Explanation and activities to teach what the topic and focus are in academic essay questions, and to use these to think of some paragraph ideas.

1. ACADEMIC ESSAY WRITING
Starting the essay writing process.

2. What is a topic?

3. What is a topic?
Topics are the big things in life.

4. What is a topic?
Topics are the big things in life.
Economy
Culture
Entertainment
Environment Technology
Politics Education
Science Sport
and many, many, many more…

5. Let’s look at one of these topics…
Education

6. Let’s look at one of these topics…
Each topic can be looked at or written
about in many, many different ways.
Education

7. Let’s look at one of these topics…
Each topic can be looked at or written
about in many, many different ways.
We could write about…
Education

8. Let’s look at one of these topics…
Each topic can be looked at or written
about in many, many different ways.
We could write about…
Primary education Trade education
Media in education Education Exams
Effects of education Secondary education
Classroom interaction Tertiary education

9. Each different idea about education is a focus.
Primary education Trade education
Media in education Education Exams
Effects of education Secondary education
Classroom interaction Tertiary education

10. What are some focuses for
some of the other topics?
•Environment
•Entertainment
•Technology
•Science
•Sport

11. What are some focuses for
some of the other topics?
•Environment •Pollution
•Extinctions
•Entertainment •Global warming
•Rainforests
•Technology •Marine
•Protection
•Science •Urban areas
•Desertification
•Sport

12. What are some focuses for
some of the other topics?
•Environment •Movies
•Piracy
•Entertainment •Internet
•Live
•Technology •Comedy
•Television
•Science •Drama
•Magazines
•Sport

13. What are some focuses for
some of the other topics?
•Environment •21st Century
•Nanotechnology
•Entertainment •Steam
•Renewable energy
•Technology •Computer
•Design
•Science •Housing
•Primitive
•Sport

14. What are some focuses for
some of the other topics?
•Environment •Innovation
•Chemistry
•Entertainment •Physics
•Experiments
•Technology •Elements
•Space
•Science •Microbiology
•Medicine
•Sport

15. What are some focuses for
some of the other topics?
•Environment •Rugby
•Injury
•Entertainment •Olympic Games
•Medicine
•Technology •Professional
•Couch potatoes
•Science •School
•Basketball
•Sport

16. Sometimes what is a focus in
one essay is the topic in
another.

17. Sometimes what is a focus in
one essay is the topic in
another.
One focus we identified earlier for the topic
“education” was “media in education”.

18. Sometimes what is a focus in
one essay is the topic in
another.
One focus we identified earlier for the topic
“education” was “media in education”.
Media in education could also be a topic

19. Sometimes what is a focus in
one essay is the topic in
another.
Media in education could also be a topic

20. Sometimes what is a focus in
one essay is the topic in
another.
What are some focuses for the topic
“media in education”?

21. Sometimes what is a focus in
one essay is the topic in
another.
What are some focuses for the topic
“media in education”?
•In primary school
•Amongst disadvantaged children
•At university
•Cost
•Effects of

22. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
education in developing countries.

23. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
education in developing countries.
What are the topic and focus in this
essay question?

24. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
education in developing countries.
What are the topic and focus in this
essay question?

25. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
education in developing countries.
What are the topic and focus in this
essay question?

26. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
educationin developing countries.
What are the topic and focus in this
essay question?

27. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
educationin developing countries.
What are some thesis or paragraph ideas
for this essay question?

28. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
educationin developing countries.
What are some thesis or paragraph ideas
for this essay question?
•More students in schools •Better outcomes
•Lower teacher to pupil ratio •Increased costs

29. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
educationin developing countries.
It could be argued that the topic and focus
could be reversed.

30. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
education indeveloping countries.
It could be argued that the topic and focus
could be reversed.

31. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
education indeveloping countries.
It could be argued that the topic and focus
could be reversed.
You need to identify which is the topic and
which is the focus, but…

32. Look at this essay question…
Describe the effect of using media in
education indeveloping countries.
What is most important is that you clearly
introduce the topic, focus and thesis in your
introduction.

33. Look at this essay
question…
Describe the benefits of computer
technology in education?
Decide what the task, the topic and the
focus are.

34. Look at this essay
question…
Describe the benefits of computer
technology in education?
Decide what the task, the topic and the
focus are.

35. Look at this essay
question…
Describe the benefits of computer
technology in education?
Decide what the task, the topic and the
focus are.

36. Look at this essay
question…
Describe the benefits of computer
technology in education?
Decide what the task, the topic and the
focus are.

37. Look at this essay
question…
Describe the benefits of computer
technology in education?
Decide what the task, the topic and the
focus are.

38. What are some thesis or
paragraph ideas for this essay?
Describe the benefits of computer
technology in education?

39. What are some thesis or
paragraph ideas for this essay?
Describe the benefits of computer
technology in education?
•More engaged students
•Greater variety in classes
•Interaction across cultures
•Better preparation for work

40. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear
power as a fuel source to replace fossil fuels in the generation
of electricity?
Assess the potential of renewable energy technology.
Evaluate the potential of bio-fuels to provide a complete
alternative to fossil fuels.
In what ways can the alarming levels of noise pollution in
many industrialized countries be overcome?

41. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear
power as a fuel source to replace fossil fuels in the generation
of electricity?
Assess the potential of renewable energy technology.
Evaluate the potential of bio-fuels to provide a complete
alternative to fossil fuels.
In what ways can the alarming levels of noise pollution in
many industrialized countries be overcome?

42. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear
power as a fuel source to replace fossil fuels in the generation
of electricity?
Assessthe potential of renewable energy technology.
Evaluate the potential of bio-fuels to provide a complete
alternative to fossil fuels.
In what ways can the alarming levels of noise pollution in
many industrialized countries be overcome?

43. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear
power as a fuel source to replace fossil fuels in the generation
of electricity?
Assessthe potential of renewable energy technology.
Evaluatethe potential of bio-fuels to provide a complete
alternative to fossil fuels.
In what ways can the alarming levels of noise pollution in
many industrialized countries be overcome?

44. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear
power as a fuel source to replace fossil fuels in the generation
of electricity?
Assessthe potential of renewable energy technology.
Evaluatethe potential of bio-fuels to provide a complete
alternative to fossil fuels.
In what ways canthe alarming levels of noise pollution in
many industrialized countriesbe overcome?

45. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear
power as a fuel source to replace fossil fuels in the generation
of electricity?
•No CO2 pollution
•Developed technology
•Radiation very dangerous
•Waste products very difficult to handle and dispose of

46. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
Assessthe potential of renewable energy technology.
•Wind and solar aren’t base-load power providers
•Geothermal can provide base-load electricity
•Cost of renewables isn’t competitive with fossil fuels
•Renewable technology is developing rapidly

47. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
Evaluatethe potential of bio-fuels to provide a complete
alternative to fossil fuels.
•Bio-fuels are less polluting than fossil fuels
•Bio-fuels from waste and algae produced in small amounts
•Growing crops for bio-fuels uses lots of land
•True cost of bio-fuels is much higher then fossil fuels

48. What are the task, topic and focus in
these questions?
What are some thesis ideas for
them?
In what ways canthe alarming levels of noise pollution in
many industrialized countriesbe overcome?
•Noisy industries need to be located away from residential
areas
•Greater use of electric vehicles
•More education
•More and better legislation