General Essay Outline

1. General Essay Outline Paragraph 1: Introduction -Attention Getter -Background Information -Thesis Paragraph 2-4: Body Paragraphs -TIQAT Paragraph 5: Conclusion -Restate Thesis/Summarize Body Paragraphs -Appeal to Reader/Relate to Life

2. Autobiographical Incident Essay -It is about you -It is about one incident Question: Can you think of some topics that would create an interesting autobiographical incident essay?

3. Introduction • Grab the Reader’s Attention • Rhetorical Question • Announcement • Bold and Challenging Statement • Quotation • Personal Experience/Feeling • Fact/Statistic

4. What type of opener? • Everyone is racist. • Every sixteen minutes someone dies by suicide in the United States. • Do you believe in love at first sight? • “C’mon, just try it. You won’t get hurt,” yelled my experienced wakeboarding brother. • I never knew that I could hurt as much as I did at that moment. The pain was greater than anything I had ever experienced and would continue to grow as the days passed. Unfortunately, there was no magic pill to take, no words to heal, and no end in sight to this pain that was overtaking my body. • It’s a boy!

5. Introduction 2. Background Information - Describes to the reader what you are going to reveal throughout the essay. It includes generalinformation; specifics should come from your body paragraphs. It should be enough to create interest, so the reader wants to keep reading! - Similar to a summary

6. Introduction 3. Thesis - Answers the question, “What is the paper about?” - Explains the main idea - Condensed/Summarized form - One to two sentence statement

7. Body Paragraphs (3+) TIQAT T = Topic Sentence - Thesis + QER I = Introduce Quote/Example/Reason - Lead into QER Q = Quote/Example/Reason - State QER A = Analyze Quote/Example/Reason - Explains how QER fits with the thesis AND why it was chosen T = Transition - Current reason + next QER or thesis (3)

8. Conclusion • Restate Thesis • Summarize Body Paragraphs - 3 main points • Appeal to Reader - Make the reader part of the essay 4. Relate to Life - Extend to real world and/or life lessons in order to appeal to anyone and everyone

9. Ms. Toll’s Essay-Introduction The peeling out of the rival gang’s tires and my boyfriend lying unconscious on the middle of the street are the instances that still haunt me from that dreadful night. I held Justin in my arms, refusing to let go, even as the paramedics lifted his vegetal body onto the gurney and drove away. Five days later, with his family’s consent, life support was pulled, and there was one less life. Two months away from turning eighteen, and four months away from graduating, Justin Beckham was still a child when a gang member broke the glass bottle over his head. I was fourteen and oblivious to the life I was beginning to lead: drugs, alcohol, sex, gang affiliation, and death were all in my future, if they weren’t already there. Something had to be done, and only I could help myself.

10. Ms. Toll’s Essay-Body 1 I was an academic achieving student all through this time, so my parents could not comprehend the fights, bullying, attitude, or my need to be away from their loving home. They tried to help, but I was out of control, until the memorial for Justin. It was there that I realized Justin was never going to come back to me. I wept, not because of his death or the fact that he was gone, but rather for all of those lives around me, including myself, who were still able to choose the road which we would travel.

11. Ms. Toll’s Essay-Body 2 Teenage life is all about “having fun”, but the so-called fun that I had was turning my life into a downward spiral headed six feet under. I stopped going to parties, causing trouble at night, and stayed away from the drugs and alcohol. Instead, I went shopping with my parents on Friday nights for groceries and spent Saturdays watching movies with them. Most importantly, I developed a friendship with my parents, a friendship that is still strong today, for they are my best friends. Through them, I discovered that both had chosen the road I was steering myself away from. I was ending the cycle that had gone on for generations.

12. Ms. Toll’s Essay-Body 3 Even though I had turned my life around, what about others who still spent their time on the streets? During the next few years, I brought others under my wing and tried to help them. It was no use; just like me, they had to see the light for themselves. Unable to change anyone, I remained a positive role model for those around me, hoping that my example would influence a change within them.

13. Ms. Toll’s Essay-Body 4 Being a leader does not mean that I did not need the support of others; I craved friends that had the same interests as I, and found a handful. My closest friends, the ones I will keep in touch with throughout life, are just as much the same as me as they are different. The diversity each one brings to our friendship allows me to continue to grow into a better person, able to accept that everyone has flaws, and it takes others to point them out, so we can improve upon ourselves.

14. Ms. Toll’s Essay-Conclusion I am still traveling the road to success today. Minor bumps and steep hills are in the future. Although, I cannot prepare myself for them, I know that I am strong and will be able to overcome the adversity placed in front of me, no matter what the endeavor holds.

15. Autobiographical Topics • First day of middle school • Favorite middle school memories • Disneyland vacation • Loss of a grandparent • Falling in love • First concert • Favorite memory with family