Success Center
Directed Learning Activity (DLA)
In-Class
Essay Essentials
W007.1
Directed Learning Activity: In-Class Essay Essentials
Description: In this intensive Directed Learning Activity (DLA), you will learn strategies for improving your performance on inclass essays, including how to transform a prompt into a thesis statement for a reasoned argument and then refine that to forecast
and organize your most important points.
A Note About the Materials Used in This Activity: During this DLA, you will use seven different colors of Post-It Notes to model
a strategy for organizing your responses to the prompts for in-class essays. Obviously, you will likely not bring seven different
colors of Post-Its with you when writing in-class essays in real life. They are simply meant assist you in developing a visual and
spatial understanding of the strategy itself, which you should then be able to apply in an actual class setting.
Step One: Breaking Down the Prompt
A simple prompt for an in-class essay will often ask you to take a position on whether someone should do something. For
example, the prompt for an argumentative essay could conceivably ask you to recommend the correct course of action to take (the
something someone should do) concerning an issue that is controversial – that is, a subject about which even educated and informed
individuals will likely disagree. Considering the cuts in funding that the California Community Colleges are currently trying to cope
with, the prompt for an argumentative essay might ask:
“Should
the California Community Colleges
(Someone)
raise student fees?”
(Do Something)
On the orange Post-It, write the word “should”; on the red, “the California Community Colleges”; and, on the yellow, “raise
student fees.” Now, move these three Post-Its to the boxes labeled “orange,” “red,” and “yellow” on the second line of the poster
paper, the one labeled “Prompt.”
Step Two: Transforming the Prompt into the Claim for Your Thesis Statement
In the claim of an argumentative essay, you will answer the question asked in the prompt. (This is also referred to as “taking a
position on the issue.”) You can visualize the process of creating the claim for the thesis statement of your response as a simple
rearrangement of the components of the prompt. On the poster paper, shift these three Post-Its to the third line, the one labeled
“Claim.” When you do so, reverse the order of the first two Post-Its, so the red one is now first and the orange one is second.
“The California Community Colleges
(Someone)
should
raise student fees.”
(Do Something)
This straightforward statement, “The California Community Colleges should raise student fees,” represents a position on this
issue. However, it may not necessarily be your position on it. If you believe, instead, that “The California Community Colleges should
not raise student fees,” simply add the word “not” to your orange Post-It at this time.
What is your position on this currently controversial issue? What did you write on your orange Post-It – should or should not?
Written in the form of a complete sentence, what is your claim?
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Step Three: Adding Reasons to Your Thesis Statement
However, a claim is only one of two necessary components in an argumentative thesis statement. To persuade a reader that the
course of action you are recommending is the one they should also adopt, you must provide them with reasons why they should do so.
Although you will not always use this exact wording when writing your reasons, you might think of these as your “because”
statements. (“Why should someone do something? Because of these reasons.”)
For the sake of this exercise, think of three reasons why the California Community Colleges should – or should not – raise
student fees. Write the first reason on the green Post-It Note; the second reason, on the blue one; and, the third reason, on the violet
one. Then, move these three Post-Its to the fourth line on the poster paper, the one labeled “Reasons.” (You’ll notice that the word
because is printed next to the boxes on the “Reasons” line.)
Now, why do you hold the position you do on this issue? What are the three reasons that the California Community Colleges
should – or should not – raise student fees, the ones that you wrote on your green, blue, and violet Post-It Notes?
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Step Four: Combining Your Claim with Your Reasons to Create Your Thesis Statement
Those three Post-Its Notes’ respective stays on the fourth line, however, are destined to be short ones. To visualize the
combination of these components into a serviceable argumentative thesis statement, shift all six of the Post-Its to the fifth line of the
paper, the one labeled “Thesis Statement.” Written out, then, the thesis statement would look like this:
“The California Community Colleges
(Someone)
because
should / should not
,
(First Reason)
raise student fees
(Do Something)
,
(Second Reason)
and
(Third Reason)
.”
What is your thesis statement? Write it on the lines below in the form of a complete sentence.
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Step Five: Using Your Thesis Statement to Forecast Your Most Important Points and Outline Your In-Class Essay
When reading in-class essays, many instructors appreciate it when students have organized their most important points – that
is, the reasons to agree with their claim – in the same order that they appear in the thesis statement. If students do so, their thesis
statements are said to forecast their most important points. To visualize this pattern of organization, turn over the poster paper. Now,
move the green Post-It Note to the first line on this side, the one labeled “Topic of Body Paragraph 1”; move the blue one to the
second line, labeled “Topic of Body Paragraph 2”; and move the violet one to the third line, labeled “Topic of Body Paragraph 3.”
And, as easily as that, you have just created an outline for the body of your essay.
Simply supplying these reasons, however, will not be enough to convince every reader that your claim is the correct course of
action. In each of these body paragraphs, you will need to support your reasons with evidence – some form of proof. The most
common forms of evidence include authorities, anecdotes, examples, and statistics. An authority is an expert on an issue; by
quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing their opinions in your arguments, you can use their credibility to increase your own. An
anecdote is a short story that supports your argument; often, these are used to “put a human face” on an issue by relating someone’s
personal experiences. An example, which is shorter than an anecdote, is meant to be representative of a group of things – for instance,
the positive benefits of following the course of action recommended in your claim (or the negative consequences of not following it).
Statistics are evidence expressed quantitatively – that is, in the form of a number. If appropriate, you could consider citing statistics
representing public opinion, expressed as a fraction or a percentage. (To learn more about the most common forms of evidence and to
see examples of how authors support their arguments with them, you could attend the Success Center’s “Critical Thinking Workshop
2: Types of Evidence.”)
Whatever type of evidence you use, it will almost always need to be accompanied by an explanation of what, exactly, it
proves. In a detailed outline of your essay, you would want to also list the pieces of evidence and the explanations you plan to
incorporate into each body paragraph.
We understand that, unless you are already writing an argumentative essay about student fees at the California Community
Colleges, it is unlikely that you have specific pieces of evidence to support the reasons in the thesis statement you wrote in Step
Four. However, to develop your understanding of this concept, imagine what type of evidence could you use to support your
first reason. Provide an explanation of why that type of evidence could help to prove your point.
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Step Six: Concluding Your In-Class Essay with a Restatement of Your Thesis
In the past, a professor may have recommended “restating” your thesis to create an effective conclusion for an argumentative
essay. However, some students take this advice too literally: that professor did not mean to repeat your thesis statement, word-forword. You should definitely reaffirm your thesis in your conclusion, but you should use a different wording to do so.
If you are following these steps to write your response to a prompt, one way to restate your thesis would be to rearrange the
order of the elements to emphasize how the reasons you’ve presented – and the evidence you’ve used to support them – has proven
that the course of action you are recommending in your claim is, indeed, the correct one to take. Such a restatement of your thesis
would look like this:
“Because
,
(First Reason)
the California Community Colleges
(Someone)
,
(Second Reason)
should / should not
and
(Third Reason)
raise student fees.”
(Do Something)
,
To develop a visual and spatial understanding of this strategy, shift all six of the Post-Its to the final line on this side of the
poster paper, the one labeled “Restatement of Thesis (Conclusion).”
How would you word a restatement of your thesis? Write it on the lines below in the form of a complete sentence.
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Remember, however, that your reasons were only one component of your body paragraphs; those reasons had to be supported
– and those paragraphs filled-out with – evidence and explanations. Similarly, a restatement of your thesis is only one element of an
effective conclusion. In an argumentative essay in which you are recommending a course of action, you could consider fortifying your
conclusion by inviting your readers to take action themselves and explaining the first steps in that process.
Step Seven: Adding a Counterargument to Your Thesis Statement to Increase the Sophistication of Your Argument
The first six steps of this DLA are meant to demonstrate a simple strategy for writing an in-class essay. If you are enrolled in
more advanced courses, however, your professors will likely expect a slightly more sophisticated argument. One way to increase its
sophistication is to incorporate a counterargument.
To understand the purpose of a counterargument, you must remember that the true target audience of an argumentative essay is
not readers who already agree with you. Rather, it is those who disagree with you; the point of your argument is to change their
minds. One the best ways to reach out to that audience is to show them that you understand the questions and concerns that are
presently preventing them from agreeing with you. If you are able to answer those questions and address those concerns, hopefully
you will be able to persuade them to share your position on the issue at hand.
Just as the word because is associated with reasons, the word although is with counterarguments. Again, you will not always
use this exact wording when writing your counterarguments, but you might think of these as your “although” statements. (“Although
you do not yet agree with me because of this question or concern, after reading my argument, you will hopefully agree that someone
should do something.”)
What is one reason that a reader might disagree with your position on the issue of student fees at the California Community
Colleges? How would you try to persuade a person who disagreed, for that reason, with your argument to change his or her
mind?
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Now, write this counterargument on the only Post-It Note left in the plastic bag – the pink one. To help you visualize how to
integrate that counterargument into your essay, turn over the poster paper. Place the pink Post-It in the only box on the top line of this
side of the poster, which is labeled “Counterargument.” (You’ll notice that the word although is printed next to the box on the
“Counterargument” line.)
But how do you incorporate this counterargument into first your thesis statement and then your outline for the body paragraphs
of your in-class essay?
Well, since the purpose of the counterargument is – in part – to capture the attention of those who might not otherwise take the
time to read your argument by showing that you respect them enough to try to answer their questions or address their concerns, it
makes sense to place it at the start of your thesis statement. To develop a visual and spatial understanding of this strategy, slide the
pink Post-It into the first box on the fifth line on the poster paper – the one labeled “Thesis Statement.” Written out, then, your revised
thesis statement would look like this:
“Although
,
(Counterargument)
the California Community Colleges
(Someone)
because
should / should not
,
(First Reason)
raise student fees
(Do Something)
,
(Second Reason)
and
(Third Reason)
.”
What is your revised thesis statement? Write it on the lines below in the form of a complete sentence. (If you need to remind
yourself what the other elements of your thesis statement are, you can either reconstruct it on the poster paper by returning
the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet Post-Its to their respective places on the fifth line or simply look back at your
response in Step Four.)
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As for incorporating your counterargument into the outline for the body of your essay, since it now comes first in your thesis
statement, the most sensible pattern of organization to follow will likely be to make it the topic for your first body paragraph. To see
how this changes the outline for your body paragraphs, turn over the poster paper. After placing the pink Post-It Note in the box on
first line on this side, the one labeled “Topic for Body Paragraph 1,” simply slide the green, blue, and violet Post-Its down one line
each. In the revised outline for your in-class essay, then, your first, second, and third reasons will become the topics for Body
Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4, respectively.
You will likely use this same sequencing in the restatement of your thesis in the conclusion of your in-class essay. Written out,
then, the revised restatement of your thesis would look like this:
“Although
,
(Counterargument)
because
,
(First Reason)
the California Community Colleges
(Someone)
,
(Second Reason)
should / should not
and
(Third Reason)
,
raise student fees.”
(Do Something)
To develop a visual and spatial understanding of this strategy, shift all seven of the Post-Its to the final line on this side of the
poster paper, the one labeled “Restatement of Thesis (Conclusion).”
How would you word the revised restatement of your thesis? Write it on the lines below in the form of a complete sentence.
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Step Eight: Putting It All Together
Now it’s time to apply this strategy for organizing your responses to the prompts for in-class essays. Wipe the seven
Post-It Notes clean and, using them and the poster paper as a guide, go through the same steps to plan a response to this
sample prompt for an argumentative essay:
Should Cerritos College build a multistory parking structure?
1. What is your position on this issue? What did you write on your orange Post-It – should or should not? Written in the form
of a complete sentence, what is your claim?
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2. Why do you hold the position you do on this issue? What are the three reasons that Cerritos College should – or should not
– build a multistory parking structure, the ones that you wrote on your green, blue, and violet Post-It Notes?
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3. What is one reason that a reader might disagree with your position on the issue of student fees at the California Community
Colleges – the counterargument you wrote on your pink Post-It Note?
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4. What is your thesis statement? Write it on the lines below in the form of a complete sentence, taking care to incorporate your
counterargument, your claim, and your three reasons.
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5a. In your outline of the body of your in-class essay, what would be the Topic for Body Paragraph 1: your counterargument,
first reason, second reason, or third reason?
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5b. In your outline of the body of your in-class essay, what would be the Topic for Body Paragraph 2: your counterargument,
first reason, second reason, or third reason?
_
5c. In your outline of the body of your in-class essay, what would be the Topic for Body Paragraph 3: your counterargument,
first reason, second reason, or third reason?
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5d. In your outline of the body of your in-class essay, what would be the Topic for Body Paragraph 4: your counterargument,
first reason, second reason, or third reason?
_
6. How would you word the restatement of your thesis in the conclusion of your in-class essay? Write it on the lines below in the
form of a complete sentence, taking care to – as in your response to number 4 – incorporate your counterargument, your claim,
and your three reasons.
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W007.1 – In-Class Essay Essentials
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PRINT STUDENT NAME
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STUDENT #
Tutor Feedback:
The student answered all the questions in complete sentences that demonstrate an understanding of the material.
In Step Two, the student articulated a position on the issue and created a claim.
In Step Three, the student listed three reasons that supported his or her claim.
In Step Four, the student wrote a thesis statement that incorporated a claim and three reasons.
In Step Five, the student planned how to support his or her first reason by specifying what type of evidence he or she
could conceivably use to do so and providing an explanation of why that type of evidence could help to prove his or her
point.
In Step Six, the student composed a restatement of his or her thesis suitable for use in the conclusion of his or her essay.
In Step Seven, the student anticipated a counterargument, then revised his or her thesis statement and restatement of
thesis accordingly.
In Step Eight, the student articulated a position on the issue, created a claim, listed three reasons that supported his or
her claim, anticipated a counterargument, wrote a thesis statement, outlined the topics for his or her body paragraphs,
and composed a restatement of his or her thesis suitable for use in the conclusion of his or her essay.
Additional Comments:
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PRINT INSTRUCTOR/TUTOR NAME
DATE
INSTRUCTOR/TUTOR SIGNATURE
STUDENT – DO NOT FORGET TO TURN THIS SHEET IN AT THE FRONT DESK!
You may not get credit for completing this DLA if you fail to leave this sheet with the front desk receptionist.