Name: ______________________________________ Date: ______________________________

ESSAY PLANNING ORGANIZER

Topic Question: _______________________________________________________________________

Brainstorming Ideas:

Possible Thesis Statements:

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCTION:

General Statement:

Thesis:

Three Main Points / Arguments:

1.

2.

3.

TRANSITION SENTENCE LEADING INTO PARA 1:

BODY PARAGRAPH 1:

TOPIC SENTENCE(S)

POINT A

PROOF / QUOTE A

COMMENT / DISCUSSION A

TRANSITION SENTENCE LEADING INTO PARA 2:

BODY PARAGRAPH 2:

TOPIC SENTENCE(S)

POINT B

PROOF / QUOTE B

COMMENT / DISCUSSION B

TRANSITION SENTENCE LEADING INTO PARA 3:

BODY PARAGRAPH 3:

TOPIC SENTENCE(S)

POINT C

PROOF / QUOTE C

COMMENT / DISCUSSION C

CONCLUSION:

Reworded Thesis:

Summarized Three Main Points / Arguments:

1.

2.

3.

Strong Closing Statement:

 ESSAY SELF-EDITING CHECKLIST

Style:
 Typed / entire essay is double spaced / 1” margins / 12 point Times New Roman (or basic font)
 Page numbers and last name in top right header on every page (including Works Cited)
 Your name, teacher’s name, course, date at left hand side- NO TITLE PAGE!
 Descriptive title
 Thesis is underlined
 Criteria are effectively ordered (strong, weak, strongest)
 Title of the novel is underlined throughout the essay
 Paragraphs are indented (with no extra spaces between paragraphs)
 Quotes are properly cited and are not set off from the text unless over 4 lines
 No personal pronouns (I, we, you), slang, clichés (“love is grand”, “in society”), or contractions (don’t, can’t)
 Works Cited page

Introduction:
 General opening statement(s)/information
 Well developed thesis
 One sentence stating 1st criteria, 2nd and 3rd
 Transition sentence

Body Paragraph 1:
 Topic sentence
 Point clearly stated in a sentence
 Proof / Quote (properly integrated and cited) with explanation
 Discussion / explanation of quote which is clearly tied back to the thesis
 Concluding sentence
 Transition sentence

Body Paragraph 2:
 Topic sentence
 Point clearly stated in a sentence
 Proof / Quote (properly integrated and cited) with explanation
 Discussion / explanation of quote which is clearly tied back to the thesis
 Concluding sentence
 Transition sentence

Body Paragraph 3:
 Topic sentence
 Point clearly stated in a sentence
 Proof / Quote (properly integrated and cited) with explanation
 Discussion / explanation of quote which is clearly tied back to the thesis
 Concluding sentence

Conclusion:
 General opening statement(s)/information to wrap up ideas
 Thesis reworded
 Sentence stating 1st criteria
 Sentence stating 2nd criteria
 Sentence stating 3rd criteria
 Strong closing statement(s)
 NO NEW INFORMATION!
 ESSAY PEER-EDITING CHECKLIST

Introduction:
 Engaging general opening statement(s)/information
 Well developed thesis (clearly arguable)
 One sentence stating 1st criteria, 2nd and 3rd
 Transition sentence

Comments for Intro:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 1:
 Topic sentence is effective (connects to thesis)
 Point clearly stated in a sentence
 Proof / Quote (properly integrated and cited) with explanation (no plot summary!)
 Discussion / explanation of quote which is clearly tied back to the thesis
 Quotations support thesis and are explained in detail/related back to thesis
 Concluding sentence
 Transition sentence

Comments for Body Para 1:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 2:
 Topic sentence is effective (connects to thesis)
 Point clearly stated in a sentence
 Proof / Quote (properly integrated and cited) with explanation (no plot summary!)
 Discussion / explanation of quote which is clearly tied back to the thesis
 Quotations support thesis and are explained in detail/related back to thesis
 Concluding sentence
 Transition sentence

Comments for Body Para 2:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 3:
 Topic sentence is effective (connects to thesis)
 Point clearly stated in a sentence
 Proof / Quote (properly integrated and cited) with explanation (no plot summary!)
 Discussion / explanation of quote which is clearly tied back to the thesis
 Quotations support thesis and are explained in detail/related back to thesis
 Concluding sentence

Comments for Body Para 3:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion:
 General opening statement(s)/information to wrap up ideas
 Thesis reworded
 Sentence stating 1st criteria
 Sentence stating 2nd criteria
 Sentence stating 3rd criteria
 Strong closing statement(s)
 NO NEW INFORMATION!

Comments for Conclusion:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Style:
 Typed / entire essay is double spaced / 1” margins / 12 point Times New Roman (or basic font)
 Page numbers and last name in top right header on every page (including Works Cited)
 Their name, teacher’s name, course, date at left hand side- NO TITLE PAGE!
 Descriptive title
 Thesis is underlined
 Criteria are effectively ordered (strong, weak, strongest)
 Title of the novel is underlined throughout the essay
 Paragraphs are indented (with no extra spaces between paragraphs)
 Quotes are properly cited and are not set off from the text unless over 4 lines
 No personal pronouns (I, we, you), slang, clichés (“love is grand”, “in society”), or contractions (don’t, can’t)
 Works Cited page is correct: Lastname, Firstname. Title. City: Publishing Company, 2011.

Overall….

Strengths:

1.

2.

3.

Weaknesses:

1.

2.

3.

Tips:

1.

2.

3.