Paragraph Organizer

Paragraph Organizer
Introduction:
1.
What is the context of the story? Write about circumstance or situation that is universal to everyone.
Making difficult decisions requires a person to think before they act.
2.
State your answer/thesis.
After reading “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez, it becomes clear through his
thoughts1 and speech2, that the professional barber did not kill the captain.
Paragraph Organizer
Body Paragraph 1 Guiding questions For all Body paragraphs.
1.
Topic Sentence. What are you trying to argue that supports your answer? Use transition.
The barber’s thoughts regarding his profession prevented him from killing the captain.
C:
2. In your own words, put your answer into context for the reader that leads introduces the circumstances of the
textual evidence. Summarize the text-based evidence, in your own words, that you are using to support your
claim. (as many sentences as necessary)
Careful thinking prevented the barber from committing a crime that would affect his
professionalism. The captain came into the shop as a customer, not as an enemy.
E:
3.
WHAT supports your argument? Provide text-based evidence (quote) about your summary. Use a signal or
transition phrase into the quote.
The barber thinks to himself “You came in to be shaved. And I do my work honorably”.
4.
Explain what you were thinking when you decided that the textual evidence demonstrated your claim. How do
you know what you know? (. . . is . . . , if . . . means that . . . , then . . . is . . ., . . . and . . . , Therefore, . . . )
Therefore, he carefully considers the purpose of the captain’s visit before committing to actions
that are not reversible.
5.
Concluding Sentence: why is your evidence significant? How does it relate to/prove your thesis? DO NOT TALK
TO YOUR READER by saying
“this evidence proves my thesis” . . .
this scene shows . . . these segments reveal . . .
these details indicate . . . .
Thinking about his responsibility and reputation as a barber, the barber realized the captain was
a customer and not an enemy; he made the decision to let Captain Torrez live.
Paragraph Organizer
Essay so far
Making difficult decisions requires a person to think before they act. After reading
“Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Tellez, it becomes clear that through his thoughts(2)
and speech(2), the professional barber did not kill the captain. (thesis)
The barber’s thoughts(1) regarding his profession prevented him from killing the
captain. Careful thinking prevented the barber from committing a crime that would affect
his professionalism. The captain came into the shop as a customer, not as an enemy. The
barber thinks to himself “You came in to be shaved. And I do my work honorably”.
Therefore, he carefully considers the purpose of the captain’s visit before committing to
actions that are not reversible. Thinking about his responsibility and reputation as a barber,
he realized the captain was a customer and not an enemy, he made the decision to let
Captain Torrez live.
Paragraph Organizer
Body Paragraph 2 Guiding questions For all Body paragraphs.
1.
Topic Sentence. What are you trying to argue that supports your answer? Use transition.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
C:
2. In your own words, put your answer into context for the reader that leads introduces them circumstances of the
textual evidence. Summarize the text-based evidence, in your own words, that you are using to support your
claim. (as many sentences as necessary)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
E:
3.
WHAT supports your argument? Provide text-based evidence (quote) about your summary. Use a signal or
transition phrase into the quote.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
4.
Explain what you were thinking when you decided that the textual evidence demonstrated your claim. How do
you know what you know? (. . . is . . . , if . . . means that . . . , then . . . is . . ., . . . and . . . , Therefore, . . . )
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
5.
Concluding Sentence: why is your evidence significant? How does it relate to/prove your thesis? DO NOT TALK
TO YOUR READER by saying
“this evidence proves my thesis” . . .
this scene shows . . . these segments reveal . . .
these details indicate . . . .
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph Organizer
Restate your ideas in your Conclusion
1.
Rewrite your answer/thesis in different words.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
2.
Write a memorable last sentence that you relate the situation of this story to similar issues in your audience’s
life.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________