Writing Paragraphs 101

Mr. Hill – the English Teacher… I mean History Teacher

Question

• Who do you believe is the greatest American President ever? Explain why.

Opening Sentence

• 3 PARTS– RESTATE– ANSWER– STATE A CLAIM

RESTATE!!!

• The greatest American president was….

Answer!!!!

• DO NOT BE SUSPENSEFUL• PROVIDE YOUR ANSWER IN THE 1ST SENTENCE• CHOICES– WASHINGTON– JEFFERSON– JACKSON– LINCOLN– ROOSEVELT (TR OR FDR)

LINCOLN

STATE A CLAIM

• OS – STATE MAIN ARGUMENTS FOR WHY YOUR ANSWER IS CORRECT– JUST NEED TO LIST THEM• YOU WILL EXPLAIN THEM IN THE BODY OF YOUR

PARAGRAPH

POSSIBLE CLAIMS

POSSIBLE CLAIMS

• LEADER DURING CIVIL WAR• SAVED THE UNION• 1ST CIVIL RIGHTS TO AA• GREAT COMMUNICATOR• MADE TOUGH DECISIONS• RAGS TO RICHES STORY• EXCELLENT POLITICAL STRATEGIST• HAD A CABINET OF BOTH DEMS AND REP

PERFECT OPENING

• The greatest American president was Abraham Lincoln because he saved the Union during the Civil War, provided the first civil rights’ laws to African Americans, and was a brilliant political strategist.

Body

• WHERE YOU WIN OR LOSE YOUR ARGUMENT• YOUR ARGUMENTS NEED TO BE BACKED UP

AND THOROUGHLY EXPLAINED BY:– FACTS– SPECIFIC DETAILS– EXAMPLES– ANALOGIES– CONNECTIONS

BAD

• Lincoln was the only president that could keep the country together. He also guaranteed many freedoms to former African American slaves. Finally, he was able to use his political savvy to control the politicians that opposed his policies in the north.

BAD

• Lincoln used McClellan, Meade, Sherman, and Grant to win major battles at Antietam, Gettysburg, Atlanta, and at Petersburg. Furthermore, he constructed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the seceded states. In addition, he suspended habeas corpus to imprison anybody in the North that was sympathetic to the Confederacy.

USE TRANSITITONS

Closing Sentence

REPHRASING OF THE OPENING SENTENCEDO NOT:

1. END ON A POINT2. ASK A QUESTION

IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE, THEN JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!

MODEL CLOSING SENTENCE

• SIMPLE: These are the reasons why Abraham Lincoln can be considered the greatest American president.

• Sophisticated: Because of his ability to carefully keep the Union intact, extend civil rights to African Americans, and suppress opposition in the North, qualifies Abraham Lincoln to be the greatest American president.