YOUR PAPER’S GPS SYSTEM

Giving Your Paper Direction

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Organizing a paper includes…

Picking the order in which you’ll present the different parts of your argument Structure Order

Creating necessary connections the relationships you construct between these parts. Transitions Topic sentences Supporting details

Try this analogy…

What’s the first thing that happens when you turn on your GPS?

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Orientation

It finds your location, figures out where you are.

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ORIENTATION in your paper…Part of your introduction should provide background information on your topic so that your reader knows what you’re thinking, where you are, before they begin reading.

What’s the first thing you do when you go to use your GPS (after turning it on)?

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DIRECTION

You tell it where you’re going, of course!

Without identifying a destination, you won’t ever get where you’re going.

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DIRECTION in your paper…

So, how do you identify the purpose of your paper, where your paper is going?

DIRECTION in your paper…

You use a thesis statement.A thesis statement includes:

Your topic Your position on the topic.

A thesis statement appears at the end of your introduction.

DRIVING

How do you use the GPS to get where you’re going? What does it do?

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DRIVING

It gives you turn by turn directions.

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DRIVING through your paper Just as your GPS organizes your

trip, you must organize your paper.

Think of your topic sentences as new streets.

Think of the supporting details being the distance you travel on each street. Say what you need to say before

you “turn”! Think of your transitions as turns.

TOPIC SENTENCES (New Streets) If you think of each street as a topic,

think of the street name as your topic sentence.

Lets you know what a paragraph will be about.

Includes the paragraph’s main idea and point.

SUPPORTING DETAILS: Going the distance

Develops the topic sentence of a paragraph

Illustrates examples, reasons, and explanations before moving on to a new subject

These details should also be related back to the thesis statement before moving on.

TRANSITIONS (TURNING)

Connect ideas in sentences, paragraphs, and sections of papers

Keep your reader “on track” in the organization system of your paper

Connect Paragraphs (@ start or end) Examples (within paragraphs) Sections of a large paper

See chart for examples.

ARRIVING

How does your GPS let you know you’ve made it to your destination?

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ARRIVING

It repeats your destination (thesis statement).

It waves a flag.

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ARRIVING in your paper

How do you know you’ve arrived at your point? You’ve traveled the distance and

said all you need to say. Your paper’s arrival is the

conclusion. Conclusions:

Restate your thesis statement (in new words!)

Recap what you’ve said in your paper.

CONCLUSIONS

Brings the ideas you’ve presented together

Provides a shadow of the thesis statement

Answers the “So What?” question for a reader

May provide insight, point to broader implications, or suggest a course of action.

So, start organizing your trip!

Decide which order you’ll present your evidence in Your “route”

Start your GPS! Orient yourself w/ a thesis statement Start a body paragraph with a topic

sentence Support it with details Transition between details and paragraphs Go back and fill in background info in your

introduction Wrap things up with a sweet conclusion