Writing Your Body Paragraphs

1. Writing Your Body Paragraphs Northwestern High School English Language Arts 9 Mrs. Avery

2. THESIS: The government should not create a legal dating age because age does not depend on love, people might not like others their age, and humans have free will to choose whom they love. People might not like others their age Humans have free will to choose whom they love Write the 3 Reasons That support your Thesis Age does not depend on love

3. Let’s Review… The Introductory Paragraph has three main parts… • The Grabber • The Filler • The Thesis

4. What are filler sentences? • Filler sentences are sentences that connect your “grabber” to your thesis statement. • Usually, there are 2-3 filler sentences. • They move the reader from the instant “grabber” to the main point in the thesis

5. Question: What important changes does Northwestern High School need? Introduction:Can you imagine what it would be like to walk into school everyday, knowing that your peers are excited about learning, and that your school has the proper resources to support them? That’s what could happen if Northwestern made some important changes. Students today need an environment that supports their needs, and makes them feel like they are valued members of the student body. To ensure optimal learning, schools should try their best to accommodate the interests of the students. For many high school students, school is where they spend most of their day, and because of that, they want to enjoy the space they occupy for four years. Northwestern High School needs a better student morale, shorter class periods, and more diverse extracurricular activities to improve the school atmosphere.

6. Filler Sentences… • Immediately after creating a grabber, move into your filler sentences. • Use • “For Example,” • Tell a short story related to what you’re talking about • Close with your thesis.

7. Why must thesis statements have 3 points?! • The thesis must have 3 main points because those 3 points become the 3body paragraphs of your essay

8. What if you found out you only had six months to live? Millions of people every year find out that they, or someone they love, are dying of cancer as a result of the dangers of smoking. Most people that smoke do so in order to relieve stress, escape from peer pressure, and some people do it for both reasons. The awful truth is that even though smoking may seem cool to some people, or relive stress for others, the dangers of smoking are severe; smoking causes poor oral health, cancer, and in most cases, a slow death. Most people don’t realize that there is more to cigarettes that what manufacturers advertise. Even though most people smoke to relive stress, the bad habit eventually adds more problems, including poor dental health. Many habitual smokers end up with rotten teeth, gum diseases, and even cancer of the mouth, which can be life threatening. Speaking of life threatening diseases, most cigarettes companies will deny that fact that smoking causes cancer. However, studies have proven that smoking does indeed cause various types of cancer, all of which are extremely life threatening. Many people who have smoked at one point or another in their lives are now suffering the consequences, and are dealing with throat, stomach, and oral cancers. The more unfortunate of these consequences are that some people aren’t even alive to warn others to abstain from smoking or quit, because their lives were ended prematurely from smoking. Often, a person who knows someone who smokes, will notice subtle chances in that person’s behavior. The reason they change is due to chemical imbalances in the brain caused by a substance in the cigarettes called nicotine. Tobacco, which is also a main ingredient of cigarettes, is a big part of this problem. Smoking destroys brain cells, slowly but surely, which slows down brain activity. Both substances are highly addictive, and both substances increase the risk of heart disease and other deadly conditions. Cancer, poor oral health, and slow death are all the horrible but very real effects of smoking. Scientists have researched how smoking causes cancer and has devastating effects on cigarette users. Scientists have also found that some gum and tooth decay diseases have been caused by smoking, as well as brain damage and heart disease. The lesson to be learned is that smoking cigarettes is dangerous and that no on is safe when it comes to indulging in the habit, because death does not discriminate.

9. Why Body Paragraphs? • The Body Paragraphs are where you PROVE YOUR THESIS. • In other words, you prove your point. • If you said you admire your dad because he is smart, caring, and helpful, your body paragraphs will PROVE he has those qualities.

10. Components of the Body • Like the introductory paragraph, each body paragraph also needs at least 5 sentences. • They are: • Topic Sentence • Explanation Sentence • Supporting Detail Sentence • Reference Sentence • Transition Sentence

11. The topic sentence1 – 2 • The topic sentence, is the first sentence in your body paragraph. • Topic: the main idea • ex.. Transitioning from middle school to high school • So the topic sentence introduces the reader to the main idea (topic) of the paragraph.

12. Explanation Sentences3-4 • Remember that your introductory paragraph was written in general terms without any specific examples. • Your explanation sentences are where you get the chance to get into specifics and give examples. • You have to PROVE to the reader that your thesis statement is true.

13. Supporting Details AND Reference Sentences • How do you prove your point through details? • Stories, facts, quotes, examples, etcetera • You are not being scored/graded on the story, but on how well you answer the question. CHOOSE TWO

14. Reference Sentences • Reference sentences focus on proving your point with facts from… • History • Books • Music • Art • Etc… • Try starting these sentences with… • According to… • In (year)… • By the (century)… DON’T FORGET to explain HOW your reference is connected to your answer! Don’t just throw facts in the paragraph and not explain them. Parenthetical Citation (Author’s Last Name, Yr Published).

15. Transition Sentence • The purpose of the transition sentence is to connect one paragraph to the next. • Examples to start a transition sentence: • Not only _________, but also____________. • _____________ is also another__________. Or… check out this next slide 

16. Don’t forget to use transitions! • What are transitions words? • Words that connect one supporting sentence to another • Examples: • Also • Another thing (characteristic, aspect, idea, etc.) • Moreover, • Furthermore, • Even though… • Additionally,

17. The Himalayan Mountains have had a major effect on the development of India. These mountains form a geographic and political boundary along the northern border of the Indian Sub-continent. They include the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest which is over 29,000 feet tall. The Himalayas are very difficult to cross so they protected ancient India from foreign invaders from the North. The height of the Himalayas provide a barrier to cold winds from the North keeping most of India warm for most of the year as well. Indian culture has adapted to these high temperatures with lighter, looser, clothing. • Similar adaptations have taken place in Northern Africa because of the Sahara Desert. The Sahara is the world's largest desert. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Ethiopian highlands. Because it is difficult to cross, the desert has formed a barrier between the cultures of Northern Africa and rest of the continent. The lack of water in the desert has limited the amount of arable land in the area. This feature affects countries like Ethiopia which has difficulty consistently producing enough food to feed its people. At times, famine has resulted. • Rivers like the Yangtze in China are important for food production. The Yangtze flows eastward from the mountains of Tibet to the South China Sea. It is China's longest river. Because much of China is mountainous, people settled around rivers like the Yangtze to take advantage of the water and the rich soil. The Yangtze also provides fish for food. Since it is navigable for most of its 3600 miles, the Yangtze serves as an important means of transportation, as well as communication.

18. Remember… • Each new paragraph is indented • Each paragraph needs at least 5 sentences • Each sentence should relate to the topic sentence • Each paragraph must directly answer the question/prompt!!!!

19. Transition Sentences1-2 • Your closing sentence is the last sentence in the paragraph. • The last sentence in a body paragraph should give a finished feeling to the paragraph. Don’t leave any loose ends. • Try to use keywords from the question to wrap up your paragraph. • DO NOT SAY: “And that is why...”

20. Where is the closing sentence? My mom is the only one there for me when I fail. For example, I was kicked off the cheerleading team, and while everyone else was making fun of me, my mom was the only one who lent me a crying shoulder and gave me a hug. She also encouraged me when I was failing my English class, by telling me I could do anything; as a result, I ended up earning an “A” that quarter. I only hope that one day I might encourage her as much as she has encouraged me.

21. Transition Sentence Ideas • There are many ways to begin closing sentences. • Some of the more popular ones are: • Although ____________, _____________. • As a result of ____________, _____________ also should be considered. • Consequently of _______________, one must remember _______________.

22. So the Body Paragraph looks like this: • Topic Sentence • Explanation Sentence • Supporting Detail Sentence • Reference Sentence • Transition Sentence