Building an Essay

By Molly Beer
6th Grade Language Arts

Click on the blue arrow boxes to guide

you through this presentation. Enjoy!

Please write an
essay about
your favorite
possession.

Whats a thesis
statement?

What the? An
essay?
How do I use
paragraphs?

How do you write an essay?

1. First, you need to know the

Parts of an Essay

2. Next, make sure you stay

focused on the main idea.
Focus:
Thesis Statement

3. As you write, remember to use

Paragraphing

arts of an Essay
Introduction

Thesis
Statement

Body

Conclusion

I love my iphone. When I dont have it, I

feel frustrated and lost. It is my favorite
possession.
My iphone keeps me connected to my
favorite people. I am constantly communicating
with my mom , my husband, and my three
friends: Michelle, Kim, and Deb. It also helps
me stay in touch with my cousin Rob who lives
out of town.
All of my beloved music is at the tips of my
fingertips when I have my phone. If I am in the
car, I can plug in my phone and be instantly
cheered up or calmed down by the sounds of
Dave or whomever I am wanting to hear at that
moment.
Lastly, when I am bored, my phone keeps
me entertained. While I am waiting, I can check
my email, go online, or play games. It sure beats
sitting and staring at a wall with nothing to do.

Your introduction paragraph must include

two things:
1. an interesting lead/hook
*You only have a few
seconds to GRAB your
reader so youve got to
draw him/her in
QUICKLY.

2. a thesis statement

Here are some options for leads/hooks:

Dialogue
Interesting question
Set the mood/scene
Action
Humor
Figurative Language
*more leads and examples

Thesis statements are

Flashlights that shine down into the
rest of the story.
John McPhee

thesis statement: a sentence that tells what

the essay is about; the most important part of an
essay

Look at my introduction paragraph. It could use some

revision. It has both a lead sentence and a thesis, but are
they good enough?

I love my iphone. When I dont

have it, I feel frustrated and lost. It
is my favorite possession.
Answer the following revision questions:
1. Does the lead sentence hook the reader?

ye
s

2. Does the thesis statement introduce the essays topic well?

no
ye
s

no

Hurray! You are right! Click here to see a new lead.

I love my iphone. When I dont

have it, I feel frustrated and lost. It
is my favorite possession.

Much better lead

What is only three inches tall

and can talk, sing, and play
games? Its my iphone. When I
dont have it, I feel frustrated and
lost. It is my favorite possession.

You are right! Here is a better

thesis statement:
Because it connects me
to my loved ones, holds
my music, and
entertains me, my
iphone is
my favorite possession.

Not really! The first sentence is kind

of BORING. It doesnt grab the readers
attention.

Try again!

Lead sentences should use one

of the following:
Dialogue
Interesting question
Set the mood/scene
Action
Humor
Figurative Language
*more leads and examples

Sorry, wrong answer!

What is only three inches tall and
can talk, sing, and play games? Its
my iphone. When I dont have it, I
feel frustrated and lost. It is my
favorite possession.
This thesis statement is not specific enough.
Try again

The body is the meat of an essay.

Body

Like the supporting detail sentences in a paragraph,

these paragraphs support your introduction paragraph
and your thesis statement. They fill the essay with details
and examples.
Let's look at the body of the sample essay.

*Notice that each

paragraph has a topic
sentence that supports
the thesis statement in
the introduction.

My iphone keeps me connected to my

favorite people. I am constantly communicating with
my mom , my husband, and my three friends: Michelle,
Kim, and Deb. It also helps me stay in touch with my
cousin Rob who lives out of town.
All of my beloved music is at the tips of my
fingertips when I have my phone. If I am in the car,
I can plug in my phone and be instantly cheered up or
calmed down by the sounds of Dave or whomever I am
wanting to hear at that moment.
Lastly, when I am bored, my phone keeps me
entertained. While I am waiting, I can check my email,
go online, or play games. It sure beats sitting and staring
at a wall with nothing to do.

These are all reasons that my iphone is

my favorite possession.

support to hold, carry, or bear the

weight of; in writing, ideas must be
supported to convince the reader
thesis statement

reasons/topic sentences

thesis statement: a sentence that

tells what the essay is about; the most
important part of an essay;
the main idea

Example: Because it connects me to

my loved ones, holds my music, and
entertains me, my iphone is my
favorite possession.

The conclusion is the last paragraph where

main points are summarized and the thesis is
restated in a different way.
Which of the following conclusions fits the definition
above? Click on the one you think is best.
I am glad my mom got me my phone for
Christmas last year. I cant imagine my life
without it. It makes me smile.
I am glad my mom surprised me with an iphone for
Christmas last year. I cant imagine my life without it. It
helps me stay in touch with friends and family, allows me
to have a soundtrack at all times, and even protects me
from boredom. Mostly it is my favorite, because it makes
me smile.

I am glad my mom surprised me with an

iphone for Christmas last year. I cant imagine
my life without it. It helps me stay in touch with friends
and family, allows me to have a soundtrack at all
times, and even protects me from boredom. Mostly it
is my favorite, because it makes me smile.

My conclusion paragraph has the

thesis, but not exactly how I wrote it in
the introduction paragraph. My three
main points about my favorite possession
are all mentioned. Lastly, I end with a
strong, creative final statement.

This paragraph does not meet

the requirements
of a good conclusion.
I am glad my mom got
me my phone for Christmas
last year. I cant imagine my
life without it. It makes me
smile.

The main reasons are not

summarized, and the thesis is
not restated.

Ready to take a quiz?

Click on the burger
If you need a review,
click on the picture
below.

Click on the correct answer for each.

1. The introduction:
a. is at the end of an essay
b. includes a hook and the thesis
c. includes the thesis and a conclusion
d. includes the specific examples for each reason
2. The conclusion:
a. restates the thesis
b. summarizes the main points
c. includes a strong final statement
d. all of the above
3. The body:
a. is at the beginning
b. is not the meat of an essay
c. includes the specific examples for each reason
d. all of the above
4. The thesis statement:
a. creates focus for the entire essay
b. is specific examples and details
c. should have nothing to do with the main idea
d. should be written only at the end of the essay

Yes! You are right!

Back to quiz

Congratulations! You finished the first section, Parts of an Essay.

Now, head back to the home page and click on

number two, Focus: Thesis Statement.

Wrong answer
You are in the dog house until you get it right!

Please review the terms on the next slide, and try again.

Parts of Essay Terms

1. introduction: the first paragraph that includes a hook to grab the
reader and a thesis statement telling what the essay is about
2. hook or lead must "hook" your reader into your writing;
grabs and holds the readers attention, making them want
to read the rest of your paper.
3. thesis statement: a sentence that tells what the essay is about;
the most important part of an essay
4. body (of an essay): the one or more paragraphs in an essay between
the introduction and the conclusion
5. conclusion: the last paragraph in which the thesis is restated
in a different way than in the intro. paragraph; everything is tied
together here; end with a strong final statement about your topic
Back to quiz

If you could put your essay into one sentence, what would it be?

Because it connects me to my loved ones, holds

my music, and entertains me, my iphone is my
favorite possession.

FOCUS : a central point of attention

Every sentence in the essay supports the main
idea (thesis statement).
thesis statement

reasons/topic sentences

examples and details

(supporting sentences)

To keep your essay focused, make sure that EVERY

sentence supports the thesis statement.

Lets check the body of the original

essay for focus.

*The topic sentences

create FOCUS by
supporting the thesis
statement.

My iphone keeps me connected to my

favorite people. I am constantly communicating with
my mom , my husband, and my three friends: Michelle,
Kim, and Deb. It also helps me stay in touch with my
cousin Rob who lives out of town. It is hard to find time
to maintain contact with my friends and family, so being
able to chat with them when I am on the go is wonderful.
All of my beloved music is at the tips of my
fingertips when I have my phone. If I am in the car,
I can plug in my phone and be instantly cheered up or
calmed down by the sounds of Dave or whomever I am
wanting to hear at that moment. If it were up to me,
music would be playing every second, so it is great to be
able to access it as much as possible using my phone.
Lastly, when I am bored, my phone keeps me
entertained. While I am waiting, I can check my email,
go online, or play games. It sure beats sitting and staring
at a wall with nothing to do.

Now, lets look closer to see if all

sentences in each paragraph are focused.

My iphone keeps me connected to my

favorite people. I am constantly communicating
with my mom , my husband, and my three
friends: Michelle, Kim, and Deb. It also helps
me stay in touch with my cousin Rob who lives
out of town. It is hard to find time to maintain
contact with my friends and family, so being able
to chat with them when I am on the go is
wonderful.

All of the black sentences are FOCUSED

the blue topic sentence .

All of my beloved music is at the tips of

my fingertips when I have my phone. If I
am in the car, I can plug in my phone and
be instantly cheered up or calmed down by
the sounds of Dave or whomever I am
wanting to hear at that moment. Also,
when I exercise, I can connect my
headphones and be motivated by my
music. If it were up to me, music would be
playing every second, so it is great to be
able to access it as much as possible using
my phone.

All of the black sentences are focused

on the blue topic sentence .

Click on the sentence that is not focused.

Lastly, when I am bored, my phone
keeps me entertained. While I am waiting, I
can check my email, go online, or make lists.
I enjoy being productive, and it sure beats
sitting and staring at a wall with nothing to
do. One thing I wish is that I had chosen a
different color cover. With my phone, I
never feel like I am wasting my time because
I can always be working on something.

This sentence is focused.

Lastly, when I am bored, my phone

keeps me entertained. While I am
waiting, I can check my email, go online,
or make lists.
This sentence SUPPORTS the topic sentence
because it give specific activities I can do on
my phone that I entertain me.
Try again

This sentence is focused.

Lastly, when I am bored, my phone keeps

me entertained.
I enjoy being productive, and it
sure beats sitting and staring at a wall with
nothing to do.

Try again

This sentence SUPPORTS the thesis

because it explains why my phone
entertains me.

CORRECT! This sentence is not focused.

Lastly, when I am bored, my phone keeps me

entertained.

One thing I wish is that I had chosen a

different color cover.
This sentence has nothing to do with
the topic sentence. The paragraph is
about my phone entertaining me. It is
not about how it looks.

This sentence is focused.

Lastly, when I am bored, my phone keeps

me entertained.
With of my phone, I never feel like I
am wasting my time because I can always be
working on something.

Try again

This sentence SUPPORTS the

topic sentence by explaining it
further.

Using the following red thesis statement, click on the blue topic
sentence that is not focused.
It is important to exercise regularly in order to lead a healthy life.
Raising your heart rate three times a week for at least 30 minutes
strengthens you circulatory system.
Eating three well-balanced meals daily is good for you.
Physical activity makes your brain function better.
Exercise can be fun which improves your mood and outlook on life.

Wrong choice!
This sentence is about how
exercise leads to a healthy life.

Try again

Good choice!
This sentence is about eating, not
exercising. Even though eating well
does lead to a healthy life, this essays
FOCUS is exercise, so all paragraphs
must be about exercise.
Congratulations, you have finished section
two, Focus:Thesis Statement. Head back
To the home page and click on the final
Section, Paragraphing.

Parts of a paragraph
1. paragraph made up of a topic sentence, several sentences of
details everything in the paragraph should be about the one
topic of the paragraph. If you start writing about a new topic,
that means you need to start a new paragraph.
2. topic sentence tells your readers what your paragraph is
about; introduces the topic of your paragraph
3. supporting sentences the details, examples, and information
readers need to understand the topic. These sentences should
contain details that clearly support the topic sentence.
4. closing sentence a sentence that wraps-up or summarizes
the main ideas of your paragraph

Topic Sentence

Supporting
Sentences

Closing Sentence

Lastly, when I am bored, my

phone keeps me entertained. While I
am waiting, I can check my email, go
online, or make lists. I enjoy being
productive, and it sure beats sitting
and staring at a wall with nothing to
do. Because of my phone, I never feel
like I am wasting my time because I
can always be working on something.

Paragraphing Rules
~Have one main idea(topic sentence) in each
paragraph, and make sure that everything in that
paragraph has to do with(supports) that main idea,
otherwise known as focus.
~When you start on a new idea, let the reader know by
starting a new paragraph.
~End each paragraph with a closing sentence.
~Make sure that each of the paragraphs has to do with
the thesis or topic of the essay as a whole. This is focus,
too.

My iphone keeps me connected to my

favorite people. I am constantly communicating
with my mom , my husband, and my three friends:
Michelle, Kim, and Deb. It also helps me stay in
touch with my cousin Rob who lives out of town. It
is hard to find time to maintain contact with my
friends and family, so being able to chat with them
when I am on the go is wonderful.
A new paragraph
All of my beloved music is at the tips of
is started for each
my fingertips when I have my phone. If I am
new reason.
in the car, I can plug in my phone and be instantly
*Notice that all
cheered up or calmed down by the sounds of Dave
paragraphs are
or whomever I am wanting to hear at that moment.
indented.
If it were up to me, music would be playing every
second, so it is great to be able to access it as much
as possible using my phone.
Lastly, when I am bored, my phone
keeps me entertained. While I am waiting, I
can check my email, go online, or make lists. I
enjoy being productive, and it sure beats sitting
and staring at a wall with nothing to do. Because
of my phone, I never feel like I am wasting my time
because I can always be working on something.

Closing
sentences

Your turn
1. Open up a Microsoft Word document.
2.Write a paragraph about your favorite season.
Include the following:
~Topic sentence
~At least two supporting sentences
~Closing sentence
3. Follow paragraphing rules
4. Print your paragraph and hand it in to me.
See an example paragraph on the next slide.

My favorite time of year is when winter

becomes spring. Theres nothing better than
sliding on icy snow when the sun is shining.
Sticky spring snow creates perfect snowballs.
When that warm spring air begins to sneak in, I
cant help but smile. Bye, bye bulky winter coat
and thick sweaters!

Congratulations! You made it.

Now you are ready
to write an essay.

Please write an
essay about
your favorite
possession.

Sweet, an
essay!

I have the
perfect thesis
statement!
I love using
paragraphs!

Images
1. Thesis funnel- ncowie.wordpress.com
2. Microsoft Office Clips Online
http://office.microsoft.com/enus/images/??
Origin=EC790014051033&CTT=6&ver=12&app =powerpnt.exe