Course Project—Body Paragraphs

Assignment 3: Course Project—Body Paragraphs

For the course project, you will write a five-paragraph essay on a chosen topic, presenting an informed, cohesive opinion.

In previous modules, you created your thesis statement and developed an introductory paragraph. In this assignment, you will work on the main body paragraphs of your essay.

The body paragraphs of your essay make the connection between your thesis and the conclusion. In your body paragraphs, you will explain the implications of your opinion. This is the place to give the “how” and “why”: why do you believe your subject or opinion to be true, how the evidence shows you are right, how your ideas can be implemented, and how you understand this topic well enough to write about it.

Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence. This sentence is a kind of mini-thesis statement that introduces the ideas of the paragraph. For example, if my thesis statement is “history textbooks for young people do not include enough information about the recent past,” I might start a paragraph about the Vietnam War by saying, “Five history textbooks devote only two pages to the Vietnam War, while others lack crucial information.”

Create three supporting paragraphs for your essay. Be sure your supporting paragraphs have the following:

• A central idea that follows your thesis
• A topic sentence that explains what the paragraph will be about
• An appropriate transition to the topic in the next paragraph
• Supporting details
• Suitable grammar, spelling, and punctuation
• Include thesis statement at the top of the paper to reiterate your main idea and make it easier for your instructor to check your body paragraphs

Write three, 6–8-sentence paragraphs in Microsoft Word format. Include your thesis statement before the body paragraphs. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M3_A3 .

By Wednesday, October 31, 2012, deliver your assignment to the M3: Assignment 3 Dropbox.

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Assignment 3 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Explained central idea of each paragraph using a topic sentence directly related to the thesis.
Used adequate detail to support topic sentences.
Wrote three separate body paragraphs.
Used appropriate transitions in each paragraph.
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Total:	200