Essay Planning Workshop: Grade 11
A comprehensive worksheet for 11th-grade students to practice and refine their essay planning skills, covering brainstorming, outlining, thesis development, and evidence selection.
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Essay Planning Workshop
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This worksheet will guide you through the essential steps of essay planning. Read each section carefully and complete the tasks to develop a strong plan for your next argumentative essay.
Brainstorming & Topic Selection
For an argumentative essay, it's crucial to select a topic that allows for multiple perspectives and provides ample evidence for support. Consider the following prompt:
Prompt: Should schools implement mandatory community service hours for graduation?
1. Brainstorm at least five potential arguments for AND against mandatory community service. Use the space below.
Developing a Thesis Statement
A strong thesis statement presents your main argument and provides a roadmap for your essay. It should be debatable and specific.
2. Based on your brainstorming, choose one side of the argument (for or against mandatory community service) and craft a clear, defensible thesis statement. Remember to include your stance and at least two main reasons.
Thesis Statement Components
3. Fill in the blanks to complete the statement about effective thesis statements:
An effective thesis statement should be and , clearly stating the writer's on the topic.
Outlining Basics
4. Determine whether the following statements about essay outlining are True or False:
a. An outline is a rigid structure that cannot be changed once created.
True
False
b. Each main point in an outline should directly support the thesis statement.
True
False
Creating an Outline
Using your chosen thesis statement from question 2, create a detailed outline for a five-paragraph argumentative essay. Include your thesis, three main body paragraphs with topic sentences and at least two pieces of supporting evidence/explanation for each, and a concluding statement.
Selecting Evidence
When planning your essay, it's vital to select credible and relevant evidence.
5. Which of the following would be the LEAST effective type of evidence to support an argumentative essay on the impact of social media on teenagers?
A peer-reviewed study from a psychology journal
An anecdotal story from a friend about their social media use
Statistics from a reputable research organization
Expert opinions from a sociology professor