essay planning organizer

How to Use Graphic Organizers to Write Better Essays

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If you’re a student, there’s no way around the inevitable: You’re going to have to write essays. Lots of essays. In fact, the five-paragraph essay is so fundamental to the high school curriculum that it’s still used on the ACTs, and knowing how to recognize the organizational structure of essays will help you score higher on the SATs.

Even though it seems like a chore, knowing how to organize and write an essay can have a lasting effect on your life, from getting into a better college to scoring a better job to performing better in that job long after your high school days are over.

Here’s a secret: Using graphic organizers for writing essays can help you write better essays faster. (And don’t count yourself out if you’re an educator—you can offer these tools to help your students succeed.) We’ll show you exactly how to do it.

Why use graphic organizers

When ACT graders or teachers are looking your essay, they’re looking for very specific criteria; essentially, they’re looking at how well you’ve organized your thoughts. Many students don’t take the time to outline their essay structure before writing, and that always means a lower score on a test and a lower grade on the essay in class.

Using a writing template can feel like an unnecessary step in an already complicated process. If you need extra motivation to implement these organizers into your writing routine, consider all of their benefits. Graphic organizers can help you:

• Save time by showing you where each piece of the essay “lives.”
• Have more productive brainstorming sessions, either by yourself or with a group.
• Make connections between ideas and create a more cohesive argument.
• Pinpoint holes in your arguments and either adjust the thesis or find supporting statements.
• Keep track of your research.
• Organize your thoughts and come to interesting, more compelling conclusions.
• Stay in the right direction when you feel lost in a sea of words.
• Manage anxiety by converting the fear of a blank assignment into an action plan with a clear map.

With all those benefits, it’s hard to ignore how useful and vital graphic organizers are to writing. And once you’ve become adept at organizing your thoughts for something like a school essay, you’ll find that skill carries with you throughout your life, whether you’re trying to become a more intelligent debater to negotiate prices. It goes beyond just the essay to becoming a better thinker. And it starts with a simple template.

We’ll walk you through several use cases for graphic organizers and provide templates for you to download and fill in when you’re ready to write.

Brainstorming graphic organizers

Brainstorming is important, not only to come up with ideas for topics but to determine what information you need to include in the essay once you’ve determined your topic. Though many think of brainstorming as just freeflow thinking, brainstorming is most productive when you work within specific parameters.

That’s why essay brainstorming graphic organizers are useful, whether you’re using one to brainstorm on your own or you’re working with a group.

In Lucidchart, our mind map shapes and templates double as brainstorming graphic organizers. Start with an essay prompt as your central shape and then fill in the shapes that branch off your prompt with topic ideas. Alternatively, you can add your selected topic to the center and start brainstorming the different ideas you need to cover in your paper.

When the template is filled in, you’ll have a clear starting point for your essay or research paper.

Research paper graphic organizers

Nothing paralyzes students with fear quite like a research paper. These long-form papers require—as the name implies—quite a bit of research, and their purpose is to teach students how to look for valid sources to support their arguments.

But keeping track of all those sources and tying them into your argument can be tricky. That’s where a research paper graphic organizer can be a student’s greatest ally.

This template lays out the writing process itself. After you come up with a general topic, like “the disappearance of honey bees,” fill in the “Research Paper Topic” box.

Then, start looking for reputable sources (Wikipedia doesn’t count) and use the five sources boxes to hold the most relevant quotes and statistics you find. Using those quotes and statistics, you can then fill out a thesis statement that is supported by the research.

Then, you’ll be able to focus your paragraphs on a single topic each that supports the thesis statement and your overarching argument. After you’ve filled out the template, the backbone of the research paper is complete: All that’s left to do is fill in the spaces between sources and arguments.

5-paragraph essay graphic organizer

When it comes to writing the five-paragraph essay, writing diagrams are key. By using graphic organizers for writing, you’re no longer staring at a giant blank piece of paper with no idea how or where to begin. Your graphic organizer is your map.

Although using writing diagrams may seem time-consuming, the fact is that taking the time to fill a graphic organizer in before writing actually saves time. If there’s a problem with the argument, it will show up on the diagram, or if there’s not enough evidence to support your argument, you’ll know before you’ve wasted time writing the paper. And, as we said before, even if your writing is terrible, if your argument is sound, you’ll still score a decent grade.

Try this 5-paragraph essay template to get you started.

Don’t feel pressured to come up with a compelling title right away. Instead, it’s more important that you come up with a thesis statement that can be supported by three solid arguments. Fill in that thesis statement and your arguments. Then, for each argument, figure out three supporting details to support your case.

That’s it! You’ve got the most essential parts of your 5-paragraph essay completed.

Now, come up with an introduction that sets the stage for your argument and a conclusion that wraps up and restates your thesis and supporting arguments in a compelling way. Now you have a solid plan for your paper and can approach it with confidence.

If you’d like a more linear graphic that exactly follows the structure of the 5-paragraph, use the writing template below and follow the same process.

Visuals, such as graphic organizers for writing, can help you better understand concepts, think creatively, and collaborate with your classmates—and there are plenty of other templates where these came from.

Lucidchart offers hundreds of templates to help you through your studies, including timelines, Venn diagrams, word maps, and more. Sign up for Lucidchart and upgrade to an Educational account for free.

Resources for teachers

Providing graphic resources to students is essential; after all, many of your students will be visual learners, so while you may beautifully explain how the process works, there will be some who won’t understand until they see a template of the essay itself.

Lucidchart has many resources for teachers, from lesson plans to writing templates. While you’re teaching your students how to write essays or research papers, it’s useful to print out the templates and fill them out together (even using a completed template as a separate assignment with a separate grade) so that your students can get a feel for properly filling out graphic organizers before attempting it on their own.

About Lucidchart

Lucidchart, a cloud-based intelligent diagramming application, is a core component of Lucid Software's Visual Collaboration Suite. This intuitive, cloud-based solution empowers teams to collaborate in real-time to build flowcharts, mockups, UML diagrams, customer journey maps, and more. Lucidchart propels teams forward to build the future faster. Lucid is proud to serve top businesses around the world, including customers such as Google, GE, and NBC Universal, and 99% of the Fortune 500. Lucid partners with industry leaders, including Google, Atlassian, and Microsoft. Since its founding, Lucid has received numerous awards for its products, business, and workplace culture. For more information, visit lucidchart.com.

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Essay Papers Writing Online

Effective essay writing graphic organizers to enhance your academic writing skills.

Are you looking for ways to enhance your essay writing skills? Do you struggle to organize your thoughts and ideas effectively? Utilizing graphic organizers can be the key to improving your writing process and producing more cohesive and structured essays.

Graphic organizers are visual tools that help writers brainstorm, plan, and organize their writing. They provide a visual representation of the relationships between ideas, making it easier to see the big picture and the flow of your essay. By using graphic organizers, you can break down complex topics into manageable chunks and create a roadmap for your writing.

Whether you’re a student working on academic essays or a professional writer crafting articles, utilizing graphic organizers can make a significant difference in the clarity and coherence of your writing. In this article, we will explore the benefits of using graphic organizers, discuss different types of organizers, and provide tips on how to effectively incorporate them into your writing process.

Master the Basics

Before delving into the complexities of essay writing, it is crucial to master the basics. Understanding the fundamental elements of an essay, such as the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, is essential for crafting a coherent and compelling piece of writing.

• Start with a strong introduction that grabs the reader’s attention and clearly states your main argument.
• Develop your ideas in the body paragraphs with supporting evidence and analysis.
• Conclude your essay by summarizing your key points and reinforcing your main thesis.

By mastering these basic components of essay writing, you can better structure your ideas and effectively communicate your thoughts to your audience.

Understanding the Essay Structure

When it comes to writing an effective essay, understanding the structure is crucial. An essay typically consists of three main parts: an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Introduction: This is where you grab the reader’s attention and provide a brief overview of what your essay will be about. The introduction should also include a thesis statement, which is the main point or argument of your essay.

Body paragraphs: The body of your essay is where you develop your argument and provide supporting evidence. Each paragraph should focus on a single point and include detailed explanations and examples to support your thesis.

Conclusion: The conclusion is where you wrap up your essay by summarizing your main points and restating your thesis. It’s also a good place to leave the reader with a thought-provoking idea or call to action.

By understanding and utilizing this basic essay structure, you can ensure that your writing is clear, organized, and effective.

Choose the Right Organizer

When it comes to effective essay writing, choosing the right graphic organizer can make a significant difference in organizing your thoughts and boosting your writing skills. There are various types of organizers to choose from, such as the outline, Venn diagram, flowchart, concept map, and more. It’s essential to select an organizer that best fits the structure of your essay and helps you clearly outline your ideas.

Outlining: If you prefer a straightforward approach, an outline organizer can help you create a clear and organized structure for your essay. Use headings and subheadings to categorize your main points and supporting details.

Venn Diagram: A Venn diagram can be useful when comparing and contrasting ideas or topics. It allows you to visually represent the similarities and differences between two or more concepts.

Flowchart: For essays with a sequential flow of ideas, a flowchart organizer is ideal. Create a visual representation of the sequence of events or steps in your essay to ensure a logical progression of ideas.

Concept Map: If you want to explore the relationships between different concepts in your essay, a concept map can help you visualize the connections between ideas and brainstorm new insights.

Choosing the right organizer is crucial to effectively structure your essay and enhance your writing skills. Experiment with different types of organizers to find the one that best suits your writing style and helps you convey your ideas clearly and cohesively.

Selecting the Best Graphic Tool

When choosing a graphic organizer tool for your essay writing process, it is essential to consider various factors to ensure its effectiveness. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

• Type of Essay: Consider the type of essay you are writing and choose a graphic organizer that best fits the structure and organization needed for that particular essay type.
• Complexity: Evaluate the complexity of your ideas and arguments to determine the level of detail and hierarchy required in the graphic organizer.
• Visual Appeal: Look for a tool that is visually appealing and easy to comprehend, as this will help you better visualize and organize your thoughts.
• Flexibility: Opt for a tool that offers flexibility in terms of customization, allowing you to adjust the layout and structure based on your specific needs.
• Accessibility: Ensure that the graphic organizer tool you choose is accessible and easy to use on your preferred devices and platforms.

By carefully considering these factors, you can select the best graphic tool that will enhance your essay writing process and improve the clarity and coherence of your ideas.

Organize Your Ideas

Before diving into writing your essay, it’s crucial to organize your ideas to ensure a clear and coherent flow of information. Using graphic organizers can help you visually map out your thoughts and easily see how they connect. Here are some effective ways to organize your ideas:

• Outline: Create a detailed outline with main points, subpoints, and supporting evidence to structure your essay.
• Brainstorming: Brainstorm ideas and jot them down on a mind map to see relationships between different concepts.
• Cluster/Spider Diagrams: Use cluster or spider diagrams to group related ideas together and visualize the structure of your essay.
• Storyboard: Create a storyboard with key events or arguments to plan out the sequence of your essay.

By organizing your ideas using graphic organizers, you can enhance the clarity and coherence of your essay, making it easier for readers to follow your argument.

Mapping Out Your Thoughts

One of the most effective tools for organizing your thoughts and ideas before starting to write an essay is a graphic organizer. By using a graphic organizer, you can visually map out your thoughts, main points, and supporting details. This helps you clarify your ideas and ensure that your essay has a logical structure.

There are various types of graphic organizers you can use, such as mind maps, concept maps, Venn diagrams, and flowcharts. Choose the one that best suits your writing style and the topic of your essay. Once you have selected a graphic organizer, start by jotting down your main idea in the center and then branch out to include your supporting points and details.

Mapping out your thoughts using a graphic organizer will not only help you stay focused and organized but also make the writing process smoother and more efficient. It can serve as a roadmap for your essay, guiding you through each section and ensuring that your ideas flow cohesively.

Develop Strong Arguments

Effective essay writing requires the development of strong arguments to persuade the reader of your perspective. To create compelling arguments, follow these key strategies:

• Research: Conduct thorough research to gather credible evidence and support for your arguments. Use reliable sources to strengthen your points.
• Structure: Organize your arguments logically and coherently. Start with a clear thesis statement and build each argument in a structured manner.
• Counterarguments: Anticipate counterarguments and address them in your essay. This shows that you have considered different viewpoints and strengthens your own position.
• Evidence: Support your arguments with relevant evidence, such as examples, statistics, and expert opinions. This adds credibility and persuasiveness to your essay.
• Clarity: Clearly articulate your arguments and provide explanations to ensure that your points are easily understood by the reader.
• Consistency: Ensure that your arguments are consistent throughout the essay. Avoid contradictions or inconsistencies that may weaken your overall argument.

By developing strong arguments with these key strategies, you can enhance the effectiveness of your essay writing and convey your ideas convincingly to your audience.

Building a Persuasive Case

When writing a persuasive essay, it is crucial to build a compelling case to persuade your audience to agree with your viewpoint. Here are some key steps to help you construct a persuasive case:

• Clear Thesis Statement: Start by clearly stating your position or argument in a concise thesis statement. This statement should clearly convey what you are trying to persuade your readers to believe or do.
• Supporting Evidence: Back up your thesis statement with strong evidence, facts, statistics, examples, and expert opinions. Providing solid evidence can make your case more convincing and credible.
• Logical Organization: Structure your essay in a logical and coherent manner. Develop your arguments in a clear sequence, with each point building upon the previous one to strengthen your case.
• Address Counterarguments: Anticipate potential counterarguments and address them in your essay. Acknowledging opposing viewpoints and refuting them can make your argument more persuasive.
• Emotional Appeal: Use emotional appeals, anecdotes, and narratives to connect with your audience on a personal level. Appeal to the emotions of your readers to make them more likely to empathize with your argument.
• Call to Action: End your essay with a strong call to action that urges your audience to take a specific course of action or consider your perspective. Encouraging your readers to act can motivate them to support your cause.

By following these steps and building a persuasive case in your essay, you can effectively convince your audience to embrace your ideas and opinions.

Enhance Your Writing Flow

One of the key elements in effective essay writing is maintaining a smooth and consistent flow throughout your piece. A well-structured essay should lead the reader from one point to the next seamlessly, with each paragraph naturally transitioning into the next.

To enhance your writing flow, consider using transitional words and phrases such as “furthermore,” “however,” “in addition,” and “conversely” to connect your ideas and guide the reader through your argument. These transitions help establish logical connections between your thoughts and make your writing more coherent.

Additionally, vary your sentence structure and length to create a dynamic rhythm in your writing. Mixing short, punchy sentences with longer, more elaborate ones can keep your reader engaged and prevent your writing from feeling monotonous.

Finally, don’t be afraid to revise and reorganize your essay to ensure a smooth and consistent flow. Take the time to read your work aloud or have someone else review it to identify any awkward or disjointed sections that may disrupt the flow of your writing.

By paying attention to these techniques and practicing them regularly, you can enhance your writing flow and take your essay writing skills to the next level.

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Using Graphic Organizers for Writing Essays, Summaries and Research

Ask any student – essay writing is one of the most despised tasks of their educational career. Perhaps there is so much displeasure associated with the task because it’s perceived as too linear – there isn’t enough visual and creative appeal. But if you use graphic organizer for writing essays then you can make writing enjoyable – or at least less terrible.

Not only enjoyable but graphic organizers (or diagrams) can make the writing process a snap. They’ll help you think outside the box, draw conclusions you wouldn’t normally observe, and make the entire process faster and more efficient.

Why Use Graphic Organizers for Writing

The phrase “graphic organizer” is just a fancy way of saying “diagram” or “visual aid.” Basically, they are a visual representation of the information you’ve acquired in the research process. There are quite a few reasons why you should use them when writing essays or summaries.

• Helps you visualize your research and how elements connect with each other
• Enhance your essays, summaries and research papers with visual elements
• Track correlations between your thoughts, observations, facts or general ideas

When it comes to essay writing, the most common graphic organizers are webs, mind maps, and concept maps .

Using Webs for Brainstorming

Webbing is a great way to see how various topics are interrelated. This graphic organizer is particularly useful during the brainstorming step of the writing process.

A web can sometimes get a bit messy. Usually, there are lots of arrows to connect overlapping ideas. However, even with lines crisscrossing every which way, it is still a great way to visualize your thoughts. If you’re using an online diagramming software like Creately you can overcome some of this because we automatically arrange the object for you.

Once you’ve created a map to document all your ideas and establish connections, you can easily transition to other forms of diagramming to better organize the information.

For example if you’re writing a research paper about the food web of the Australian bushes you can start creating a food web diagram similar to the one below. This way you can easily visualize the web while writing the paper. This is a simple example but graphic organizers become even more important when the subject gets complex.

Although simple this example shows the importance of using graphic organizers for writing summaries. A comprehensive diagram pretty much does the summation for you.

Using Mind Maps as Graphic Organizers

Mind maps are a great way to depict a hierarchy. What is hierarchical organization ? The concept is simple: a singular topic dominates with each subsequent idea decreasing in importance.

Usually, the mind map starts with the thesis (or main idea) at the center.  From there, you can branch out with your supporting evidence.

Use this process to replace your traditional note taking technique – note cards, outlines, whatever. You’ll quickly realize a mind map is a great way to formulate the structure of your essay. The thing to note here is that the nature of the mind maps force you think about sub topics and how to organize your ideas. And once the ideas are organized writing the essay become very easy.

Above is a mind map of a research proposal. Click on it to see the full image or you can see the fully editable template via this link . As you can see in this mind map the difference areas of the research proposal is highlighted. Similarly when your writing the research paper you can use a mind map to break it down to sub topics. We have more mind map templates for you to get started.

Concept Maps

A concept map will help you visualize the connection between ideas. You can easily see cause and effect – how one concept leads to another. Often times, concept mapping includes the use of short words or phrases to depict the budding relationship between these concepts.

If you look closely you can see that its very similar to a mind map. But a concept maps gives more of a free reign compares to the rigid topic structure of a mind map. I’d say it’s the perfect graphic organizer for writing research papers where you have the license to explore.

By creating a concept map , you can also see how a broad subject can be narrowed down into specific ideas.  This is a great way to counter writers block.  Often, we look at the big picture and fail to see the specifics that lead to it.  Identifying contributing factors and supporting evidence is difficult. But with a concept map, you can easily see how the smaller parts add up to the whole.

Why Bother With Graphic Organizers?

If you already detest the writing process, adding another step might seem insane. However, there really are several advantages of using them.  If you haven’t already accepted the benefits of each individual diagram style, here are some more perks of graphic organizers in general:

• Quality essays are based on detail. No one is going to accept your opinions and reasoning just because you say so. You’ll need proof. And organizing that proof will require attention to detail. Graphic organizers can help you see that detail and how it contributes to the overall concept.
• Graphic organizers are flexible. You don’t need one of those giant pink erasers. You don’t need to restructure your outline. All you have to do is draw a few arrows and bam – the relationship has totally changed.
• No matter what you are writing about, a graphic organizer can help. They can be used to structure an essay on the Great Wall, theoretical physics, or Spanish speaking countries.
• If you write an outline, can you easily see how point A influences point X? Probably not. But if little thought bubble A is sitting out there all by itself, you can visualize the way it ties into point R, T and X.
• Some of us find it difficult to put our opinions, thoughts, and ideas into writing. However, communicating our feelings with little doodles and sketches is far less threatening.
• As a writer, our brain often feels like a 2-year-old’s toy box – a big jumbled mess. Taking that mess and putting it onto paper with some semblance of organization is challenging. Rather than trying to take your thoughts from total chaos to a perfectly structured list, just try to get them out of your brain and onto paper in the form of a diagram.
• A graphic organizer helps you establish validity and relevance. You can easily nix the ideas that don’t support or enhance your thesis.

The next time you are faced with a writing project, take a few minutes to explore the efficiency of graphic organizers. You can find a wealth of templates here.

Have you ever used a graphic organizer to structure an essay? How did it go? Do you have a diagram suggestion for the writing process that wasn’t mentioned here? Let us know!

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Efficient Essay Writing Using a Graphic Organizer: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction to Essay Writing with Graphic Organizers

Essay writing can often pose a significant challenge for students, especially at the high school level. National test scores reveal that only about one-quarter of students in grades 8 through 12 perform proficiently in writing, with a mere 1 percent of 12th-grade students capable of crafting sophisticated, well-organized essays. Additionally, it's surprising to note that over 80 percent of freshmen have never tackled a formal five-page paper. These statistics underscore the struggles many students face when it comes to academic writing.

Graphic organizers play a crucial role in simplifying the essay-writing process by breaking down complex tasks into manageable parts. They serve as visual frameworks that help students compartmentalize the essential elements of an academic paper. By utilizing graphic organizers, students can easily comprehend and organize their thoughts, leading to more coherent and structured compositions.

How a Graphic Organizer Simplifies the Process

A graphic organizer is essentially a visual tool that aids in brainstorming ideas, organizing information logically, and outlining content before diving into the actual writing process. Research has shown that graphic organizers are beneficial for enhancing writing skills by improving vocabulary, creating concept maps, highlighting key points, dividing content into sections, and facilitating prewriting activities.

These tools are particularly valuable for essay writing as they assist students in developing clear thesis statements, organizing supporting arguments effectively, and ensuring a cohesive flow throughout the essay. For instance, when working on a five-paragraph essay structure—which includes an introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs focusing on specific points or topics, and a concluding paragraph—a graphic organizer can provide a roadmap for structuring each section cohesively.

In education across various subject areas, graphic organizers have proven to be versatile tools that cater to different learning styles effectively. They not only aid in organizing thoughts but also provide visual representations of information that enhance comprehension and retention.

By incorporating graphic organizers into the essay-writing process, students can overcome the challenges associated with academic writing and develop essential skills for effective communication and expression.

Understanding the Basics of Essay Writing

Writing an essay is like constructing a building; it requires a solid foundation and a well-thought-out plan. Essay writing involves more than just putting words on paper; it's about structuring your ideas in a coherent and logical manner to communicate effectively with your readers.

The Structure of a Standard Essay

When embarking on an essay-writing journey, it's crucial to understand the fundamental structure that underpins a well-crafted piece. An essay typically consists of three main parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. Each section plays a vital role in conveying your message clearly and persuasively.

Introduction, Body, and Conclusion

The introduction serves as the gateway to your essay, capturing the reader's attention and providing a roadmap for what lies ahead. It should include a hook to engage the audience, background information to set the context, and most importantly, a thesis statement that articulates the main argument of your essay.

Crafting compelling body paragraphs is where you delve into the heart of your topic. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea or argument supported by evidence and analysis. By organizing your thoughts cohesively within these paragraphs, you create a persuasive narrative that guides the reader through your reasoning.

Finally, the conclusion wraps up your essay by summarizing key points, restating the thesis in different words, and leaving the reader with a lasting impression. It's essential to end on a strong note that reinforces your main argument and provides closure to your discussion.

Crafting a Strong Thesis Statement

At the core of every well-structured essay lies a thesis statement , which acts as the central claim or argument you will explore throughout your writing. A strong thesis statement not only presents your position clearly but also sets the tone for the entire essay. It should be specific, concise, and debatable to spark interest and guide your content effectively.

The Importance of Organizing Your Thoughts

Organizing ideas logically in an essay is akin to creating a roadmap for both yourself as the writer and your readers. Just as travelers rely on maps to navigate unfamiliar terrain, readers depend on clear organization to follow your train of thought effortlessly.

Choosing an appropriate organizational pattern is paramount in maintaining reader interest and clarity throughout your essay. By structuring your content cohesively from introduction to conclusion, you establish connections between different sections while reinforcing the overarching theme or argument.

Effective organization not only aids in conveying information logically but also enhances reader comprehension by presenting ideas in a systematic manner. When thoughts flow seamlessly from one point to another, readers can grasp complex concepts more easily and engage with your content more meaningfully.

In essence, organization is not just about arranging paragraphs; it's about creating coherence and unity within your writing that allows ideas to unfold naturally. A well-organized essay benefits both you as the writer—by clarifying your thoughts—and your readers—by facilitating understanding and retention of key concepts.

The Power of the Graphic Organizer in Essay Writing

In the realm of academic writing, graphic organizers stand out as indispensable tools for students navigating the complexities of essay composition. These visual aids serve as guiding beacons, illuminating the path to structured and coherent essays that captivate readers.

What Is a Graphic Organizer?

A graphic organizer is a visual scaffold that transforms abstract ideas into tangible frameworks. By leveraging shapes, colors, and connecting lines, students can map out their thoughts, creating a blueprint for their essays. This process not only clarifies concepts but also enhances comprehension and retention of information.

One popular type of graphic organizer is the Five Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer , which divides the essay into distinct sections: introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This tool streamlines the writing process by prompting students to outline key points before delving into detailed explanations.

Different Types of Graphic Organizers for Essay Writing

The hamburger essay graphic organizer.

Imagine your essay as a delectable burger—the Hamburger Essay Graphic Organizer mirrors this analogy by breaking down your content into layers. The top bun represents the introduction, enticing readers with a hook; the juicy fillings symbolize your supporting arguments; and the bottom bun signifies the conclusion that leaves a lasting impression.

The Paragraph Essay Outline Graphic

For those embarking on paragraph-based essays, the Paragraph Essay Outline Graphic offers a structured approach to organizing ideas effectively. Each section corresponds to a paragraph, delineating topic sentences, supporting details, and transitions between thoughts. This visual aid ensures coherence and flow within each paragraph.

When considering graphic organizers for writing , it's essential to choose tools that align with your essay's structure and objectives. Whether crafting an argumentative piece or a narrative exposition, selecting the right graphic organizer can streamline your thought process and elevate your writing prowess.

Utilizing these organizational aids fosters clarity in expression while honing critical thinking skills essential for academic success. As students delve into English Language Arts assignments, incorporating graphic organizers becomes synonymous with mastering the art of persuasive communication through written discourse.

Educational Benefits of Graphic Organizers

Research underscores the educational benefits of integrating graphic organizers into writing instruction. These tools not only enhance brainstorming capabilities but also foster organization skills crucial for developing coherent essays. By visually representing information, graphic organizers cater to diverse learning styles and empower students to structure their ideas effectively.

Moreover, differentiated graphic organizers cater to individual student needs by providing tailored support in essay writing tasks. Whether tackling expository compositions or informative analyses, these tools serve as companions in navigating complex writing assignments with confidence.

In essence, embracing graphic organizers in English Language Arts education nurtures a generation of proficient writers equipped with essential skills for articulating ideas persuasively. Through color-coded schemes and interactive formats, these tools transform mundane writing tasks into engaging ventures that inspire creativity and critical thinking among students.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Graphic Organizer for Your Essay

Embarking on the journey of essay writing can be daunting, especially when faced with a blank page and a myriad of ideas swirling in your mind. This is where graphic organizers come to the rescue, serving as navigational tools that guide you through the intricate process of crafting a well-structured and coherent essay.

Selecting the Right Graphic Organizer

Before diving into the writing process, it's essential to choose the appropriate graphic organizer that aligns with your essay's type and purpose. Whether you are working on an expository piece or a persuasive argument, selecting a graphic organizer tailored to your needs can streamline your thought process and enhance the clarity of your writing.

Consider utilizing tools like the Opinion Essay Planning Organizer , which provides a structured framework for organizing opinions, supporting details, and counterarguments effectively. By selecting a graphic organizer that complements your essay topic and objectives, you set yourself up for success in articulating your ideas persuasively.

Filling in Your Graphic Organizer

From thesis to conclusion.

Once you've selected the right graphic organizer for your essay, it's time to populate it with essential elements that form the backbone of your composition. Begin by crafting a compelling thesis statement that encapsulates the main argument or claim you intend to explore in your essay. This serves as the guiding beacon that directs the flow of your writing towards a cohesive conclusion.

As Mrs. Lindquist aptly notes, filling out a graphic organizer while conducting research not only aids in organizing ideas but also serves as a roadmap during the writing process. By outlining key points from thesis to conclusion within your graphic organizer, you establish a clear trajectory for developing each section cohesively.

Organizing Your Supporting Points

Just as constructing a building requires sturdy pillars to uphold its structure, organizing supporting points in your essay is crucial for reinforcing your main argument. Utilize the sections within your graphic organizer to delineate supporting evidence, examples, and analysis that bolster each aspect of your thesis statement.

Hello Tennessee Teacher emphasizes how argument writing graphic organizers empower students to structure their thoughts systematically while incorporating evidence effectively. By populating each section of your graphic organizer with relevant supporting points, you create a robust foundation upon which to build persuasive arguments within your essay.

Translating Your Organizer into an Essay

As you fill out each section of your graphic organizer with meticulous detail and precision, you pave the way for seamlessly translating these organized thoughts into a coherent essay. Remember that every element within your graphic organizer—from introductory hooks to concluding summaries—plays a pivotal role in shaping the narrative flow of your writing.

Despite initial perceptions that using graphic organizers may consume additional time, empirical evidence suggests that investing effort in this prewriting stage ultimately saves time during actual composition. Personal narrative graphic organizers serve as invaluable tools for guiding students through narrative writing tasks by breaking down complex narratives into manageable segments without overwhelming them.

By translating insights gleaned from interactive worksheets and argumentative essay planners into tangible written content, students hone their ability to articulate ideas logically and persuasively. The transition from filling out structured diagrams to drafting comprehensive essays marks a significant milestone in developing proficient writing skills efficiently.

In essence, leveraging graphic organizers throughout the essay-writing process not only enhances organizational skills but also fosters critical thinking abilities essential for effective communication through written discourse.

Reflecting on the Essay Writing Process

As an educator deeply invested in enhancing students' writing skills, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of incorporating graphic organizers into the essay-writing process. These visual tools serve as invaluable assets that not only streamline the composition journey but also empower students to articulate their thoughts with clarity and precision.

The Benefits of Using a Graphic Organizer

In the words of Hello Tennessee Teacher , these argument writing graphic organizers provide students with a structured approach to organizing their ideas, opinions, and evidence findings. By breaking down complex essay tasks into manageable components, these tools enable students to navigate the intricacies of academic writing effectively. As students engage with graphic organizers, they develop essential skills in brainstorming, organizing information logically, and crafting coherent arguments—a testament to the educational benefits these tools offer.

Similarly, Mrs. Lindquist underscores the significance of graphic organizers in guiding students through expository and persuasive essays. By filling out these visual aids while conducting research, students gain a roadmap that directs them through each stage of the writing process. This hands-on approach not only fosters organization skills but also instills confidence in students as they transform their ideas into well-structured compositions.

The utilization of graphic organizers transcends mere academic support; it serves as a catalyst for fostering critical thinking and analytical skills among students. By encouraging learners to dissect complex topics into digestible components, graphic organizers prompt deeper engagement with content and facilitate a more profound understanding of key concepts.

In essence, integrating graphic organizers into essay writing cultivates a culture of strategic thinking and meticulous planning—a foundation upon which students can build their proficiency in written communication.

Tips for Effective Essay Writing

Start with a Strong Thesis : A compelling thesis statement serves as the cornerstone of your essay, guiding your arguments and shaping the narrative flow. Ensure your thesis is specific, debatable, and reflective of your main argument to captivate readers from the outset.

Organize Your Thoughts : Before diving into writing, take time to outline your ideas using a graphic organizer or structured framework. By mapping out key points and supporting evidence beforehand, you establish a cohesive structure that enhances readability and coherence.

Craft Cohesive Body Paragraphs : Each body paragraph should focus on a single idea or argument supported by relevant evidence. Ensure seamless transitions between paragraphs to maintain a logical progression of thought throughout your essay.

Utilize Transitional Phrases : Transition words and phrases act as signposts that guide readers through your essay's progression. Incorporate transitions like "furthermore," "however," or "in contrast" to connect ideas smoothly and enhance overall cohesion.

Revise and Edit Diligently : Once you've drafted your essay, allocate time for thorough revision and editing. Check for grammar errors, clarity of expression, consistency in argumentation, and adherence to formatting guidelines before finalizing your work.

Seek Feedback : Don't hesitate to seek feedback from peers or instructors on your essay drafts. External perspectives can offer valuable insights into areas for improvement and help refine your arguments for greater impact.

Embrace Revision as Growth : View revision not as a chore but as an opportunity for growth and refinement. Embrace constructive criticism as a means to enhance your writing skills and elevate the quality of your essays over time.

By incorporating these tips into your essay-writing practice alongside graphic organizer utilization, you equip yourself with essential tools for crafting compelling narratives that resonate with readers effectively.

Conclusion and Next Steps

As we conclude this comprehensive guide on efficient essay writing using a Graphic Organizer Bundle , it's essential to recap the key points that underscore the significance of incorporating visual tools in the essay composition process. Throughout our exploration, we have delved into the transformative impact of graphic organizers in simplifying complex tasks, organizing thoughts cohesively, and fostering critical thinking skills among students.

Recap of Key Points

Graphic Organizers Enhance Organization : By breaking down essay components into manageable sections, graphic organizers serve as navigational aids that guide students through the writing process effectively.

Thesis Statement Importance : Crafting a strong thesis statement is paramount in articulating the main argument concisely and setting the tone for the entire essay.

Structured Essay Components : Understanding the structure of an essay—introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion—provides a framework for conveying ideas logically and persuasively.

Educational Benefits : Research underscores the educational benefits of integrating graphic organizers into writing instruction, enhancing brainstorming capabilities and organization skills crucial for developing coherent essays.

Moving forward, it is imperative to encourage students to practice and explore diverse forms of essay writing with the aid of graphic organizers. The lack of practice in middle and high school settings often hinders students from honing their writing skills effectively. Experts emphasize that students must dedicate more time to crafting evidence-based essays to overcome proficiency struggles commonly observed in academic writing.

Encouragement to Practice and Explore

Incorporating expert insights into essay writing not only enriches content but also enhances the quality of written work significantly. Writers and scientists stress the importance of interviewing experts to gain valuable information that may not be readily available through traditional research methods. By seeking guidance from professionals in various fields, writers can elevate their essays by incorporating unique perspectives and nuanced arguments.

As students embark on their writing journeys, it is crucial to embrace practice as a means of refining their skills continually. Regular engagement with diverse forms of writing—from analytical essays to narrative compositions—fosters versatility and adaptability in expressing ideas effectively. Moreover, exploring different genres and styles broadens students' creative horizons while strengthening their ability to communicate persuasively through written discourse.

In essence, cultivating a culture of continuous learning and exploration in essay writing empowers students to transcend proficiency barriers and unlock their full potential as proficient writers. By embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and refinement, individuals can navigate complex writing tasks with confidence while honing essential skills essential for academic success.

About the Author : Quthor, powered by Quick Creator , is an AI writer that excels in creating high-quality articles from just a keyword or an idea. Leveraging Quick Creator 's cutting-edge writing engine, Quthor efficiently gathers up-to-date facts and data to produce engaging and informative content. The article you're reading? Crafted by Quthor, demonstrating its capability to produce compelling content. Experience the power of AI writing. Try Quick Creator for free at quickcreator.io and start creating with Quthor today!

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3-step diagramming

Free Editable Essay Graphic Organizer Examples

Essays are complex and large write-ups that are not easy to intercept. That’s why it is better to use an essay graphic organizer to visualize your complex structured outline in a simple manner. In fact, there is nothing better than some free graphic organizer examples that save both your time and effort. So, let’s have an overview of this essay organizers and free example templates.

1. What is Essay Graphic Organizer

An essay graphic organizer enhances your research with visual elements. It helps the writer to correlate facts, observations, and notions. On top of that, it outlines the essay and provides an organized strategy for the writer.

A graphic organizer for writing helps the writers to tackle hard and long essay formats. A writer can use its visual aid to complete the write-up step by step. A graphic organizer for essays has different types based on primary functions.

• An Outline Based Essay Organizer

These types of essay organizers have at least 3 thesis. The whole story revolves around these. Moreover, the organizer includes specific supporting details and subtopic names that make the way crystal clear for writers. However, these organizers do not need much essay explanation. Most indications are worldly phrases that direct the attention toward thoughts and observations.

• A Contrasting Essay Organizer :

As the name indicates, it helps the writer to organize varying thoughts about topics and compare them. Moreover, it helps the writer to collect, conceive and portray the information ahead of time. The writer can use it for two collective primary topics or a single point from both topics. In both cases, the essay organizer will help them take visual notes and use them to their advantage while writing.

• Organizer For A Persuasive Essay :

The persuasive essay organizer helps the writer to persuade an audience toward a single topic. It includes three or more supporting details for the topic. Furthermore, the organizer includes written evidence for those details that help prove the point.

2. The Essay Graphic Organizer Examples

Using an essay graphic organizer for writing brings credibility and flexibility to your essays with extensive research. Essay writing is a tough job, especially if it has more than one subtopic.

Essays require tons of details. All that quality is up to no good if it is not organized and well structured. An essay organizer for writing helps you understand how the minor details contribute to overall concepts. With thorough research and long formats, essay writing may become dull. However, an organizer helps you to perfectly structure your thoughts with appealing visuals that make them engaging and far less challenging.

Basic 5-Paragraph Essay Graphic Organzier

5-Paragraph Essay

Expository Essay Graphic Organizer

Persuasive Essay Graphic Organizer

Essay Graphic Organzier

Narrative Essay Graphic Organizer

Example 1: 5 Paragraph Essay Graphic Organzier

The most common type of essay writing format is a 5-paragraph essay. Essay graphic organizer for writing helps organize all those 5 paragraphs and insert valuable information inside them. It includes the first paragraph section in which the writer inserts the topic sentence and at least three thesis statements. The upcoming three paragraphs briefly summarize those statements and provide at least three pieces of evidence for each thesis. Finally, the last paragraph repeats the main statement and includes an overall concluding statement. Moreover, every thesis detail includes a conclusion statement that conceives the entire concept.

Example 2: Printable 5 Paragraph Essay Graphic Organizer

It is also the type of essay organizer writers use to organize the outline of a 5-paragraph essay format. Its first paragraph is of introduction which includes with a thesis statement instead of a topic sentence. The statement inside the paragraph includes three supporting examples with itself. Moreover, the second paragraph has a topic sentence that the previous thesis supports. Plus, it has individual evidence details that prove the topic sentence true. The third paragraph includes a thesis statement that correlates with the previous and upcoming topic sentence. Finally, the last paragraph has the essay's main idea and a concluding statement that proves the point.

Example 3: Argumentative Essay Graphic Organizer

This template solemnly deals with the expository template of the essay. It focuses on the essay's three most basic parts: the introduction, body, and conclusion. Moreover, the writer evaluates the selected topic in it with examples and evidence and closes the argument clearly and concisely. The exemplary diagram includes 2 separate boxes in the introduction sections. One of them is for the hook that engages the audience, whereas the other depicts the essay's main idea. Inside the body section, the writer briefly lists three examples, each with individual supporting details. Finally, the conclusion includes two sections; one for reviewing and rewriting the central concept and the other to input the closing details of the essay.

Example 4: Persuasive Essay Graphic Organizer

This example diagram of the essay graphic organizer for writing helps to persuade a general or specific audience toward your point of view. The primary purpose is to enlist your opinion and evaluate it with the help of numerous supporting details. As for the organizer, it is for a 5 paragraph format. The first one has an engaging beginning, a summary of the issue, and your opinion. Furthermore, the next 3 provide different reasons that support your opinion. Moreover, the section also includes evidence in the form of examples and textual details that support every reason individually. The last paragraph is a conclusive one that restates the opinion, summarizes all three reasons again, and gives a CTA (call to action) at the end. However, you can ditch the CTA and add a simple closing statement that supports your opinion.

Example 5: Informational Essay Graphic Organizer

This type of organizer is for essays having more than one main idea. The organizer's interface has several colors that make it engaging and appealing. Due to the color, it is referred to as a Rainbow essay organizer. A big individual box includes the whole organized outline of the essay. The writer has to briefly write all three ideas in it and support their point of view. Moreover, the organizer includes an introduction and conclusion description. At last, there is a final draft section that concludes the whole essay and supports either all three or one suitable main idea.

Example 6: Narrative Essay Graphic Organizer

The expository essay is a genre that requires the student to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth an argument concerning that idea clearly and concisely. The below expository essay web diagram is created using EdrawMax Online and shows blank spaces for Thesis Statement, Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Details about all the examples, and argumentative points. Expository writing gives facts and information about a topic, and as the web diagram suggests, a good expository essay introduces the main idea and develops it with facts and supporting details.

3. How to Make an Essay Graphic Organizer

Graphic organizers are the modern way of learning. With passing time, people are using them in every type of write-up. Therefore, it is better to understand its production process so that you can make one specifically for your essay. The online production software uses four simple steps to generate a graphic organizer for essays.

Step 1 - Head on to EdrawMax Online or download EdrawMax . Make an account and log in to it.

Step 2 - Once inside, you can start creating the graphic organizer on a blank edit sheet or readymade essay organizers, such as mindmaps and spider maps. However, this process is time-consuming. If you want an easy solution, head to the main menu on the left, look for Templates Community , and click on it.

Step 3 - Clicking on the Template Community option will take you to a social network of designers and a general audience like you that post templates daily for public use. You can search for your very own template and duplicate it onto your sheet using the button Duplicate.

Step 4 - Finally, start customizing it as you like. You can change the font, color, and components. Moreover, you can add new ones if you like. Once you are done and satisfied, export and share your template with others using the Button Publish present on the top right corner.

4. Online Graphic Organizer Maker

Traditional ways are gone when you had to work extensively for a simple diagram in lining software. Online graphic organizers like EdrawMax made graphic organizer designing much easier and less time-consuming. All thanks to its easy-to-use interface and basic yet helpful tool kits, designing a diagram is possible for every individual with basic knowledge.

Moreover, EdrawMax saves a lot of effort and time with the help of readymade templates. This online graphic organizer maker is suitable for any type of consumer to generate any variation of the graphic organizer. Its biggest pro is the Templates Community , with thousands of readymade templates for users. In this social biome, you can not only pick the one that suits you well but share your ideas with the community as well.

5. Key Takeaways

The visual aid of essay graphic organizers helps the writers to organize their researched facts and general thoughts according to references. Moreover, it gives a direction to the audience and the writer for the essay. As for its usage, the writers are helping themselves with it in their professional careers. Moreover, it proves exponentially efficient in the academic field for students. When it comes to essay writing, it helps in both of these by establishing a relevant and valid connection. Plus, communicating our thoughts with visual sketches and doodles is less boring and more engaging.

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Essay Mapping Tool

Instructions.

Effective writing at university is a process:

Analyse the task → Gather content → Plan → Draft → Edit

This tool may help you to bridge from planning to drafting by helping you arrange your sentences in a logical order. It also provides tips for each component of an essay – the introduction, body, and conclusion. It can be used to improve your understanding of essay writing in general or as a planning tool for one of your university assignments.

Because this tool is for your personal use only, you may decide to write in bullet points, but we recommend full sentences. Once you have filled in each section, a complete essay overview will be generated which can be printed.

1. Introduction

Three paragraphs planning spaces have been provided for you. You can add or delete as necessary.

The purpose of the body is to logically develop the points made in your thesis and outline statements. There are no rules about the number of paragraphs required in assignment, but in general, you are advised to develop one idea per paragraph. This is done with a clear and coherent structure which introduces the topic in a topic sentence, defines or clarifies which aspect of the topic you are going to discuss, develops and supports your discussion and (optionally) concludes your discussion.

A topic sentence generally has two parts. You may refer to the overall essay topic and also introduce the specific aspect you plan to discuss in this paragraph. This is referred to as topic + controlling idea . You can also use a topic sentence to link to or contrast with the previous paragraph. This is an effective strategy to use with the second body paragraph onwards. You may choose to conclude the paragraph with a summary sentence; however, you are advised not to overuse this type of sentence as it may seem repetitious.

Cohesion and coherence refer to how effectively sentences are connected and how smoothly the writing flows. This is not simply achieved by following a logical paragraph structure, but also by using linking words (e.g. however/furthermore/consequently ) and referring words (e.g. this/that/these/those )

When you develop your argument, remember to use a range of support. You can use examples, logical reasoning, speculation, statistics and citations

Paragraph 1

Write the topic and controlling idea (one sentence).

Support your controlling idea using evidence, examples, elaboration or explanations. Do not go off topic. Do use in-text references.

Sum up the paragraph and link to your thesis OR link to the next paragraph (one sentence).

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3, 3. conclusion.

The purpose of the conclusion is to summarize the key points you have discussed; however, it often contains a paraphrase of the thesis statement. This helps link the whole essay together. A conclusion may also contain a statement which links the essay to the broader topic or suggests a future action.

You can begin with the phrase ' In conclusion, ' but there are other phrases you could consider: In summary/This assignment has…/In this essay, I have… . Avoid Finally/Briefly/

Remember to reference any sources you have used. Refer to CDU Library for more information on referencing.

Introduction

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• Knowledge Base
• How to write an essay outline | Guidelines & examples

How to Write an Essay Outline | Guidelines & Examples

Published on August 14, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An essay outline is a way of planning the structure of your essay before you start writing. It involves writing quick summary sentences or phrases for every point you will cover in each paragraph , giving you a picture of how your argument will unfold.

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Table of contents

Organizing your material, presentation of the outline, examples of essay outlines, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay outlines.

At the stage where you’re writing an essay outline, your ideas are probably still not fully formed. You should know your topic  and have already done some preliminary research to find relevant sources , but now you need to shape your ideas into a structured argument.

Creating categories

Look over any information, quotes and ideas you’ve noted down from your research and consider the central point you want to make in the essay—this will be the basis of your thesis statement . Once you have an idea of your overall argument, you can begin to organize your material in a way that serves that argument.

Try to arrange your material into categories related to different aspects of your argument. If you’re writing about a literary text, you might group your ideas into themes; in a history essay, it might be several key trends or turning points from the period you’re discussing.

Three main themes or subjects is a common structure for essays. Depending on the length of the essay, you could split the themes into three body paragraphs, or three longer sections with several paragraphs covering each theme.

As you create the outline, look critically at your categories and points: Are any of them irrelevant or redundant? Make sure every topic you cover is clearly related to your thesis statement.

Order of information

When you have your material organized into several categories, consider what order they should appear in.

Your essay will always begin and end with an introduction and conclusion , but the organization of the body is up to you.

Consider these questions to order your material:

• Is there an obvious starting point for your argument?
• Is there one subject that provides an easy transition into another?
• Do some points need to be set up by discussing other points first?

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Within each paragraph, you’ll discuss a single idea related to your overall topic or argument, using several points of evidence or analysis to do so.

In your outline, you present these points as a few short numbered sentences or phrases.They can be split into sub-points when more detail is needed.

The template below shows how you might structure an outline for a five-paragraph essay.

• Thesis statement
• First piece of evidence
• Second piece of evidence
• Summary/synthesis
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement

You can choose whether to write your outline in full sentences or short phrases. Be consistent in your choice; don’t randomly write some points as full sentences and others as short phrases.

Examples of outlines for different types of essays are presented below: an argumentative, expository, and literary analysis essay.

Argumentative essay outline

This outline is for a short argumentative essay evaluating the internet’s impact on education. It uses short phrases to summarize each point.

Its body is split into three paragraphs, each presenting arguments about a different aspect of the internet’s effects on education.

• Importance of the internet
• Concerns about internet use
• Thesis statement: Internet use a net positive
• Data exploring this effect
• Analysis indicating it is overstated
• Students’ reading levels over time
• Why this data is questionable
• Video media
• Interactive media
• Speed and simplicity of online research
• Questions about reliability (transitioning into next topic)
• Evidence indicating its ubiquity
• Claims that it discourages engagement with academic writing
• Evidence that Wikipedia warns students not to cite it
• Argument that it introduces students to citation
• Summary of key points
• Value of digital education for students
• Need for optimism to embrace advantages of the internet

Expository essay outline

This is the outline for an expository essay describing how the invention of the printing press affected life and politics in Europe.

The paragraphs are still summarized in short phrases here, but individual points are described with full sentences.

• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages.
• Provide background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press.
• Present the thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation.
• Discuss the very high levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe.
• Describe how literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites.
• Indicate how this discouraged political and religious change.
• Describe the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg.
• Show the implications of the new technology for book production.
• Describe the rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible.
• Link to the Reformation.
• Discuss the trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention.
• Describe Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation.
• Sketch out the large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics.
• Summarize the history described.
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period.

Literary analysis essay outline

The literary analysis essay outlined below discusses the role of theater in Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park .

The body of the essay is divided into three different themes, each of which is explored through examples from the book.

• Describe the theatricality of Austen’s works
• Outline the role theater plays in Mansfield Park
• Introduce the research question : How does Austen use theater to express the characters’ morality in Mansfield Park ?
• Discuss Austen’s depiction of the performance at the end of the first volume
• Discuss how Sir Bertram reacts to the acting scheme
• Introduce Austen’s use of stage direction–like details during dialogue
• Explore how these are deployed to show the characters’ self-absorption
• Discuss Austen’s description of Maria and Julia’s relationship as polite but affectionless
• Compare Mrs. Norris’s self-conceit as charitable despite her idleness
• Summarize the three themes: The acting scheme, stage directions, and the performance of morals
• Answer the research question
• Indicate areas for further study

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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You will sometimes be asked to hand in an essay outline before you start writing your essay . Your supervisor wants to see that you have a clear idea of your structure so that writing will go smoothly.

Even when you do not have to hand it in, writing an essay outline is an important part of the writing process . It’s a good idea to write one (as informally as you like) to clarify your structure for yourself whenever you are working on an essay.

If you have to hand in your essay outline , you may be given specific guidelines stating whether you have to use full sentences. If you’re not sure, ask your supervisor.

When writing an essay outline for yourself, the choice is yours. Some students find it helpful to write out their ideas in full sentences, while others prefer to summarize them in short phrases.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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A clear, arguable thesis will tell your readers where you are going to end up, but it can also help you figure out how to get them there. Put your thesis at the top of a blank page and then make a list of the points you will need to make to argue that thesis effectively.

For example, consider this example from the thesis handout : While Sandel argues persuasively that our instinct to “remake”(54) ourselves into something ever more perfect is a problem, his belief that we can always draw a line between what is medically necessary and what makes us simply “better than well”(51) is less convincing.

To argue this thesis, the author needs to do the following:

• Show what is persuasive about Sandel’s claims about the problems with striving for perfection.
• Show what is not convincing about Sandel’s claim that we can clearly distinguish between medically necessary enhancements and other enhancements.

Once you have broken down your thesis into main claims, you can then think about what sub-claims you will need to make in order to support each of those main claims. That step might look like this:

• Evidence that Sandel provides to support this claim
• Discussion of why this evidence is convincing even in light of potential counterarguments
• Discussion of cases when medically necessary enhancement and non-medical enhancement cannot be easily distinguished
• Analysis of what those cases mean for Sandel’s argument
• Consideration of counterarguments (what Sandel might say in response to this section of your argument)

Each argument you will make in an essay will be different, but this strategy will often be a useful first step in figuring out the path of your argument.  

Strategy #2: Use subheadings, even if you remove them later  

Scientific papers generally include standard subheadings to delineate different sections of the paper, including “introduction,” “methods,” and “discussion.” Even when you are not required to use subheadings, it can be helpful to put them into an early draft to help you see what you’ve written and to begin to think about how your ideas fit together. You can do this by typing subheadings above the sections of your draft.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how your ideas fit together, try beginning with informal subheadings like these:

• Introduction  
• Explain the author’s main point  
• Show why this main point doesn’t hold up when we consider this other example  
• Explain the implications of what I’ve shown for our understanding of the author  
• Show how that changes our understanding of the topic

For longer papers, you may decide to include subheadings to guide your reader through your argument. In those cases, you would need to revise your informal subheadings to be more useful for your readers. For example, if you have initially written in something like “explain the author’s main point,” your final subheading might be something like “Sandel’s main argument” or “Sandel’s opposition to genetic enhancement.” In other cases, once you have the key pieces of your argument in place, you will be able to remove the subheadings.  

Strategy #3: Create a reverse outline from your draft  

While you may have learned to outline a paper before writing a draft, this step is often difficult because our ideas develop as we write. In some cases, it can be more helpful to write a draft in which you get all of your ideas out and then do a “reverse outline” of what you’ve already written. This doesn’t have to be formal; you can just make a list of the point in each paragraph of your draft and then ask these questions:

• Are those points in an order that makes sense to you?  
• Are there gaps in your argument?  
• Do the topic sentences of the paragraphs clearly state these main points?  
• Do you have more than one paragraph that focuses on the same point? If so, do you need both paragraphs?  
• Do you have some paragraphs that include too many points? If so, would it make more sense to split them up?  
• Do you make points near the end of the draft that would be more effective earlier in your paper?  
• Are there points missing from this draft?  
• picture_as_pdf Tips for Organizing Your Essay

Let’s face it.  Teaching students how to write an effective expository paragraph or essay is not for the faint of heart.  As with any difficult lesson, I tend to rely heavily on graphic organizers. There is something magical about organizing content visually.  The material becomes more accessible, which leads to an increase in understanding and successful results. Utilizing graphic organizers for expository writing is no exception.  The structure and format of the graphic organizers explained below will work wonders for student confidence and abilities in the expository writing arena.

Explanatory

Whether working with paper and pencil or digitally, it’s important that students have a place to organize their thoughts before diving into their rough drafts.  A graphic organizer can do just that. It will get the ball rolling in the right direction. When it comes to expository writing, students need an outline that will allow them to identify the topic with supporting details and concrete examples.  It is a simple, yet powerful start to any expository writing assignment.

Informative

The informative graphic organizer works well for responding to informational text.  Students are required to identify the main idea, support their choice with several reasons, and follow up with evidence or examples from the written work.  In most cases, identifying the main idea will be the hardest part. Once students have pinpointed the main idea, plugging in the rest of the information becomes much easier.  

Problem/Solution

When explained or represented visually, expressing a problem and solution becomes relatively easy to accomplish.  First, have students identify and clearly explain the problem. After explaining the problem, students should record several steps that can be taken to solve the problem.  Stating the problem and next steps will organically lead to a succinct solution. Requiring students to organize the information ahead of time ensures that their writing remains cohesive and easy to follow.   

Compare and Contrast

Comparing and contrasting two concepts or items can be done in several different ways.  Using a graphic organizer will assist students in figuring out how they will present the information in an orderly and concise format.  Students should be required to begin by identifying each item being compared. Following a brief introduction of the items or concepts, students will explain the similarities.  After thoroughly explaining the similarities, students move on to discuss the differences between the two items or concepts.

Cause and Effect

The initial step in writing about cause and effect is determining the order of presentation.  Will students be presenting several causes and the ultimate effect of those causes, or will students be identifying one cause that led to several different effects?  Once that has been determined, students can begin filling in their graphic organizer. The visual aspect of a cause and effect graphic organizer works extremely well for setting up an expository paragraph or essay.  

Descriptive

Describing a topic or text is no different than writing a summary.  There are many ways to tackle summary writing , but as with all of the graphic organizers mentioned above, clarity is essential.  The graphic organizer should assist students in identifying critical information and avoiding extraneous details. It is vital that students understand the importance of each detail leading back to the overarching topic.

Sequence of Events

Chronicling a sequence of events can serve as a great starting point for expository writing.  Embedding signal words within the graphic organizer will keep students on track and moving through the events in sequential order.  Students begin by identifying the general topic, and follow up with a detailed description of each subsequent step.

Starting the expository writing process with a graphic organizer will provide your students with a road map to their final destination.  It will set them up for success while stressing the importance of paragraph structure and organization.

Why reinvent the wheel? Click here to download all of the graphic organizers detailed above in printable, editable, and digital formats from Literacy in Focus on TpT.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

9.3 Organizing Your Writing

Learning objectives.

• Understand how and why organizational techniques help writers and readers stay focused.
• Assess how and when to use chronological order to organize an essay.
• Recognize how and when to use order of importance to organize an essay.
• Determine how and when to use spatial order to organize an essay.

The method of organization you choose for your essay is just as important as its content. Without a clear organizational pattern, your reader could become confused and lose interest. The way you structure your essay helps your readers draw connections between the body and the thesis, and the structure also keeps you focused as you plan and write the essay. Choosing your organizational pattern before you outline ensures that each body paragraph works to support and develop your thesis.

This section covers three ways to organize body paragraphs:

• Chronological order
• Order of importance
• Spatial order

When you begin to draft your essay, your ideas may seem to flow from your mind in a seemingly random manner. Your readers, who bring to the table different backgrounds, viewpoints, and ideas, need you to clearly organize these ideas in order to help process and accept them.

A solid organizational pattern gives your ideas a path that you can follow as you develop your draft. Knowing how you will organize your paragraphs allows you to better express and analyze your thoughts. Planning the structure of your essay before you choose supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and targeted research.

Chronological Order

In Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , you learned that chronological arrangement has the following purposes:

• To explain the history of an event or a topic
• To tell a story or relate an experience
• To explain how to do or to make something
• To explain the steps in a process

Chronological order is mostly used in expository writing , which is a form of writing that narrates, describes, informs, or explains a process. When using chronological order, arrange the events in the order that they actually happened, or will happen if you are giving instructions. This method requires you to use words such as first , second , then , after that , later , and finally . These transition words guide you and your reader through the paper as you expand your thesis.

For example, if you are writing an essay about the history of the airline industry, you would begin with its conception and detail the essential timeline events up until present day. You would follow the chain of events using words such as first , then , next , and so on.

Writing at Work

At some point in your career you may have to file a complaint with your human resources department. Using chronological order is a useful tool in describing the events that led up to your filing the grievance. You would logically lay out the events in the order that they occurred using the key transition words. The more logical your complaint, the more likely you will be well received and helped.

Choose an accomplishment you have achieved in your life. The important moment could be in sports, schooling, or extracurricular activities. On your own sheet of paper, list the steps you took to reach your goal. Try to be as specific as possible with the steps you took. Pay attention to using transition words to focus your writing.

Keep in mind that chronological order is most appropriate for the following purposes:

• Writing essays containing heavy research
• Writing essays with the aim of listing, explaining, or narrating
• Writing essays that analyze literary works such as poems, plays, or books

When using chronological order, your introduction should indicate the information you will cover and in what order, and the introduction should also establish the relevance of the information. Your body paragraphs should then provide clear divisions or steps in chronology. You can divide your paragraphs by time (such as decades, wars, or other historical events) or by the same structure of the work you are examining (such as a line-by-line explication of a poem).

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that describes a process you are familiar with and can do well. Assume that your reader is unfamiliar with the procedure. Remember to use the chronological key words, such as first , second , then , and finally .

Order of Importance

Recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” that order of importance is best used for the following purposes:

• Persuading and convincing
• Ranking items by their importance, benefit, or significance
• Illustrating a situation, problem, or solution

Most essays move from the least to the most important point, and the paragraphs are arranged in an effort to build the essay’s strength. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to begin with your most important supporting point, such as in an essay that contains a thesis that is highly debatable. When writing a persuasive essay, it is best to begin with the most important point because it immediately captivates your readers and compels them to continue reading.

For example, if you were supporting your thesis that homework is detrimental to the education of high school students, you would want to present your most convincing argument first, and then move on to the less important points for your case.

Some key transitional words you should use with this method of organization are most importantly , almost as importantly , just as importantly , and finally .

During your career, you may be required to work on a team that devises a strategy for a specific goal of your company, such as increasing profits. When planning your strategy you should organize your steps in order of importance. This demonstrates the ability to prioritize and plan. Using the order of importance technique also shows that you can create a resolution with logical steps for accomplishing a common goal.

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that discusses a passion of yours. Your passion could be music, a particular sport, filmmaking, and so on. Your paragraph should be built upon the reasons why you feel so strongly. Briefly discuss your reasons in the order of least to greatest importance.

Spatial Order

As stated in Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , spatial order is best used for the following purposes:

• Helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it
• Evoking a scene using the senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound)
• Writing a descriptive essay

Spatial order means that you explain or describe objects as they are arranged around you in your space, for example in a bedroom. As the writer, you create a picture for your reader, and their perspective is the viewpoint from which you describe what is around you.

The view must move in an orderly, logical progression, giving the reader clear directional signals to follow from place to place. The key to using this method is to choose a specific starting point and then guide the reader to follow your eye as it moves in an orderly trajectory from your starting point.

Pay attention to the following student’s description of her bedroom and how she guides the reader through the viewing process, foot by foot.

Attached to my bedroom wall is a small wooden rack dangling with red and turquoise necklaces that shimmer as you enter. Just to the right of the rack is my window, framed by billowy white curtains. The peace of such an image is a stark contrast to my desk, which sits to the right of the window, layered in textbooks, crumpled papers, coffee cups, and an overflowing ashtray. Turning my head to the right, I see a set of two bare windows that frame the trees outside the glass like a 3D painting. Below the windows is an oak chest from which blankets and scarves are protruding. Against the wall opposite the billowy curtains is an antique dresser, on top of which sits a jewelry box and a few picture frames. A tall mirror attached to the dresser takes up most of the wall, which is the color of lavender.

The paragraph incorporates two objectives you have learned in this chapter: using an implied topic sentence and applying spatial order. Often in a descriptive essay, the two work together.

The following are possible transition words to include when using spatial order:

• Just to the left or just to the right
• On the left or on the right
• Across from
• A little further down
• To the south, to the east, and so on
• A few yards away
• Turning left or turning right

On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph using spatial order that describes your commute to work, school, or another location you visit often.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Key Takeaways

• The way you organize your body paragraphs ensures you and your readers stay focused on and draw connections to, your thesis statement.
• A strong organizational pattern allows you to articulate, analyze, and clarify your thoughts.
• Planning the organizational structure for your essay before you begin to search for supporting evidence helps you conduct more effective and directed research.
• Chronological order is most commonly used in expository writing. It is useful for explaining the history of your subject, for telling a story, or for explaining a process.
• Order of importance is most appropriate in a persuasion paper as well as for essays in which you rank things, people, or events by their significance.
• Spatial order describes things as they are arranged in space and is best for helping readers visualize something as you want them to see it; it creates a dominant impression.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Organizing an Essay

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Some basic guidelines

The best time to think about how to organize your paper is during the pre-writing stage, not the writing or revising stage. A well-thought-out plan can save you from having to do a lot of reorganizing when the first draft is completed. Moreover, it allows you to pay more attention to sentence-level issues when you sit down to write your paper.

When you begin planning, ask the following questions: What type of essay am I going to be writing? Does it belong to a specific genre? In university, you may be asked to write, say, a book review, a lab report, a document study, or a compare-and-contrast essay. Knowing the patterns of reasoning associated with a genre can help you to structure your essay.

For example, book reviews typically begin with a summary of the book you’re reviewing. They then often move on to a critical discussion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. They may conclude with an overall assessment of the value of the book. These typical features of a book review lead you to consider dividing your outline into three parts: (1) summary; (2) discussion of strengths and weaknesses; (3) overall evaluation. The second and most substantial part will likely break down into two sub-parts. It is up to you to decide the order of the two subparts—whether to analyze strengths or weaknesses first. And of course it will be up to you to come up with actual strengths and weaknesses.

Be aware that genres are not fixed. Different professors will define the features of a genre differently. Read the assignment question carefully for guidance.

Understanding genre can take you only so far. Most university essays are argumentative, and there is no set pattern for the shape of an argumentative essay. The simple three-point essay taught in high school is far too restrictive for the complexities of most university assignments. You must be ready to come up with whatever essay structure helps you to convince your reader of the validity of your position. In other words, you must be flexible, and you must rely on your wits. Each essay presents a fresh problem.

Avoiding a common pitfall

Though there are no easy formulas for generating an outline, you can avoid one of the most common pitfalls in student papers by remembering this simple principle: the structure of an essay should not be determined by the structure of its source material. For example, an essay on an historical period should not necessarily follow the chronology of events from that period. Similarly, a well-constructed essay about a literary work does not usually progress in parallel with the plot. Your obligation is to advance your argument, not to reproduce the plot.

If your essay is not well structured, then its overall weaknesses will show through in the individual paragraphs. Consider the following two paragraphs from two different English essays, both arguing that despite Hamlet’s highly developed moral nature he becomes morally compromised in the course of the play:

(a) In Act 3, Scene 4, Polonius hides behind an arras in Gertrude’s chamber in order to spy on Hamlet at the bidding of the king. Detecting something stirring, Hamlet draws his sword and kills Polonius, thinking he has killed Claudius. Gertrude exclaims, “O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!” (28), and her words mark the turning point in Hamlet’s moral decline. Now Hamlet has blood on his hands, and the blood of the wrong person. But rather than engage in self-criticism, Hamlet immediately turns his mother’s words against her: “A bloody deed — almost as bad, good Mother, as kill a king, and marry with his brother” (29-30). One of Hamlet’s most serious shortcomings is his unfair treatment of women. He often accuses them of sins they could not have committed. It is doubtful that Gertrude even knows Claudius killed her previous husband. Hamlet goes on to ask Gertrude to compare the image of the two kings, old Hamlet and Claudius. In Hamlet’s words, old Hamlet has “Hyperion’s curls,” the front of Jove,” and “an eye like Mars” (57-58). Despite Hamlet’s unfair treatment of women, he is motivated by one of his better qualities: his idealism. (b) One of Hamlet’s most serious moral shortcomings is his unfair treatment of women. In Act 3, Scene 1, he denies to Ophelia ever having expressed his love for her, using his feigned madness as cover for his cruelty. Though his rantings may be an act, they cannot hide his obsessive anger at one particular woman: his mother. He counsels Ophelia to “marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them” (139-41), thus blaming her in advance for the sin of adultery. The logic is plain: if Hamlet’s mother made a cuckold out of Hamlet’s father, then all women are capable of doing the same and therefore share the blame. The fact that Gertrude’s hasty remarriage does not actually constitute adultery only underscores Hamlet’s tendency to find in women faults that do not exist. In Act 3, Scene 4, he goes as far as to suggest that Gertrude shared responsibility in the murder of Hamlet’s father (29-30). By condemning women for actions they did not commit, Hamlet is doing just what he accuses Guildenstern of doing to him: he is plucking out the “heart” of their “mystery” (3.2.372-74).

The second of these two paragraphs is much stronger, largely because it is not plot-driven. It makes a well-defined point about Hamlet’s moral nature and sticks to that point throughout the paragraph. Notice that the paragraph jumps from one scene to another as is necessary, but the logic of the argument moves along a steady path. At any given point in your essays, you will want to leave yourself free to go wherever you need to in your source material. Your only obligation is to further your argument. Paragraph (a) sticks closely to the narrative thread of Act 3, Scene 4, and as a result the paragraph makes several different points with no clear focus.

What does an essay outline look like?

Most essay outlines will never be handed in. They are meant to serve you and no one else. Occasionally, your professor will ask you to hand in an outline weeks prior to handing in your paper. Usually, the point is to ensure that you are on the right track. Nevertheless, when you produce your outline, you should follow certain basic principles. Here is an example of an outline for an essay on Hamlet :

This is an example of a sentence outline. Another kind of outline is the topic outline. It consists of fragments rather than full sentences. Topic outlines are more open-ended than sentence outlines: they leave much of the working out of the argument for the writing stage.

When should I begin putting together a plan?

The earlier you begin planning, the better. It is usually a mistake to do all of your research and note-taking before beginning to draw up an outline. Of course, you will have to do some reading and weighing of evidence before you start to plan. But as a potential argument begins to take shape in your mind, you may start to formalize your thoughts in the form of a tentative plan. You will be much more efficient in your reading and your research if you have some idea of where your argument is headed. You can then search for evidence for the points in your tentative plan while you are reading and researching. As you gather evidence, those points that still lack evidence should guide you in your research. Remember, though, that your plan may need to be modified as you critically evaluate your evidence.

How can I construct a usable plan?

Here are two methods for constructing a plan. The first works best on the computer. The second method works well for those who think visually. It is often the method of choice for those who prefer to do some of their thinking with pen and paper, though it can easily be transposed to a word processor or your graphic software of choice.

method 1: hierarchical outline

This method usually begins by taking notes. Start by collecting potential points, as well as useful quotations and paraphrases of quotations, consecutively. As you accumulate notes, identify key points and start to arrange those key points into an outline. To build your outline, take advantage of outline view in Word or numbered lists in Google Docs. Or consider one of the specialized apps designed to help organize ideas: Scrivener, Microsoft OneNote, Workflowy, among others. All these tools make it easy for you to arrange your points hierarchically and to move those points around as you refine your plan.You may, at least initially, keep your notes and your outline separate. But there is no reason for you not to integrate your notes into the plan. Your notes—minor points, quotations, and paraphrases—can all be interwoven into the plan, just below the main points they support. Some of your notes may not find a place in your outline. If so, either modify the plan or leave those points out.

method 2: the circle method

This method is designed to get your key ideas onto a single page, where you can see them all at once. When you have an idea, write it down, and draw a circle around it. When you have an idea that supports another idea, do the same, but connect the two circles with a line. Supporting source material can be represented concisely by a page reference inside a circle. The advantage of the circle method is that you can see at a glance how things tie together; the disadvantage is that there is a limit to how much material you can cram onto a page.

Here is part of a circle diagram

Once you are content with your diagram, you have the option of turning it into an essay outline.

What is a reverse outline?

When you have completed your first draft, and you think your paper can be better organized, consider using a reverse outline. Reverse outlines are simple to create. Just read through your essay, and every time you make a new point, summarize it in the margin. If the essay is reasonably well-organized, you should have one point in the margin for each paragraph, and your points read out in order should form a coherent argument. You might, however, discover that some of your points are repeated at various places in your essay. Other points may be out of place, and still other key points may not appear at all. Think of all these points as the ingredients of an improved outline which you now must create. Use this new outline to cut and paste the sentences into a revised version of your essay, consolidating points that appear in several parts of your essay while eliminating repetition and creating smooth transitions where necessary.

You can improve even the most carefully planned essay by creating a reverse outline after completing your first draft. The process of revision should be as much about organization as it is about style.

How much of my time should I put into planning?

It is self-evident that a well-planned paper is going to be better organized than a paper that was not planned out. Thinking carefully about how you are going to argue your paper and preparing an outline can only add to the quality of your final product. Nevertheless, some people find it more helpful than others to plan. Those who are good at coming up with ideas but find writing difficult often benefit from planning. By contrast, those who have trouble generating ideas but find writing easy may benefit from starting to write early. Putting pen to paper (or typing away at the keyboard) may be just what is needed to get the ideas to flow.

You have to find out for yourself what works best for you, though it is fair to say that at least some planning is always a good idea. Think about whether your current practices are serving you well. You know you’re planning too little if the first draft of your essays is always a disorganized mess, and you have to spend a disproportionate amount of time creating reverse outlines and cutting and pasting material. You know you’re planning too much if you always find yourself writing your paper a day before it’s due after spending weeks doing research and devising elaborate plans.

Be aware of the implications of planning too little or too much.

Planning  provides the following  advantages :

• helps you to produce a  logical  and  orderly  argument that your readers can follow
• helps you to produce an  economical  paper by allowing you to spot repetition
• helps you to produce a  thorough  paper by making it easier for you to notice whether you have left anything out
• makes drafting the paper easier by allowing you to concentrate on writing issues such as grammar, word choice, and clarity

Overplanning  poses the following  risks :

• doesn’t leave you enough time to write and revise
• leads you to produce papers that try to cover too much ground at the expense of analytic depth
• can result in a writing style that lacks spontaneity and ease
• does not provide enough opportunity to discover new ideas in the process of writing

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How to Organize an Essay: 3 Graphic Organizers for Young Writers

By Pia Cisternino

As a parent, you may find yourself thinking, “My child is smart and articulate, so why are writing assignments so stressful?”  Writing is a complex task that requires a student to access multiple executive function skills. To be able to write an essay, a student must be able to 1) attend to and comprehend the teacher’s instructions, 2) create a plan for the form and content of an essay, and 3) follow through with that plan. When you think about the processing and planning skills that a student must integrate in order to compose an essay, it makes sense that even a small writing assignment can cause frustration.  

Many people, including students diagnosed with ADHD , students with high-functioning ASD , and students who are twice exceptional  (intellectually gifted students with special education needs) find that executive function skills are far from second nature. But when equipped with the proper tools and support, the same students can become effective writers. A graphic organizer is one of the tools that executive function coaches use to enable students to organize and plan their writing.   

We all use templates in our daily lives. Whether you’re balancing your checkbook or composing an email, a template helps you to keep your information organized. Similarly, a graphic organizer functions as a template, formatted to keep a student’s writing organized.  For students who feel overwhelmed by a writing task, graphic organizers provide a way to break up the task into clear and manageable parts. It’s like a road map to show them where to go. Many students find that once they learn how to organize an essay with a graphic organizer, writing becomes easier and much less stressful .

There are many different types of graphic organizers. So, one may ask, which are most effective? Just as your calendar template serves a different purpose from your resume template, the type of template a student needs depends upon the type of writing that has been assigned.

According to the Common Core , students are expected to become proficient with the following types of writing: 1) opinion/argumentative/persuasive writing, 2) informative/ explanatory writing, and 3) narrative writing.

The organizers listed below, the deliciously named OREO, BLT, and Ice Cream graphic organizers, are formatted to help students in elementary school organize their opinion writing, informative writing, and narrative writing, respectively.  

Opinion Writing

The OREO Graphic Organizer lays out the basic structure for an opinion essay. OREO stands for Opinion, Reason, Example, and Opinion restated.

Informative Writing

The BLT Graphic Organizer helps a student to plan a single, informative paragraph. The paragraph must include an introduction, a thesis statement, supporting sentences, and a conclusion.  

Narrative Writing

The Ice Cream Graphic Organizer is a template for narrative writing. It includes the basic components of a narrative essay: characters, setting, problem/event, and resolution.

Whether or not a student has a formal diagnosis of a learning difference , the truth is that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Any approach to supporting executive function skills should capitalize on a student’s areas of strength, in order to improve their areas of weakness. For instance, if a student demonstrates high abilities in the visual spatial domain, then it makes sense to use a strategy that visualizes the writing process. These organizers allow young writers to visualize a framework for the kinds of information they will need to include in a given paragraph or essay. As students get older and writing demands become more complex , the structure of graphic organizers expands as well. As executive function coaches , we see that even the most gifted student can benefit from a structured approach to the art of writing.

Please see this page for comprehensive information about Executive Function in Elementary students.

Pia Cisternino, M.A., M.S. is an executive function coach at Beyond BookSmart and a speech-language pathologist, with over a decade of experience working with students diagnosed with ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, and learning disabilities. She received her B.A. from Tufts University, where she majored in English and Italian, and continued to study literature at Johns Hopkins University, where she received an Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Poetry. She went on to receive a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. A strong advocate for students with special education needs, Pia founded and facilitated a support group for parents of 2e (twice exceptional) children, and served for two years as co-chair of the Parent Advisory Council on Special Education (C-PAC) within her local school district.. Pia’s approach to coaching centers around enabling students to build skills by utilizing their own individual strengths.  

About the Author

Pia cisternino.

Pia Cisternino, M.A., M.S. is an executive function coach at Beyond BookSmart and a speech-language pathologist, with over a decade of experience working with students diagnosed with ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, and learning disabilities. She received her B.A. from Tufts University, where she majored in English and Italian, and continued to study literature at Johns Hopkins University, where she received an Master’s degree in Creative Writing and Poetry. She went on to receive a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. A strong advocate for students with special education needs, Pia founded and facilitated a support group for parents of 2e (twice exceptional) children, and served for two years as co-chair of the Parent Advisory Council on Special Education (C-PAC) within her local school district.. Pia’s approach to coaching centers around enabling students to build skills by utilizing their own individual strengths. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband and children.

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EL Education Curriculum

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• ELA 2019 G7:M2:U2:L8

Write an Informative Essay: Analyze a Model

In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment.

• Technology and Multimedia

Supporting English Language Learners

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• ELA 2019 Grade 7
• ELA 2019 G7:M2
• ELA 2019 G7:M2:U2

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Focus Standards:  These are the standards the instruction addresses.

• W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5

Supporting Standards:  These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

• RI.7.1, RI.7.2
• I can explore a model and determine criteria of an informative essay. ( W.7.2 )
• I can use the Painted Essay® structure to analyze a model. ( W.7.2, W.7.4 )
• I can plan an informative essay, focusing on task, purpose, and audience. ( W.7.4, W.7.5 )
• Opening A: Entrance Ticket, Unit 2, Lesson 8 ( W.7.2 )
• Work Time A: Annotated, color-coded model informative essay ( W.7.2, W.7.4 )
• Closing and Assessment A: Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ( W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5 )

• Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 at each student's workspace.
• Read the Paint an Essay lesson plan to become familiar with the color-coding and the purpose of each choice of color.
• Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

• Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 7.I.A.1, 7.I.C.10, and 7.II.C.6.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

• To support ELLs, this lesson includes a whole-class, teacher-led review of a model essay as well as collaboration and color-coding to paint and plan an essay.  
• ELLs may find it challenging to generate language for planning their essay. Encourage students to use their home language and sketches to assist them in planning their essay. Also use strategic pairings for the peer essay either by home language, level, or heterogeneous for support.  
• analyze, context, criteria, informative, structure (A)
• Painted Essay® (DS)

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

• Criteria of an Effective Informative Essay anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Work Time B)
• Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Opening A)
• Academic word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Opening A)
• Domain-specific word wall (one for display; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time B)
• Paint an Essay lesson plan (for teacher reference) (from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Closing and Assessment A)
• Homework: Read “Crime-Solving Strategies” (one per student; from Module 2, Unit 2, Lessons 6–7, Homework B)
• Vocabulary log (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Opening A)
• Painted Essay® template (one per student and one for display; from Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Closing and Assessment A)
• Patient Zero by Marilee Peters (text; one per student; from Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Work Time C)
• Independent reading journal (one per student; begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, Work Time B)
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 (answers for teacher reference)
• Model Informative Essay: "Computer Programs and Animal Behavior" (for teacher reference)
• Model Pair Informative Essay (example for teacher reference)
• Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (for teacher reference)
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 8 (one per student)
• Model Informative Essay: “Computer Programs and Animal Behavior” (one per student and one for display)
• Colored pencils (red, yellow, blue, light green, dark green; one of each per student)
• Directions for Pair Informative Essay (one per student and one for display)
• Online or print dictionaries (including ELL and home language dictionaries)
• Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer (one per student and one for display)
• Informative Writing Plan graphic organizer ▲

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

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Persuasion Map

About this printout

Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

Teaching with this printout

More ideas to try, related resources.

Examples of persuasion surround our lives, and the ability to persuade others is a powerful asset. We can persuade people to act in our favor, help them to see our point of view, and sway their opinion to that of our own. The power of persuasion is far reaching, and it is a technique that students will use throughout their lives. This tool helps students formulate ideas for a persuasive argument by helping them determine their goal or thesis, identify three reasons to support it (with three facts or examples to support each reason), and restate the thesis in a conclusion statement. Before your students use this tool independently, model its use for them. Choose a simple topic (such as, “Sixth Grade is the Best Grade” or “Why Our Lunch Period Should be Longer”). Then, fill in the Persuasion Map while discussing the process  aloud, displaying the tool so that all students can see it. Review students’ completed maps prior to having them continue with the persuasion assignment. This will provide you with an opportunity to check students’ understanding of persuasion and help those who need extra instruction.

• Have students analyze a persuasive piece (for example, an advertisement or editorial in a newspaper or magazine) by filling in the map and discussing the authors’ strategies of persuasion.
• Encourage older students to create propaganda-based assignments by having them incorporate deceptive language in some of the “reasons” or “examples” on their maps. (Propaganda is a form of persuasion that uses deceptive language to exaggerate, distort, or conceal information.) Upon completion, have students read their maps orally and/or display them for their peers. Have students identify the deceptive language in their peers’ maps to create a class list of the examples used. As an additional follow-up, students can view and read advertisements, newspaper editorials, and other text that contain propaganda to search for use of the examples on the class list and to add additional ones.
• Have students complete two maps based on the same goal but with two different targeted audiences in mind. Attention to audience is an essential element of effective persuasion. For example, students might create maps to market a particular children’s toy; one map could target children as the audience, and the other could focus on parents as the audience. After they have completed their maps, have students read them to the class without identifying the intended audience. Ask the rest of the class to determine the intended audience and identify the specific clues that prompted their deductions. Finally, as a class, compare and contrast the language and words used for each intended audience.
• Lesson Plans
• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides

Through a classroom game and resource handouts, students learn about the techniques used in persuasive oral arguments and apply them to independent persuasive writing activities.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

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