Sample Paragraphs + Essay Standards

9th Grade Foundations

 SAMPLE PARAGRAPHS
• Directions on how to write different types of paragraphs.

• Examples of intro, body, and conclusion paragraphs.

 Task: Your Thesis Statement
Take a moment to draft your thesis statement, be sure
to include:
• Your claim about your topic.
• Reason(s) to support your claim.
• We should/should not use GMOs in our food because…
• College athletes should/should not be paid because…
• Zoos are/are not good for animals because…
• Voting should/should not be mandatory in the U.S because
• Sugar should/should not be regulated because…
Mini-Lesson: Introduction Paragraphs
What should be included in an intro paragraph?
– Hook  A captivating opener that “hooks” your reader
in and get’s them interested in reading your essay.

– Background information  Any pertinent info that

your reader needs to understand your essay fully.

– Thesis statement  Your main claim + reasoning, what

perspective your essay will defend.
 MODEL: Introduction Paragraph
Hook + Background Information + Thesis
Imagine being able to go to the real life Jurassic Park, seeing creatures
like tyrannosauruses and pterodactyls before your eyes. Even though
dinosaurs have been extinct for over 65 million years, this scenario may
not be as impossible as it sounds. Scientists are working on using
biotechnology to clone extinct species using preserved DNA samples.
With this technology, extinct creatures could be brought back to life in
our modern world. As interesting as this idea sounds, extinct species of
animals should not be brought back into existence because we do not
have proper habitats for extinct animals, it is financially risky and
reintroduction of extinct species could destroy established ecosystems.
 Mini-Lesson: Body Paragraphs
What should be included in a body paragraph?
• Body paragraphs should follow TE/EA format!
– Topic Sentence
– Evidence
– Explanation
– Analysis
 Task: Outlining Your Essay
THESIS: Extinct species of animals should not be brought back into existence because we do not have proper habitats for
extinct animals, it is financially risky and reintroduction of extinct species could destroy established ecosystems.

Body Paragraph #1 Body Paragraph #2 Body Paragraph #3

Topic sentence: If scientists bring back Topic sentence: De-extinction is not a Topic sentence: Finally, bringing back
extinct species the new creatures will wise financial move for scientists and extinct creatures and reintroducing
not have safe, appropriate habitats to governments to make. them could ruin stable ecosystems.
live in.

Evidence 1: “The vast forests the Evidence 1: “efforts to bring back Evidence 1: “resurrected, previously
pigeons required are partly gone and species are a colossal waste” (Text 2, benign organisms could become pests
badly fragmented at best” (Text 4, Line Line 26) in new environments” (Text 4, Line 24)
16-17)

Evidence 2: “a resurrected [animal] will
need a safe home, not just its food
plants…where do we put them?” (Text
2, Lines 18-20)
Evidence 2: “the financial costs of de-
extinction is heavy…resources would be
better used for conservation”
(Moynihan 3)
Evidence 2: “it is important that we
address the causes of extinction…and
not divert resources from efforts to
conserve currently existing species”
(Text 1, Lines 34-36)
 MODEL: Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence + Evidence (x2) + Explanation + Analysis
If scientists bring back extinct species the new creatures will not
have safe, appropriate habitats to live in. Take for example the extinct
carrier pigeon; we know that “The vast forests the pigeons required are
partly gone and badly fragmented at best” (Text 4, Line 16-17). If the
pigeon was brought back from extinction it would essentially have no
place to live. We must recognize that “a resurrected [animal] will need
a safe home” (Text 2, Lines 18-20) to live in and we cannot expect to
magically find all of the space to safely place these animals. While it
may seem like a great idea, when thinking it through it becomes clear
that bringing back an extinct species is a bigger task that it may initially
seem. All of these new animals will need food and shelter to survive,
and that is something that our world can not sustain at the moment.
Mini-Lesson: Counterclaim + Rebuttal
• Do NOT undermine your claim!!!
– NO: Macbeth’s soliloquy had a bigger impact on the
audience.
– YES: Others may argue that Macbeth’s soliloquy has
a stronger emotional foundation.
• Be sure to provide a rebuttal (prove the other
argument wrong).
– The first piece of evidence appears to support the
counterargument.
– The second piece of evidence is your rebuttal.
 Mini-Lesson: The Counterclaim
Be on the safe side! Use a counter claim sentence
stem to start off your paragraph.
CC¶ Sentence Stems
• Some people think…
• Others may believe…
• It may seem that…
• Others argue…
• Another perspective is…
• It is easy to think that…but when you look at the facts…
• It may be true that…however…
 MODEL: Counterclaim
Topic Sentence + Explanation + Evidence + Analysis
Some may argue that Macbeth’s soliloquy is more emotionally daunting because
he makes his speech right after hearing about the death of his wife. Macbeth says
“life’s but a walking shadow…That struts and frets his hour upon the stage (Act 5, Sc
5) to demonstrate that life is brief and filled with worry and distress. As a result, the
audience feels sympathy for him and his loss. However, Hamlet expresses a similar
sentiment when he states that in life we must “suffer the slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune” (Act 3, Sc 1). Meaning that we cannot prevent life from hitting
us with hardships. Although Macbeth is in distress, he tries to defer his sadness by
saying that life is short and unpleasant no matter what we do. Instead of
rationalizing, Hamlet really sits with the notion that life is stressful and wonders if
there is any way to “fix” the situation. Of course, Hamlet’s solution is death, and this
intense choice is one that the audience can truly relate to.
 Mini-Lesson: The Conclusion Paragraph
What needs to be included in a conclusion paragraph?
• Restate your thesis statement.
 Do NOT just copy and paste your exact thesis!
• Summarize the sub-points of your essay.
 Review the ideas from your topic sentences.
• Leave the reader with an interesting or striking impression.
 Why does any of this matter anyway? What is the bigger
reason why the reader should care?
 Leave the reading nodding in agreement and feeling glad
he/she took the time to read your essay.
 MODEL: Conclusion Paragraph
Restate thesis + Recap arguments + Final Impression

When we consider the many ways in which bringing back

extinct animals can harm our world, it is clear that we should not
attempt such a feat. The expense, the lacks of appropriate habitats
and the potential to destroy established ecosystems are concerns
that outweigh any potential benefits of de-extinction. While the
issues of preservation and extinction are subjects that human
beings need to be responsible for, the solution is not in trying to go
back and fix our mistakes, but in looking towards the future to
create a better world for the species we can still protect and save.
Instead of moving back, it is our job to move forward.
 ESSAY STANDARDS
Info on common mistakes and issues in argumentative
essays, and how to fix them!
 Mini-Lesson: Essay Standards
Do not use words like “I”, “me”, and “my”
• NO: I think that voting should be mandatory.
• NO: My evidence shows that…
• YES: is unethical to experiment on people without
their consent
 Mini-Lesson: Essay Standards
• Need in-text parenthetical citations AFTER a
quote. It is not enough to say the text #.
• NO: According to Text 2 “sugar is a toxin.”
• YES: According to Text 2, “sugar is a toxin” (Lines
11-12).
• YES: Considering that “sugar is a toxin” (Text 2,
Lines 11-12) consumers should be concerned
about consuming it.
 Mini-Lesson: Essay Standards
• Your topic sentence cannot be a question or
general information!
• NO: Why would anyone eat GMOs anyway?
• NO: GMOs are genetically modified organisms.
• YES: One reason GMOs should be avoided is
because…
• Your essay is an ARGUMENT, it is not meant to
just give information!
 Mini-Lesson: Essay Standards
Be SPECIFIC. Avoid vague statements that do not
actually give any information
• Ex: “This has a big effect on many people’s lives”  WHAT
is the effect?

• Ex: “This ruins our safety”  HOW does it ruin our safety?

• Ex: “This is a terrible thing that we should avoid”  WHY

is it terrible?
 Mini-Lesson: Contextualizing
When using direct evidence, you must ALWAYS introduce your
evidence with CONTEXT. Presume that anyone who is reading your
work has no background knowledge about the topic.
Textual evidence cannot stand NO  YES 
on its own as a sentence nor College athletes should not be paid College athletes should not be paid
can a sentence begin with because money is the root of all evil. because money is the root of all evil,
evidence “NCAA founders make $500 million a although the “NCAA founders make
season” (Text 3, Line 43) $500 million a season” (Text 3, Line
43)…

If you mention a person, NO  YES 

event, or idea in your According to Text 4, “George Lewis George Lewis, an acclaimed politician,
evidence, you must explain believes that mandatory voting “believes that mandatory voting…”
what it means/who they are will…”
for your reader!
 Mini-Lesson: Contextualizing
When you use pronouns (such
as “it”, “they”, “he”, “she”) or
refer to something, make it
clear who/what you are talking
about.
The reader should NOT have
any questions about anything
when reading your work. Be
sure you are explaining the
WHY and the HOW for any
claim you make.
NO 
“The last reason is because it
could be unsafe. For example
the text states…”
NO 
This shows that it can be
unsafe for people around the
world.
YES 
The last reason why sugar
should be regulated is because
sugar can be unsafe to
consume. For example, Text 3
states…”
YES 
This shows that sugar can harm
our health by making us more
susceptible to diabetes and
obesity.