The Components of a
Mini-Essay
By
Mr. Duncan and presented only as a reference.
A Mini-Essay is made up of one paragraph. There
are four parts to a Mini-Essay. (That is not to say that a Mini-Essay is only
four sentences long, however.) The four parts of a Mini-Essay include:
I.
The
Thesis Statement.
a.
This
is also known as the Topic Sentence. This sentence tells the reader of your
Mini-Essay the Main Idea. This
sentence should be clear and to the point.
b.
If
there are any terms, or vocabulary words in your Thesis Statement that need a
definition, or an explanation, you should place that definition in the Thesis
Statement sentence.
c.
The
Thesis Statement is the part where you make an inference, or a statement that
says that you have figured something out. (When you infer you simply figure
something out based on evidence, observations, and logic.)
II.
Supporting
Details.
a.
These
sentences give evidence that support the Main Idea, or Thesis
Statement.
b.
The
evidence should come from the articles, books, notes, etc., that you have read
in class or on your own. You should be able to go back to this evidence in
order to verify the information, or make sure it is true information.
c.
This
is the part where you act like a detective. You find and lay out all the
information that supports the initial inference, or Main Idea.
d.
The
Supporting Details part of your
Mini-Essay should consist of at least two or more sentences that show evidence
that supports the Main Thesis.
III.
Synthesis.
a.
This
sentence tells the reader that the evidence that you have just stated really
does support your Thesis Statement, i.e., that it really does support your
initial inference, or Main Idea.
b.
This is the part where you act like a lawyer
who is standing in front of a jury telling them that the pieces of evidence
that you have just stated really are good examples, that, yes, indeed, they
support your Main Idea, or Thesis Statement.
IV.
Conclusion.
a.
This
is the sentence that tells the reader that since all the evidence is such a
great example of the Main Idea that we
(both the author and the reader of the Mini-Essay) may therefore correctly
infer, figure out, that the Thesis
Statement, or Main Idea, of the Mini- Essay must be true!
b.
A
conclusion usually re-states the main idea to the reader. Only this time, you state the Main Idea again so that if
they (the reader) did not pick up on the Main Idea the first time, the can get
it now. It says that the initial inference, or Thesis Statement, was correct and has been supported well by the
examples that you have given.
*Transitional
words to look for in a Mini-Essay:
Supporting
Details part:
Evidence for these
inferences comes in two (or more) places: first, on page… (give page, or paragraph, and fact).
Second on page… (state the page or
paragraph and fact).
If
you a third piece of evidence, use it!
Third, on page… (state the page or
paragraph and fact).
Synthesis
part:
A person (or whatever your
talking about) who, ( or
that, or which- it all depends on what you are talking about) …and a person who…are both examples of a person who…
Conclusion
part:
Since both (or
all) of these
actions are examples of a …, we may correctly infer that… (the Thesis Statement is
correct).
*(These
are only suggestions to be used until you are comfortable with the format and
flow of a Mini-Essay.)
Remember
to check for spelling mistakes.
Remember
to check for proper punctuation. When you list your supporting details use commas.
first,…Second,
Third,…
Use
a colon. Evidence for these inferences comes in two
(or more) places:…
Here is a very simple
example of a mini essay:
(The four parts and transitional phrases for each
part are in bold for emphasis.)
In The Summer of the Swans, a novel by Betsy
Byars, Sara Godfrey, a fourteen-year-old girl, suffers from low self-esteem;
the way in which she feels about herself, both physically and/or socially, is
not placed in a positive light. Evidence
for this inference comes in two places: first, on page
nineteen of the novel, Sara is explaining to her Aunt Willie that she and her
sister Wanda are very different in terms of looks. “Wanda is a hundred times
prettier than I am.” Sara believes that she will never be considered as
beautiful as her sister is. Second, on page
three of the novel, we read that Sara is complaining to her sister
about the shape of her hands. “ I have
perfectly terrible hands,” Sara tells Wanda. Sara goes on to explain that she
is uncomfortable with some of her other physical attributes. A person who thinks that they are
inferior looking in comparison to others, and a person who feels insecure about that about
their physical attributes, are both examples of a person who suffers from low
self-esteem. Since both of these
actions are examples of a how a person with low self-esteem might feel,
we may correctly infer that
Sara Godfrey is a girl who suffers from low self-esteem.
Again
this is a very simple example and is used only to illustrate the four parts of
a mini-essay.
Mini-essays can be very
useful tools for organizing your thoughts in a coherent paragraph. They are
meant to be the first step in laying out the foundation for a fuller
five-paragraph essay.
Here is an example of a journal entry that you
could use at the end of class as a writing (mini-essay) review tool.
Journal
Topic: What was the teacher’s purpose of today’s class?
(or yesterday’s
class…whenever)
The
teacher’s purpose of today’s class was to inform the student’s about
_____________. Evidence for this inference is supported by the following
details: first, the class discussed ____________________. Second, the class
examined _____________________________. Third, the class also discussed
________________________. Any class that discusses and examines
_____________________, __________________, and ______________________, is an
example of a class about ________________________. Therefore, we may correctly
infer that the teacher’s purpose of today’s class was ______________________.
Until
the student’s get used to it they can just fill in the blanks as they write…
The
teacher’s purpose of today’s class was to inform the student’s about _____
(main idea)_________. Evidence for this inference is supported by the following
details: first, the class discussed ____ (first detail from class)
__________________. Second, the class examined _______ (second detail from
class) ______________________. Third, the class also discussed _____ (third
detail from class) _______. Any class that discusses and examines ___(first
detail from class) __________________ ,
____( second detail from
class)__________________ , and ______ ( third detail from class)________________,
is an example of a class about ____(main idea) ____________________. Therefore,
we may correctly infer that the teacher’s purpose of today’s class was ______
(main idea) ___________________.
It is pretty much cookie cutter, but if
the kids are used to mini-essays it is good practice. You can write the
template on the board or on a handout (just leave the blanks as the subject and
details will vary according to the class). After a couple days they will catch.
I
will also include a sample from class on we developed a journal entry into a
five-paragraph essay.
(First
attempt)
Are monsoons and the flooding of the Nile River similar?
They are similar in
three ways. Evidence for this inference is supported by the following facts:
first, monsoons and the flooding of the Nile River can kill people. Second, it can destroy the land of Egypt and India. Third, it is
good for crops.
Any
two things that kill people, destroy the
lands of India and Egypt, but at the same time it is
good for crops,
Thesis
Supporting details
Synthesis
Conclusion
(add to essay)
take out of
essay
(Second attempt)
Are monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River similar?
They (The flooding of
the Nile River and monsoons) are similar in three ways. Evidence for this
inference is supported by the following facts: first, (both) monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River can kill people. Second, it (they) can ( both )destroy the land(s) ( and property that they
come in contact with) of Egypt and India.
Third, it (both monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile) is (are) good
for crops. Any two
things that kill people, destroy the
lands of India and Egypt, but (and) at the same time it is
(are) good for crops, (are examples of two things are similar). (Therefore,
we may correctly infer that both the flooding of the Nile River and monsoons
are similar.)
Thesis
Supporting details
Synthesis
Conclusion
(add to essay)
(Third
attempt)
How are monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River similar?
They (The flooding of
the Nile River and monsoons) are similar in three ways. Evidence for this
inference is supported by the following facts: first, (both) monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River can kill people. Second, it (they) can ( both )destroy the land(s) (that they come in
contact with) of Egypt and India.
Third, it (both monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile) is (are) good
for crops. Any two
things that kill people, destroy the
lands of India and Egypt, but (and) at the same time it is
(are) good for crops, (are examples of two things are similar). (Therefore,
we may correctly infer that the flooding of the Nile River and monsoons are
similar.)
Thesis
Supporting details
Synthesis
Conclusion
(add to essay)
take out of
essay
take out of
essay
(Fourth attempt)
Are monsoons and the flooding of the Nile River similar?
The flooding of
the Nile River and monsoons are similar in three ways. Evidence for this
inference is supported by the following facts: first, both monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River can kill people. Second, they both can destroy the
lands and property that they come in contact with. Third, both monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile are good for crops. Any two things that kill people, destroy lands and property, and at the same time are
good for crops, are examples of two things are similar. Therefore,
we may correctly infer that both the flooding of the Nile River and monsoons
are similar.
Thesis
Supporting details
Synthesis
Conclusion
(add to essay)
(Fifth
attempt/edit)
How are monsoons and the flooding of the Nile River similar?
They (The flooding of
the Nile River and monsoons) are similar in three ways. Evidence for this
inference is supported by the following facts: first, (both) monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River can kill people. Second, it (they) can ( both )destroy the land(s) (that they come in
contact with) of Egypt and India.
Third, it (both monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile) is (are) good
for crops. Any two
things that kill people, destroy the
lands of India and Egypt, but (and) at the same time it is
(are) good for crops, (are examples of two things are similar). (Therefore,
we may correctly infer that the flooding of the Nile River and monsoons are
similar.)
Thesis
Supporting details
Synthesis
Conclusion
(add to essay)
take out of
essay
take out of
essay
(separate the
pieces into individual paragraphs)
(paragraph 1- thesis)
The flooding of the
Nile River and monsoons are similar in three ways. …
(paragraph 2- supporting detail)
Evidence for this
inference is supported by the following facts: first, both monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River can kill people. …
(paragraph 3- supporting detail )
Second, the monsoons
and flooding can both destroy the lands and property that they come in contact
with. …
(paragraph 4- supporting detail)
Third, both monsoons
and the flooding of the Nile are good for crops.
(paragraph 5- synthesis and conclusion)
Any two
things that kill people, destroy land, and yet, at the same time are good for
crops, are examples of two things that share similarities. Therefore,
we may correctly infer that both the flooding of the Nile River and monsoons
are similar.
(final)
The flooding
of the Nile River and monsoons are similar in three ways. Those
similarities include: the loss of life, the destruction of land and property,
and the fact they are both good for crops.
Evidence for this
inference is supported by the following facts: first, both monsoons and the
flooding of the Nile River can kill people. When the rainfall in India last for several days, flooding
occurs destroying anything in its path. When the Nile River floods people that
live near the river are in danger of being washed away or drowned.
Second, the monsoons
and flooding can both destroy the lands and property that they come in contact
with. In India if too
much rain falls, as often happens in some regions, flooding may result in the loss property. In Egypt when the Nile floods, as it has for thousands
of years, structures that lie in the water’s path are swept away.
Third, both monsoons
and the flooding of the Nile are good for crops. The Nile River’s flooding brings with it nutrient
rich soil, or silt, that is excellent for crops to grow. In India, much of the year is very dry with very little rain.
It is during the monsoon season that much of the needed rain floods areas to give crops the water they need.
Any two things that kill people, destroy land, and yet, at the
same time are good for crops, are examples of two things that share
similarities. Therefore, we may correctly infer that both the flooding of the
Nile River and monsoons are similar.
Again
check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Read it out loud to hear its flow.
Disclaimer: I am hesitant to send this
to everyone simply because I would not presume to suggest that this is the best
way, or pretend to tell you how to approach writing. It is just a suggestion.
rob
duncan
