What Color Is Your Parachute?

Essay Writing in Twelve Steps

PLANNING THE ESSAY

STEP 1: READ THE ESSAY TOPIC

STEP 2: IDETIFY THE TASK
STEP 3: WRITE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT
STEP 4: MAKE NOTES ABOUT YOUR GEBERAL IDEAS
STEP 5: EXPAND YOUR NOTES TO INCLUDE
SPECIFIC DETAILS

WRITING THE ESSAY

STEP 6: WRITE THETOPIC SENTENCE FOR

EACH PARAGRAPH
STEP 7: WRITE THE INTRODUCTION
STEP 8: WRITE THE BODY OF THE ESSAY
STEP 9: WRITE THE CONCLUSION

REVISING THE ESSAY

STEP 10: CHECK THE CONTENT

STEP 11: CHECK THE CLARITY
STEP 12: CHECK THE PUNCTUATION AND
SPELLING

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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

PLANNING THE ESSAY

There are two important parts to planning an essay:

addressing the writing task and
organizing the topic.

Here is an overview of the step-by-step process you will use to address the task and
organize the topic.

Step 1 Read the essay topic.

Step 2 Identify the task.
Step 3 Write your thesis statement.
Step 4 Make notes about your general ideas.
Step 5 Expand your notes to include specific details.

The example that follows is a short introduction to the steps of planning an essay.
Planning an essay will be discussed thoroughly in the chapter by the same name
beginning on page 40. You will learn different ways to address a topic and different ways
to organize a topic. You will learn different ways to plan your essay, but the steps remain
the same. You must always follow these steps.

STEP 1: READ THE ESSAY TOPIC

(Topic) In the future, students may have the choice of studying at home by using
technology such as computers or television or of studying at traditional schools.
Which would you prefer? Use reasons and specific details to explain your choice.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY THE TASK

The topic wants you to state a preference. Do you prefer to study at home using
computers or study at school? The instructions suggest you give reasons and specific
details to support your answer.

STEP 3: WRITE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT

Thesis statement: Studying at school would be best for me.
The thesis statement is the summation of your thoughts about the topic. In this
case, it is the straightforward announcement of your preference.

STEP 4: MAKE NOTES ABOUT YOUR GENERAL IDEAS

These notes are the start or your concept map. The concept map, like a road map, will
guide you as you write your essay.
As the writer, I need to plan the organization of the topic. I make two columns so
that I can compare the quality of education at home with the quality of education at
school.

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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

home school
activities
people
day-to-day
interaction

subjects
future
technology

motivation

I then make a list of all the general ideas that affect education at home and at school. As I
write, I may change my mind and cross out a few ideas. I may not like them, or I may not
think I could give any examples about them. If I can't any examples, I shouldn't mention
them. I must give reasons and specific details to support my ideas.

STEP 5: EXPAND YOUR NOTES SPECIFIC DETAILS

You started your concept map with general notes. Now expand your concept map with
specific details.

home school
isolation activities socialize
people
boring day-to-day learn from others
interaction
technology only source technology plus teachers
subjects
information

limited future more an

technology

hard to concentrate at motivation work as team

home

In my first general idea, interaction, I added the specific details of isolation and boredom
at home. I would find studying at home all by myself boring. At school, I would be able
to socialize with other students and learn from them as well. Therefore, I put the specific
details socialize and learn from others under school.
I crossed out activities and day-to-day because they weren't exactly the words I
was looking for. Similarly people wasn't as precise a term as interaction.
In the third row for general ideas I thought more about what I wanted to say. I
decided I had already talked about technology under subjects was not parallel with the
other nouns. I needed a word that ended with –tion. I chose information.

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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

WRITING THE ESSAY

There are two important parts to planning an essay:

developing the topic and
demonstrating facility with English.

We learned the five steps in planning the essay in the preceding section. Here is an
overview of the step-by-step process that you will use to develop the topic and
demonstrate your facility with English.

Step 6 Write the topic sentence for each paragraph.

Step 7 Write the introduction.
Step 8 Write the body of the essay.
Step 9 Write the conclusion.

The example that follows is a short introduction to the steps of writing an essay. Writing
an essay will be discussed thoroughly in the chapter by the same name. You will learn
different ways to develop a topic and demonstrate your facility with English. You will
learn different ways to write your essay, but the steps remain the same. You must always
follow these steps.

Now that we have planned the essay for Topic, let's write it.

Review: In step 3 and step 4 and 5, we wrote a thesis statement and produced a concept map.

Step 3
Thesis statement: Studying at school would be best for me.

Step 4 and 5
Concept map
home school
isolation activities socialize
people
boring day-to-day learn from others
interaction
technology only source subjects technology plus teachers
information
limited future more an
technology

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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

hard to concentrate at motivation work as team

home

Now we must move on to Step 6, write the Topic sentence.

STEP 6: WRITE THE TOPIC SENTENCE FOR EACH PARAGRAPH

Each of the rows in the concept map could be a paragraph: one paragraph could be about
interaction; one paragraph could be about course subjects; one paragraph could be about
motivation.

Topic sentence for general idea: interaction

You need interaction to get a good education.

Topic sentence for general idea: information

Both technology and teachers can give you a good education.

Topic sentence for general idea: motivation

If you are motivated to learn, you can get a good education.

Once I have the topic sentences for my paragraphs, I can begin to write the essay.

STEP 7: WRITE THE INTRODUCTION

The introduction lets the reader know what my point of view is and how I plan to develop
the essay.
I could get a good education either at home or at school, but an
education involves more than just studying. An education is not just
getting information from a source. There is interaction with that source
and motivation from that source. I need to interact and be motivated by
humans not by a machine. Therefore, studying at school would be best
for me.

In this introduction, I have stated my opinion, studying at school would be best for me. I
have indicated that I will develop my topic by discussing information, interaction, and
motivation.

STEP 8: WRITE THE BODY OF THE ESSAY

Paragraph 2
At home, I can only get information from technological sources like
my computer, my DVD, or my television. At school, I have access to these
technological sources plus human ones as well. I have teachers and
students who will share their knowledge with me. Both technology and
teachers can give you a good education, but at home, I only have
technology. I want both opinions to learn.

In this paragraph, I chose one of my topic sentences and develop it using the specific
details in my concept map. I could pick any topic sentence I wanted. I did not have to
follow any particular order.
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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

Paragraph 3
You need interaction to get a good education. If no one ever challenges
your opinion, you may never develop your ideas. At home, there would be
no one to learn from, no one to socialize with. I'd be isolated and bored.
The students at school always have new ideas. I want to learn from them.

In this paragraph, I chose another topic sentence and developed it using the specific
details in my concept map.

Paragraph 4
If you are motivated to learn, you can get a good education. But how
can you motivate yourself isolated at home? I like to work as a team. I want
to do well so our class looks good. At home, I can't motivate myself. It's too
easy to be distracted by unimportant things. I want the focus that a class
goal can give me.

In this paragraph, I chose another topic sentence and develop it using the specific details
in my concept map. I don't have to have a specific number of paragraphs. I can have three
or I can have ten. I need enough paragraphs to develop my essay thoroughly.

STEP 9: WRITE THE CONCLUSION

If I could motivate myself to work harder, if I could sit all day in a room
without interacting with anyone, and if I wouldn't mind getting information
from limited sources, then I could study at home. But I can't. I need the
stimulus of the classroom to motivate me; I need students to interact with; I
need information from as many sources as possible. Give me the traditional
school.

In this paragraph, I summarized why I preferred studying in school. I rephrased my ideas.

I did not simply repeat them.

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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

REVISING THE ESSAY

There are two important parts to revising an essay:

checking the content and clarity and
checking the punctuation and spelling.

Here is an overview of the step-by-step process that you will use to check the clarity and
proof the essay. These steps parallel the Proofing Checklist (see page 27). Follow this
checklist to help you proof all of your essays.
Step 10 Check the content.
Step 11 Check the clarity.
For this overview,
Step 12 Check the punctuation and spelling.
we will proof the
essay written on Topic. Since this is a model essay, there will be no major problems.
Observe how the proofing checklist can help you review your own work.

Here is the essay on Topic that we wrote following Steps 1 to 9.

I could get a good education either at home or at school, but an

education involves more than just studying. An education is not just
getting information from a source. There is interaction with that source
and motivation from that source. I need to interact and be motivated by
humans not by a machine. Therefore, studying at school would be best
for me.
At home, I can only get information from technological sources
like my computer, my DVD, or my television. At school, I have access to
these technological sources plus human ones as well. I have teachers and
students who will share their knowledge with me. Both technology and
teachers can give you a good education, but at home, I only have
technology. I want both opinions to learn.
You need interaction to get a good education. If no one ever
challenges your opinion, you may never develop your ideas. At home, there
would be no one to learn from, no one to socialize with. I'd be isolated and
bored. The students at school always have new ideas. I want to learn from
them.
If you are motivated to learn, you can get a good education. But
how can you motivate yourself isolated at home? I like to work as a team. I
want to do well so our class looks good. At home, I can't motivate myself.
It's too easy to be distracted by unimportant things. I want the focus that a
class goal can give me.
If I could motivate myself to work harder, if I could sit all day in a
room without interacting with anyone, and if I wouldn't mind getting
information from limited sources, then I could study at home. But I can't. I
need the stimulus of the classroom to motivate me; I need students to
interact with; I need information from as many sources as possible. Give
me the traditional school.

Let's proof this essay following steps 10, 11, and 12.

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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

STEP 10: CHECK THE CONTENT

Is there a thesis statement? Yes Therefore, studying at school would

be best for me.
Is there a topic sentence for each yes Paragraph 2
paragraph? Both technology and teachers can
give you a good education, but at
school, I have both options to learn.
Paragraph 3
You need interaction to get a good
education.
Paragraph 4
If you are motivated to learn, you
can get a good education.
Are there supporting details for yes Paragraph 2
each paragraph? At home, I can only get information
from technological sources like my
computer, my DVD player, or my
television. At school, I have access
to these technological sources plus
human ones as well. I have teachers
and students who will share their
knowledge edge with me.
Paragraph 3
If no one ever challenges your
opinion, you may develop your
ideas. At home, there would be no
one to learn from, no one to socialize
with. I'd be isolated and bored.
Paragraph 4
I like to work as a team. I want to do
well so our class looks good. At
home, I can't motivate myself. It's
too easy to be distracted by
unimportant things.
Is there a conclusion? Yes I need the stimulus of the classroom
to motivate me; I need students to
interact with; I need information
from as many sources as possible.
Give me the traditional school.

STEP 11: CHECK THE CLARITY

Are there run-on sentences or sentence No

fragments?
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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

Are there misplaced modifiers No

or dangling modifiers?
Are the structures parallel? Yes Introduction
either at home or school
interaction with that source and
motivation from that source
Paragraph 2
at school, I have both options to
learn. At home, I have only
technology.
Paragraph 3
no one to learn from, no one to
socialize with.
Last sentences of Paragraphs 2,3,
and 4
I want both options to learn.
I want to learn from them.
I want the focus that a class goal can
give me.
Conclusion
If I could motivate myself to work
harder, if I could sit all day in a
room without interacting with
anyone, and if I wouldn't mind
getting information from limited
sources...

I need the stimulus of the classroom

to motivate me; I need students to
interact with; I need information
from as many sources as possible.
Are there transition words? Yes Introduction
Therefore, studying at school...
Paragraph 2
But used for contrast
Paragraph 4
But used for contrast
Conclusion
But used for contrast
Are the sentences and paragraphs Yes Repetition of at home, at school in
cohesive? every paragraph
Repetition of information,
interaction, and motivation in
introduction, body paragraphs, and
conclusion
STEP 12: CHECKTHE PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING

Are paragraphs indented? Yes

Are there punctuation marks such as Yes

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 What Color Is Your Parachute?

periods at the end of each sentence?

Do all sentences begin with capital letters?Yes
Are the words spelled correctly? Yes

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