you want to discuss. In your thesis you need to address the question presented in the prompt. If you were to do a paper based on this example, you'd want to ask yourself: How did Puritanism, the Enlightenment, and the First Great Awakening affect North American development in colonial times?
If you're stuck, try to jot down notes about what you want to discuss in your essay. Try thinking of broad ideas that would allow for many specific examples to be made.
What I Need to Discuss:
After you have a bit of a list and an idea of what to do, it's time to construct your thesis. The first step is to address the question WITHOUT directly repeating it.
"As immigrants began to come to the New World, they began to impact the beliefs and development of what would later become a new nation."
Now you need to add your three WHY statements. Why have you taken the stance/approach you have? These three main ideas should be broad, and they should be connected to your answer to the prompt (see example below). Make sure that your ideas flow to make one cohesive thesis, with your largest point coming first (this will be your first body paragraph), your second largest point coming second, and your smallest idea going last. Overall, the order of your thesis is the order of your body paragraphs.
"As immigrants began to come to the New World, they began to impact the beliefs and development of what would later become a new nation because of the Puritans’ high standards for worship and a pure life as a small community, Enlightenment thinkers’ questioning of the world around them, and the Revivalists’ shift in religious views and values."
This thesis is a bit long, so it would probably be wise to cut down on the wordiness if you are able to do so. Look at your thesis and edit it so it flows and fits your overall prompt better.
As Europeans began to come to the New World, they began to impact the fledgling nation’s development and beliefs through the Puritans’ high standards for worship and purity, Enlightenment thinkers’ questioning of the world around them, and the Revivalists’ shift in religious views and values.
A little better, I believe. In a case where you aren't too sure if your thesis is on the right track (or if you just want confirmation that you're doing good), ask Mr. Johnston to quickly read over your thesis before you move on.
After you get his approval and/or are confident in your thesis, you can start to build up your introduction into a good first paragraph.
Your paper must be typed in Times New Roman size 12 font. Also remember to double space and give your paper a good title. After your paper is printed out, remember to highlight your thesis and conclusion. Your entire paper should be around a maximum of four pages and definitely no more than five and a half. But remember- a long essay doesn't necessarily mean a better essay. It's all about the specific examples and information you bring into your essay!
Thesis:
The most important part of papers is the thesis. If your thesis isn't up to par, you’ll be asked to redo it until it’s better. Writing a thesis, however, depends on the type of essay that you have to write. For the most part, your paper will have three body paragraphs, an introduction, and a conclusion. If your prompt calls for a compare/contrast essay you might also want to check out an old post of mine here, as this example will focus on the former type of essay.
Alright, so let’s quickly look at a few prompts that you’ve been given that could be written in three paragraphs; most of your papers will be three paragraphs unless they are a compare/contrast essay.
Example Prompts:
Analyze the reasons for the Anti-Federalists opposition to the ratification of the Constitution.
In what ways did the second Great Awakening in the North affect 3 of the following?
Abolition
Temperance
Cult of Domesticity
Utopian Communities
Analyze how and why the racial, ethnic, and sectional divisions in the United States deepened during the 1840’s.
Compare and contrast the ways that many Americans expressed their opposition to immigrants in the 1840s–1850s with the ways that many Americans expressed their opposition to immigrants in the 1910s–1920s. (note: this could be either two or three paragraphs)
For the sake of the example, I will use a prompt that is NOT on your syllabus- this prompt is actually similar to one of the essays on my exam (see the College Board website to see other prompts).
Analyze the impact of the following on colonial North American development between 1620 and 1776.
Puritanism
The Enlightenment
The First Great Awakening
Thesis:
First things first: you need to figure out what you want to focus on in your paper. For this type of paper you need to choose three topics that you want to discuss. In your thesis you need to address the question presented in the prompt. If you were to do a paper based on this example, you'd want to ask yourself: How did Puritanism, the Enlightenment, and the First Great Awakening affect North American development in colonial times?
If you're stuck, try to jot down notes about what you want to discuss in your essay. Try thinking of broad ideas that would allow for many specific examples to be made.
What I Need to Discuss:
- All three of the topics impacted and shaped the development of colonial North America.
- Puritanism led to some of the first American immigrants and set up high standards for behavior in the colonies.
- The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that prompted people to question the world around them- including religion.
- The First Great Awakening was a religious revival that changed the way people worshipped and saw religion.
After you have a bit of a list and an idea of what to do, it's time to construct your thesis. The first step is to address the question WITHOUT directly repeating it.
"As immigrants began to come to the New World, they began to impact the beliefs and development of what would later become a new nation."
Now you need to add your three WHY statements. Why have you taken the stance/approach you have? These three main ideas should be broad, and they should be connected to your answer to the prompt (see example below). Make sure that your ideas flow to make one cohesive thesis, with your largest point coming first (this will be your first body paragraph), your second largest point coming second, and your smallest idea going last. Overall, the order of your thesis is the order of your body paragraphs.
"As immigrants began to come to the New World, they began to impact the beliefs and development of what would later become a new nation because of the Puritans’ high standards for worship and a pure life as a small community, Enlightenment thinkers’ questioning of the world around them, and the Revivalists’ shift in religious views and values."
This thesis is a bit long, so it would probably be wise to cut down on the wordiness if you are able to do so. Look at your thesis and edit it so it flows and fits your overall prompt better.
As Europeans began to come to the New World, they began to impact the fledgling nation’s development and beliefs through the Puritans’ high standards for worship and purity, Enlightenment thinkers’ questioning of the world around them, and the Revivalists’ shift in religious views and values.
A little better, I believe. In a case where you aren't too sure if your thesis is on the right track (or if you just want confirmation that you're doing good), ask Mr. Johnston to quickly read over your thesis before you move on.
After you get his approval and/or are confident in your thesis, you can start to build up your introduction into a good first paragraph.
The Research:
You're ready to start your first body paragraph! Before you begin writing, however, you need to make sure that you have enough specific examples on hand. Having specific people, places, and events is EXTREMELY important- it sets your paper apart from everyone else's.
Take some time to do a little research on your first point from your thesis. Sometimes the College Board (found here) has similar prompts and lists of specific examples that could be a good starting point for your specifics. Do your research and don't just copy from this source, however. You need to KNOW how to use your information instead of just plastering terms everywhere. Otherwise, a quick Google search or a skim of your textbook(s) will give you some good information. Wikipedia is actually a great place to start; from there you can do even more research. The key is to stand out from every other paper- if you've got unique points or unique information, chances are that your grade will reflect that.
Your paper should have plenty of specifics, but your paper doesn't have to be incredibly long if you sufficiently get your point across. I myself tend to have longer papers, but it all depends on you. Papers should be around four pages in length. A good benchmark is to limit each body paragraph to less that one full page. If you use your examples right, you should get a good grade even with a shorter paper.
The Body Paragraphs:
The first sentence of each body paragraph should address what the paragraph will be about.
For instance, in my example the first paragraph is about the Puritans, so the first sentence of my first body paragraph should be something along the lines of:
"Separatist Puritans, who reached the New World in the early seventeenth century, left England in order to start their own communities in which they would not be persecuted for their beliefs."
After you've got your first sentence done, add your research in. Simple as that! Once you finish, read through your introduction and first body paragraph to check for errors and to make your sentences flow better. I usually like to print out a copy and make corrections in pen, but that's just my preference.
You're ready to start your first body paragraph! Before you begin writing, however, you need to make sure that you have enough specific examples on hand. Having specific people, places, and events is EXTREMELY important- it sets your paper apart from everyone else's.
Take some time to do a little research on your first point from your thesis. Sometimes the College Board (found here) has similar prompts and lists of specific examples that could be a good starting point for your specifics. Do your research and don't just copy from this source, however. You need to KNOW how to use your information instead of just plastering terms everywhere. Otherwise, a quick Google search or a skim of your textbook(s) will give you some good information. Wikipedia is actually a great place to start; from there you can do even more research. The key is to stand out from every other paper- if you've got unique points or unique information, chances are that your grade will reflect that.
Your paper should have plenty of specifics, but your paper doesn't have to be incredibly long if you sufficiently get your point across. I myself tend to have longer papers, but it all depends on you. Papers should be around four pages in length. A good benchmark is to limit each body paragraph to less that one full page. If you use your examples right, you should get a good grade even with a shorter paper.
The Body Paragraphs:
The first sentence of each body paragraph should address what the paragraph will be about.
For instance, in my example the first paragraph is about the Puritans, so the first sentence of my first body paragraph should be something along the lines of:
"Separatist Puritans, who reached the New World in the early seventeenth century, left England in order to start their own communities in which they would not be persecuted for their beliefs."
After you've got your first sentence done, add your research in. Simple as that! Once you finish, read through your introduction and first body paragraph to check for errors and to make your sentences flow better. I usually like to print out a copy and make corrections in pen, but that's just my preference.
You will do the same thing for the second and third body paragraphs. You should try to make your second and third paragraphs smaller than the paragraph that came before them, as a general rule. This is because the most information should be backing up your "strongest point"- some rearranging of your paragraphs may need to occur because of that.
The Conclusion:
You're almost done! The conclusion is just a rewording of your thesis, which is only one sentence.
Turning In:
Congrats, you're done!! After you print out your paper, remember to highlight your thesis and your conclusion before you come to class.
Mr. Johnston will either grade your essays himself or occasionally have the class do a peer review. Be prepared to do either, although chances are he will be the one looking at your paper.
Final Tips and Words of Wisdom:
The Conclusion:
You're almost done! The conclusion is just a rewording of your thesis, which is only one sentence.
Turning In:
Congrats, you're done!! After you print out your paper, remember to highlight your thesis and your conclusion before you come to class.
Mr. Johnston will either grade your essays himself or occasionally have the class do a peer review. Be prepared to do either, although chances are he will be the one looking at your paper.
Final Tips and Words of Wisdom:
- Don't directly copy any information from a website or other source- that's plagiarism and academic dishonesty.
- If you are unsure of your paper, have a peer or adult read over a draft to get their opinion.
- Make sure you get enough specific examples and information into your paper.
- Don't write an eight page essay- you don't want to write something that long and chances are Mr. Johnston doesn't want to read all of that either.
- Give yourself enough time. Papers usually took me three or four days to fully complete, but everyone is a bit different. It's better to have extra time than to be writing your third body paragraph at 4AM Monday morning (from what I've heard that's not very fun...).
- Don't stray too off-topic. Make sure your information is relevant to the prompt.
- Never use direct quotes; show your understanding of a topic by putting your points into your own words.
Intro and Body Paragraph Example | |
File Size: | 119 kb |
File Type: |