Body paragraphs and citations Step 3 Writing a

Body paragraphs and citations

Step 3: Writing a Body Paragraph Topic sentence Introduce evidence Evidence Describe and analyze evidence (I) (E) (D) Summarize

T- Topic Sentence • Mini-thesis for your paragraph- let it guide you. • It can change during the writing process. • Examples: One of the major costs of the Neolithic Revolution was the decline in health.

I- Introduce the Evidence • Give the reader some context to the topic and provide a home for your piece of evidence. • Do not assume that your reader knows everything about the topic. • Use your voice as an author. • Example: One of the major costs of the Neolithic Revolution was the decline in health. When pre-historic humans made the switch from hunting and gathering to agriculture they were able to produce more food for more people. Instead of moving around from place to place and relying on wild vegetation and wild animals, they began to rely on cereal crops such as wheat, corn and rice.

E- Evidence • When writing without sources, this should be a historical statement. • When writing with sources, this should be a quote from a respectable source- NO WIKIPEDIA and no textbook. • The Quote: Nothing is more important than the words you’re going to put in your paper. You should only choose a sentence or phrase that you couldn’t possibly say better in your own words. • If you use someone’s words and you don’t cite, it’s PLAGARISM so err on the side of caution • Example: “…hunter-gatherers enjoyed a varied diet, while early farmers obtained most of their food from one or a few starchy crops. The farmers gained cheap calories at the cost of poor nutrition. ”

D- Describe the evidence • In your own words, describe or analyze the evidence • Evidence is there to support YOUR voice and writing • Provides the bookend for “I” • Example: One of the major costs of the Neolithic Revolution was the decline in health. When pre-historic humans made the switch from hunting and gathering to agriculture they were able to produce more food for more people. Instead of moving around from place to place and relying on wild vegetation and wild animals, they began to rely on cereal crops such as wheat, corn and rice. For example, “…hunter-gatherers enjoyed a varied diet, while early farmers obtained most of their food from one or a few starchy crops. The farmers gained cheap calories at the cost of poor nutrition” (Diamond 65). Even though these farmers had a reliable source of food, there were unforeseen consequences of increasing rates of disease and vitamin deficiencies. • How could I add to this paragraph to strengthen my argument?

S- Summarize • In 1 -2 sentences summarize the paragraph • AND transition to the next paragraph Example: One of the major costs of the Neolithic Revolution was the decline in health. When pre-historic humans made the switch from hunting and gathering to agriculture they were able to produce more food for more people. Instead of moving around from place to place and relying on wild vegetation and wild animals, they began to rely on cereal crops such as wheat, corn and rice. For example, “…hunter-gatherers enjoyed a varied diet, while early farmers obtained most of their food from one or a few starchy crops. The farmers gained cheap calories at the cost of poor nutrition” (Diamond 65). Even though these farms had a reliable source of food, there were unforeseen consequences of increasing rates of disease and vitamin deficiencies. Therefore, even though there were some benefits with the switch to agriculture it had a major impact on health and the overall quality of life. Similarly, the Neolithic Revolution had a major impact on the quality of life for women.

MLA Citations- Works Cited Arrange in alphabetical order according to last name or title. Article print format Diamond, Jared. ”The Worst Mistake In The History Of The Human Race. ” Discover. May 1987: 64 -66. Electronic Source Name of Site. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sometimes found in copyright statements). Date you accessed the site [electronic address]. See http: //owl. english. purdue. edu/owl/ for a guide WIKIPEDIA IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SOURCE!