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How do ideas fit together? Sally is trying to plan an essay for her science class on how
tectonic plates have formed the Ring of Fire, the Hawaiian Islands and the Himalayas.
Through her research she has found the ideas below. Help her to select the best ideas by
numbering them in the order you think she should use them. Number them so you know
which paragraph they should go in, and in which order (e.g. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1…). Her
hypothesis is also given below.
Number the ideas below to indicate the order in which they should be discussed in Sally’s
essay.
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Q1
Hypothesis:
“Tectonic plates have formed much of the world as we know it, including the Ring of Fire,
the Hawaiian Islands and the Himalayas.”
The Himalayas were
formed through the
collision of the
Eurasian tectonic
plate and the IndoAustralian plate.
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The Hawaiian Islands
are actually the
exposed peaks of an
undersea mountain
range which was
formed through
volcanic activity in the
Ring of Fire.
Although not in the Ring
of Fire, just like the
Hawaiian Islands, the
Himalayas were formed
through the activity of
tectonic plates.
The motion of these
plates means that
90% of the world’s
earthquakes happen
along the 40 000km
Ring of Fire.
It was this movement
of plates that formed
the highest mountain
on Earth: Mount
Everest – this is the
power of the plates.
As the plates are
constantly moving,
the Himalayas are
rising by about
5mm per year.
The Ring of Fire is
the direct result
of the movement
and collisions of
crustal plates.
The Hawaiian Islands
suffer many earthquakes
due to the movement of
tectonic plates.
Volcanoes are also very
common around the
Ring of Fire – it was
these volcanoes that
started forming the
Hawaiian Islands
around 28 million years
ago.
Cohesive ties are really important! The activity of the Queen Charlotte Plate has
caused a major earthquake, which separated the sentences below. Join the sentences by
writing in the correct cohesive tie from the cloud.
Join the sentences below by writing cohesive ties in the space between them.
Earthquakes are usually formed by the
friction caused by moving tectonic plates.
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Earthquakes can cause other natural
disasters such as tsunamis.
Earthquakes can also be man-made.
They can cause landslides and
avalanches.
Earthquakes over 7 on the seismic scale
are expected to cause serious damage.
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Q1
Much research has been conducted into
detecting earthquakes before they happen.
The worst earthquake in history was
measured at 9.5.
Most earthquakes are part of a sequence
containing one major quake and then following
aftershocks.
After the main earthquake there can still be
damage as the aftershocks continue.
Despite this
Unfortunately
Additionally
Therefore
Furthermore
Guidelines have been published worldwide
detailing how to deal with the
consequences.
Earthquake researchers warn that if a quake
was to strike in a major city, over 3 million
lives could be lost.
However
Cities continue to be overpopulated.
Ideas in writing should relate to a hypothesis. Sally’s Geography class is studying
cities and populations. Sally believes that cities should have a limit of one million people
so that loss of life is prevented during major disasters. Using the information she has
collected and the ideas she has noted, plan her essay on the following sheets. Have a go
at writing the introduction and conclusion yourself.
Read the ideas that Sally has come up with for her Geography essay (below).
1.
Increasingly we are seeing more and more people die as natural disasters cripple cities.
2.
Earthquake researchers say that if a quake were to strike in a major city, over 3 million lives could be
lost.
3.
In a city with such a large population, if an illness were to spread it could wipe out an enormous
number of people quickly.
4.
Major cities with bustling centres of commerce and tourism might attract terrorism attention.
5.
Just like the plague in the Middle Ages, it would be hard to quarantine a city if it was too big. Keeping
population numbers down would help with quarantine efforts.
6.
Often major political leaders are the subject of terrorist attacks – having too many of these
concentrated in one area is more risky than having them spread out through a few cities.
7.
Any kind of natural disaster would be easier to handle with less people to look after. Surrounding
cities could send in help as they most likely wouldn’t be affected.
8.
In the case of an epidemic it would be harder to coordinate medical supplies if the cities were all
spread out. However, this could be combated with planning and preparation.
9.
The tragedy of September 11 might never have happened if New York wasn’t the centre of commerce
and trade.
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!
10. If the smaller cities are separated by flood waters it could be difficult to help with supplies – however,
this could be handled using boats, planes and helicopters.
11. If a whole city were to be contaminated by an epidemic, it wouldn’t be spread as easily to other cities.
12. Just because there aren’t any major cities doesn’t mean that terrorism is going to stop. However, it
would prevent major loss of life if there were less people in any given area.
13. Most of the world’s cities are in fact situated in places where earthquakes, floods and other disasters
are likely to happen.
14. Larger cities tend to be much dirtier as they have more people, less space and fewer cleaners. This
aids in the spread of disease.
15. In big cities people tend to be more concentrated. If there were fewer people in the cities, there
would be less concentration and, therefore, (hopefully) less lives lost in the event of terrorism.
Q1
Using some of the ideas that you read (on the previous page), plan Sally’s essay. Note:
You’ll have to write the introduction and conclusion yourself!
Introduction
Hypothesis
1st Paragraph
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Don’t forget: Sally’s hypothesis
is that cities should have a
population limit of one million
people in order to prevent
loss of life during natural
disasters, epidemics and
terrorism.
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Point One (write a topic sentence for your first point):
Supporting Evidence (Which of Sally’s ideas could be used to support your point? List them below):
Counter-Argument (Can you think of any arguments that could used against the supporting evidence above?)
Counterargument
A counter argument presents a
point against the argument and
then counters, or refutes it.
.
2nd Paragraph
Point Two (write a topic sentence for your second point):
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Supporting Evidence (Which of Sally’s ideas could be used to support your point? List them below):
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Counter-Argument (Can you think of any arguments that could used against the supporting evidence above?)
3rd Paragraph
Point Three (write a topic sentence for your second point):
Supporting Evidence (Which of Sally’s ideas could be used to support your point? List them below):
3rd Paragraph
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…Here’s more space for your supporting evidence, if required:
Counter-Argument (Can you think of any arguments that could used against the supporting evidence above?)
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Conclusion
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Firstly, thank you for your support of Mighty Minds and our resources. We endeavour to create highquality resources that are both educational and engaging, and results have shown that this approach
works.
About this resource
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To assist you in using this resource, we have compiled some brief tips and reminders below.
This Mighty Minds ‘Fundamentals’ Lesson focusses on one subtopic from the NAPLAN Tests and
presents this skill through a theme from the Australian Curriculum (History, Science or Geography).
This lesson is also targeted at a certain skill level, to ensure that your students are completing work
that is suited to them.
How to use this resource
Our ‘Fundamentals’ Lessons are split into two main sections, each of which contain different types of
resources.
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The student workbook contains
• The main title page; and
• The blank student worksheets for students to complete.
The teacher resources section contains
• This set of instructions;
• The Teacher’s Guide, which offers information that may be needed to teach the lesson;
• The Item Description, which gives a brief overview of the lesson and its aims, as well as extension
ideas;
• The student answer sheets, which show model responses on the student worksheets to ensure
that answers to the questions are clear;
• The teacher’s answer sheets, which provide a more detailed explanation of the model responses
or answers; and
• Finally, the ‘end of lesson’ marker.
We suggest that you print the student workbook (the first set of pages) for the students. If students
are completing this lesson for homework, you may also like to provide them with the student answer
pages.
Feedback and contacting us
We love feedback. Our policy is that if you email us with suggested changes to any lesson, we will
complete those changes and send you the revised lesson – free of charge.
Just send your feedback to [email protected] and we’ll get back to you as soon as we
can.
The Importance of ‘Ideas’ in Writing
Ideas are the backbone of any text and ensuring that they flow well together is important. An
essay might be beautifully written but exceptional prose is pointless if the ideas aren’t logical and
don’t fit together.
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Choosing the Right Ideas
Choosing the right ideas for a piece of writing is often the hardest part. Essentially, each idea
represents a paragraph, so they have to be broad enough to be discussed for the length of the
paragraph. In an essay, generally the strongest idea should lead and the weakest should come
last. Three main ideas are usually enough for an essay.
It is important when writing an essay that students understand the importance of planning.
Without correct and thorough planning, students may get carried away or halfway through an
essay realise that their ideas cannot be supported or expounded. Students should always flesh
out their paragraphs and supporting evidence before sitting down to write the actual essay.
Cohesion
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It is important in a piece of writing that all of the ideas fit together logically. The concluding
sentence of each paragraph in the body of an essay should link to the next paragraph, and the
topic sentence should link back as well.
For example, in an essay about giving students more homework:
(End of first paragraph about how more homework would improve students’ work) Not only would
it help the students’ work, but giving children more homework would also help Australia.
Australia would benefit from giving children more homework as well. Lately, Australia has been
falling behind other countries in terms of education standards.
In this example, the last sentence of the first paragraph links to the next paragraph. Furthermore,
the first sentence of the second paragraph links back to the previous one. This makes the essay
flow.
Another crucial part of an essay is its cohesive ties. These are the words that link together two
sentences or paragraphs.
For example:
Furthermore; also; firstly; secondly; in addition; moreover; besides; not only; whereas; on the
contrary; similarly; consequently; therefore; however.
This teaching guide is continued on the next page...
...This teaching guide is continued from the previous page.
Structure
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Using a solid structure is essential when trying to achieve cohesion in an essay. Students should
remember that each paragraph contains one argument. Essays should begin with an
introduction, which orientates the reader with the author’s argument and each of the points to be
argued. Following this should be paragraph one, which then links to paragraph two, which in turn
links to paragraph three (and so on). After the body paragraphs, the conclusion should tie up the
argument, restating the main points of the author without introducing any new information.
Within paragraphs, a simple structure should be maintained, particularly by those who struggle
with structuring. Each paragraph should contain a topic sentence, followed by multiple points with
supporting evidence. The paragraph should then be summed up in a concluding sentence or
statement which also links to the argument of the next paragraph.
Item Description
Please note: any activity that is not completed during class time may be set for homework or
undertaken at a later date.
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Activity Description:
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These activities are all centred around the idea of tectonic plates and their resulting natural
disasters; they all require the student to think about ideas and cohesion in an essay.
The first activity requires students to read a collection of ideas for an essay and number
them in the appropriate order.
The second activity requires students to decide which cohesive ties fit into the sentences
that have been separated by an earthquake.
The last activity asks students to essentially plan an essay using the information provided
for them. They are given the opportunity to take the information and place it in order.
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Purpose of Activity:
To teach students about the importance of ideas and cohesion in an essay.
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KLAs:
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English
Geography
Science
CCEs:
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‘Tectonic Plates’, ‘Tectonic Trouble’ and ‘City Limits’
Recognising letters, words and other symbols (α1)
Interpreting the meaning of words or other symbols (α4)
Structuring/ organising extended written text (β21)
Classifying (β30)
Interrelating ideas/ themes/ issues (β31)
Hypothesising (θ41)
Using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar (π9)
Creating/ composing/ devising (π46)
Suggested Time Allocation:
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This unit is designed to run for one hour altogether. However, it can be broken down into
sections. The first two activities are shorter, probably taking the student 10-15 minutes to
complete. The last activity will require for 30 minutes or longer.
This Item Description is continued on the next page...
Item Description – continued
…This Item Description is continued from the previous page.
Teaching Notes:
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Before asking students to complete the activities, review paragraph structuring, cohesive
ties, and essay structure with them. This information can be found in the Teacher’s Guide.
Ideas flourish in group discussions; try to have discussions about the ideas provided in
order to allow your students constructive access to their peers’ ideas.
After completing the last activity, students could write an essay using the information
provided – all they would have to do would be to fill it out with cohesive language.
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‘Tectonic Plates’, ‘Tectonic Trouble’ and ‘City Limits’
How do ideas fit together? Sally is trying to plan an essay for her science class on how
tectonic plates have formed the Ring of Fire, the Hawaiian Islands and the Himalayas.
Through her research she has found the ideas below. Help her to select the best ideas by
numbering them in the order you think she should use them. Number them so you know
which paragraph they should go in, and in which order (e.g. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1…). Her
hypothesis is also given below.
Number the ideas below to indicate the order in which they should be discussed in Sally’s
essay.
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Q1
Hypothesis:
“Tectonic plates have formed much of the world as we know it, including the Ring of Fire,
the Hawaiian Islands and the Himalayas.”
The Hawaiian Islands
are actually the
exposed peaks of an
undersea mountain
range which was
formed through
volcanic activity in the
Ring of Fire.
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The Himalayas were
formed through the
collision of the
Eurasian tectonic
plate and the IndoAustralian plate.
The Ring of Fire is
the direct result
of the movement
and collisions of
crustal plates.
3.1
1.1
2.1
Although not in the Ring
of Fire, just like the
Hawaiian Islands, the
Himalayas were formed
through the activity of
tectonic plates.
2.3
The motion of these
plates means that
90% of the world’s
earthquakes happen
along the 40 000km
Ring of Fire.
It was this movement
of plates that formed
the highest mountain
on Earth: Mount
Everest – this is the
power of the plates.
2.2
3.3
As the plates are
constantly moving,
the Himalayas are
rising by about
5mm per year.
1.2
The Hawaiian Islands
suffer many earthquakes
due to the movement of
tectonic plates.
3.2
Volcanoes are also very
common around the
Ring of Fire – it was
these volcanoes that
started forming the
Hawaiian Islands
around 28 million years
ago.
1.3
Tectonic Plates
Question One:
In this activity, students were required to number the ‘ideas’ (passages in boxes) according to the
order in which Sally should use them in her essay.
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Sally’s hypothesis is the main clue for students as it tells them the order in which they should number
the ideas: the Ring of Fire first, then the Hawaiian Islands, and finally the Himalayas. Students should
always try to introduce the reader to the order of their essay in the hypothesis or first few sentences.
The passages below are one possible way students could have ordered the ideas. If students’
responses vary from this, ask them to justify their answer to the class.
1.1 “The Ring of Fire is the direct result of the movement and collision of crustal plates.”
This is the introductory sentence to the Ring of Fire paragraph and should therefore go first. It
is introductory because it leads into the paragraph and doesn’t make reference to anything
else said.
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1.2 “The motion of these plates means that 90% of the world’s earthquakes happen along the
40 000km Ring of Fire.”
This sentence is clearly in the Ring of Fire paragraph so the next problem is where to place it
within the paragraph. It follows on nicely from the first sentence, about how the Ring of Fire
was formed through the movement of plates, and so it should go second.
1.3 “Volcanoes are also very common around the Ring of Fire – it was these volcanoes that
started forming the Hawaiian Islands about 28 million years ago.”
This sentence is the conclusion to the first paragraph and so should be third. It goes in the
Ring of Fire paragraph because it is about the Ring of Fire, and students should know that it
is concluding as it links to the next paragraph about the Hawaiian Islands.
2.1 “The Hawaiian Islands are actually the exposed peaks of an undersea mountain range
which was formed through volcanic activity in the Ring of Fire.”
This sentence is the introductory sentence of paragraph two as it leads on from the last
sentence of paragraph one and introduces the subject of this paragraph.
2.2 “The Hawaiian Islands suffer many earthquakes due to the movement of tectonic plates.”
This sentence should be the middle of the paragraph as it neither introduces nor concludes
the paragraph.
2.3 “Although not in the Ring of Fire, just like the Hawaiian Islands, the Himalayas were formed
through the activity of tectonic plates.”
This could be the introductory sentence for the next paragraph but also fits well as the
concluding sentence of paragraph two. It leads on to the next paragraph about the Himalayas.
This answer guide is continued on the next page...
...This answer guide is continued from the previous page.
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3.1 “The Himalayas were formed through the collision of the Eurasian tectonic plate and the
Indo-Australian plate.”
This is the introductory sentence of the final paragraph. It gives the reader an orientation on
how the Himalayas were formed while also linking back to the concluding sentence of the
second paragraph.
3.2 “As the plates are constantly moving, the Himalayas are rising by about 5mm per year.”
Although this could also be the last sentence of the third paragraph, it is more fitting as the
second as it links from the first sentence and into the last sentence.
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3.3 “It was this movement of plates that formed the highest mountain on Earth: Mount Everest
– this is the power of the plates.”
As previously mentioned, the eighth and ninth sentences could probably be swapped.
However, this works as the last sentence because it has a more powerful ending.
Cohesive ties are really important! The activity of the Queen Charlotte Plate has
caused a major earthquake, which separated the sentences below. Join the sentences by
writing in the correct cohesive tie from the cloud.
Join the sentences below by writing cohesive ties in the space between them.
Earthquakes are usually formed by the
friction caused by moving tectonic plates.
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However
Earthquakes can cause other natural
disasters such as tsunamis.
Additionally
Earthquakes can also be man-made.
They can cause landslides and
avalanches.
Earthquakes over 7 on the seismic scale
are expected to cause serious damage.
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Q1
Unfortunately
The worst earthquake in history was
measured at 9.5.
Most earthquakes are part of a sequence
containing one major quake and then following
aftershocks.
Much research has been conducted into
detecting earthquakes before they happen.
Furthermore
Guidelines have been published worldwide
detailing how to deal with the
consequences.
Therefore
After the main earthquake there can still be
damage as the aftershocks continue.
Earthquake researchers warn that if a quake
was to strike in a major city, over 3 million
lives could be lost.
Despite this
Despite this
Unfortunately
Additionally
Therefore
Furthermore
However
Cities continue to be overpopulated.
Tectonic Trouble
Question One:
Students should be able to pick the cohesive tie that fits between the given sentences.
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1. “Earthquakes are usually formed by the friction caused by moving tectonic plates. However,
earthquakes can also be man-made.”
However fits here as the second sentence offers the alternative to the first sentence’s claim
that earthquakes are usually natural. This alternative is that they can also be man-made.
2. “Earthquakes can cause other natural disasters such as tsunamis. Additionally, they can cause
landslides and avalanches.”
A cohesive tie is preferable here to join these two sentences more smoothly. Without
additionally, the second sentence is ambiguous – do earthquakes or tsunamis cause
landslides and avalanches? Additionally is the correct tie as it tells the reader that the
information in the second sentence is related to the information in the first sentence.
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3. “Earthquakes over 7 on the seismic scale are expected to cause serious damage. Unfortunately,
the worst earthquake in history was measured at 9.5.”
Unfortunately works as a cohesive tie here as it links the two sentences together. It is
appropriate as the information is about a tragic event.
4. “Much research has been conducted into detecting earthquakes before they happen.
Furthermore, guidelines have been published worldwide detailing how to deal with the
consequences.”
Furthermore fits here to link the two sentences together as the information in the first
sentence leads into the information in the second sentence.
5. “Most earthquakes are part of a sequence containing one major quake and then following
aftershocks. Therefore, after the main earthquake there can still be damage as the aftershocks
continue.”
This tie tells the reader that the information in the second sentence is a result of the
information in the first.
6. “Earthquake researchers warn that if a quake was to strike in a major city, over 3 million lives
could be lost. Despite this, cities continue to be overpopulated.”
Despite this is a phrase that has quite negative connotations. In this case it implies that the
writer believes that it is not a good idea that cities continue to be overpopulated. It links
together the two sentences by saying that, although this information has been given, this is
still happening.
Q1
Using some of the ideas that you read (on the previous page), plan Sally’s essay. Note:
You’ll have to write the introduction and conclusion yourself!
Introduction
Cities should be imposed with a population limit of one million
people in order to preserve precious human life. There are so
Don’t forget: Sally’s hypothesis
is that cities should have a
population limit of one million
people in order to prevent
loss of life during natural
disasters, epidemics and
terrorism.
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many dangers of big cities: for example, when natural disasters
Hypothesis
strike, big cities are helpless and often lose much of their
population. Furthermore, epidemics spread in big cities far
easier than in smaller ones. Terrorists are also more likely to target cities with large
populations. Therefore, cities’ populations should be limited to one million people.
1st Paragraph
Point One (write a topic sentence for your first point):
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1. Increasingly we are seeing more and more people die as natural disasters cripple cities.
Supporting Evidence (Which of Sally’s ideas could be used to support your point? List them below):
2. Earthquake researchers say that if a quake were to strike in a major city, over 3 million
lives could be lost.
13. Most of the world’s cities are in fact situated in places were earthquakes, floods and
other disasters are likely to happen.
7. Any kind of natural disaster would be easier to handle with less people to look after.
Surrounding cities could send in help as they most likely wouldn’t be affected.
Counter-Argument (Can you think of any arguments that could used against the supporting evidence above?)
10. If the smaller cities are separated by flood waters it could be difficult to help with
supplies – however, this could be handled using boats, planes
and helicopters.
Counterargument
A counter argument presents a
point against the argument and
then counters, or refutes it.
.
2nd Paragraph
Point Two (write a topic sentence for your second point):
3. In a city with such a large population, if an illness were to spread it could wipe
out an enormous number of people quickly.
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Supporting Evidence (Which of Sally’s ideas could be used to support your point? List them below):
5. Just like the plague in the Middle Ages, it would be hard to quarantine a city if it was
too big. Keeping population numbers down would help with quarantine efforts.
14. Larger cities tend to be much dirtier as they have more people, less space and fewer
cleaners. This aids in the spread of disease.
11. If a whole city were to be contaminated by an epidemic, it wouldn’t be spread as
easily to other cities.
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Counter-Argument (Can you think of any arguments that could used against the supporting evidence above?)
8. In the case of an epidemic it would be harder to coordinate medical supplies if the
cities were all spread out. However, this could be combated with planning and preparation.
3rd Paragraph
Point Three (write a topic sentence for your second point):
4. Major cities with bustling centres of commerce and tourism might attract terrorism
attention.
Supporting Evidence (Which of Sally’s ideas could be used to support your point? List them below):
9. The tragedy of September 11 might never have happened if New York wasn’t the
centre of commerce and trade.
6. Often major political leaders are the subject of terrorist attacks – having too many of
these concentrated in one area is more risky ...
3rd Paragraph
…Here’s more space for your supporting evidence, if required:
... than having them spread out through a few cities.
15. In big cities people tend to be more concentrated. If there were fewer people in
the event of terrorism.
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the cities, there would be less concentration and, therefore, (hopefully) less lives lost in
Counter-Argument (Can you think of any arguments that could used against the supporting evidence above?)
12. Just because there aren’t any major cities doesn’t mean that terrorism is going to stop.
However, it would prevent major loss of life if there were less people in any given area.
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Conclusion
Major cities are a risk to the people living in them. Disasters such
as earthquakes cripple large cities and have been known to kill thousands of people.
Furthermore, it has been proven that epidemics spread faster and deadlier in cities with
larger populations. Lastly, terrorists are more likely to target populous cities such as
New York. It would be much safer and more effective if a population limit of one million
people was put in place.
City Limits
Question One:
Introduction:
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Students were required to structure an essay. In order to do this, they first had to read through the
points made by Sally and then sort them into the boxes for each paragraph. Using this information
and the hypothesis provided, students were also asked to write the introduction and conclusion for
the essay. Model answers are shown below with explanations also included. Note that the numbers in
brackets refer to the order in which the ideas have been listed on Sally’s information page.
Cities should be imposed with a population limit of one million
people in order to preserve precious human life. There are so
many dangers of big cities: for example, when natural disasters
strike, big cities are helpless and often lose much of their
population. Furthermore, epidemics spread in big cities far
easier than in smaller ones. Terrorists are also more likely to target
cities with large populations. Therefore, cities’ populations should
be limited to one million people.
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1st Paragraph
This introduction orientates the
reader with the hypothesis
first, then proceeds to list the
arguments that will be
addressed in the essay. These
arguments are listed in the
same order that they will be in
the body of the essay. The
introduction is finished with a
reworded repetition of the
hypothesis.
(1) Increasingly we are seeing more and more people die as natural disasters cripple cities. (2)
Earthquake researchers say that if a quake were to strike in a major city, over 3 million lives could be
lost. (13) Most of the world’s cities are in fact situated in places were earthquakes, floods and other
disasters are likely to happen. (7) Any kind of natural disaster would be easier to handle with fewer
people to look after. Surrounding cities could send in help as they most likely wouldn’t be affected.
(10) If the smaller cities are separated by flood waters it could be difficult to help with supplies –
however, this could be handled using boats, planes and helicopters.
2nd Paragraph
(3) In a city with such a large population, if an illness were to spread it could wipe out an enormous
number of people quickly. (5) Just like the plague in the Middle Ages, it would be hard to quarantine a
city if it was too big. Keeping population numbers down would help with quarantine efforts. (14)
Larger cities tend to be much dirtier as they have more people, less space and fewer cleaners. This
aids in the spread of disease. (11) If a whole city were to be contaminated by an epidemic, it wouldn’t
be spread as easily to other cities. (8) In the case of an epidemic it would be harder to coordinate
medical supplies if the cities were all spread out. However, this could be combated with planning and
preparation.
This answer guide is continued on the next page...
...This answer guide is continued from the previous page.
3rd Paragraph
Conclusion
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(4) Major cities with bustling centres of commerce and tourism might attract terrorism attention. (9)
The tragedy of September 11 might never have happened if New York wasn’t the centre of commerce
and trade. (6) Often major political leaders are the subject of terrorist attacks – having too many of
these concentrated in one area is not as effective as having them spread out through a few cities.
(15) In big cities people tend to be more concentrated. If there were fewer people in the cities, there
would be less concentration and, therefore, (hopefully) less lives lost in the event of terrorism. (12)
Just because there aren’t any major cities doesn’t mean that terrorism is going to stop. However, it
would prevent major loss of life if there were less people in any given area.
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Major cities are a risk to the people living in them. Disasters
such as earthquakes cripple large cities and have been known
to kill thousands of people. Furthermore, it has been proven that
epidemics spread faster and deadlier in cities with larger
populations. Lastly, terrorists are more likely to target populous
cities such as New York. It would be much safer and more
effective if a population limit of one million people was put in place.
The conclusion should sum up
everything that has been
argued in the body of the
essay. The hypothesis should
be stated first, followed by the
main points (in order of
appearance). The last
sentence of the essay should
tie everything up, possibly
suggesting a solution for the
problems presented in the
essay.
PL
E
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