Brainstorming
The first step is generating ideas for your essay. As a prewriting activity, you will complete a “Where I’m From Poem” that will help you reflect on the meaningful people, places, and experiences that have shaped who you are.
Organizing
This essay includes three main parts:
· Introduction and Thesis Statement
· Three Body Paragraphs
· Conclusion
Each week, you will build one part of the essay.
A successful essay will include the following:
· Full MLA header on the left side of the first page
· Page header on the right side of each page
· 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced
· Original title
· Introduction paragraph with a hook, narrowing section, and thesis statement
· Thesis statement that clearly identifies the three characteristics you will develop
· Three body paragraphs, one for each of the characteristics in your thesis
· A clear topic sentence for each body paragraph
· Description and details that develop each paragraph
· Conclusion paragraph that restates the idea of your thesis statement
· Correct sentence structure that avoids fragments, fused sentences, or comma splices