Introduction to Topic Sentences

As we get ready for our first in-class essay (Thursday for sections 1 and 2/Friday for section 3), we need to review topic sentences.

Now, a lot of you know what a topic sentence is: it's the first sentence of each of your body paragraphs that says what your paragraph will discuss. Topic sentences, however, are not just that simple! They involve a very clear set of characteristics that we will discuss and check in our papers today.

For today, please watch the video above and in the comments section below write the topic sentence for one of your body paragraphs. Be sure to identify your important parts: Topic and Main Point. For example, if I looked at my first body paragraph in the paper I wrote in class, this is what I would post:

Topic Sentence 1: In order to understand how Kyle changes over the course of American Sniper, readers must first understand the Christian values instilled in him by his father and his mother: to help others and to protect members of their community.

Topic: how Kyle changes over the course of American Sniper.
Main Point: the Christian values instilled in him by his father and mother: to help others and to protect members of their community.

For homework:
Pick either Prince Ea's "Can We Autocorrect Humanity?" or Jean M. Twenge's "Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation" and complete an essay skeleton for your in-class essay Thursday/Friday. Finish your thesis statement, topic sentences, and identify quotes for support. Make sure your topic sentence has a topic and a main point. Your thesis statement should have a topic, claim (argument), and three pieces of support.