This document provides instruction on writing paragraphs and essays. It begins by reviewing the parts of a paragraph and essay. Students are then instructed to analyze examples of a paragraph and essay on the topic of "My Job in an Apple Plant" in order to identify the parts and compare the structures. Finally, students are given exercises to practice writing a thesis statement and topic sentences to support it based on the model. The overall purpose is to teach students the components and organization of paragraphs and essays.

1. Previous Knowledge: Students have been:
1.exposed to parts of a paragraph and paragraph
writing;
2.read an essay on ‘School Reform’ and have identified
the main points:
Today
Students will be able to:
1.recall the parts of a paragraph
2.identify the parts of an essay; (define the terms)
3.distinguish between a paragraph and an essay
4.write first draft of a thesis statement with topic
sentences.
Topic:
1.Parts of an essay.
2.What is the difference between a paragraph and an
essay?
3.The thesis Statement/Topic Sentences

2. A Model Paragraph: Read the paragraph, “My Job inan Apple Plant” (page 4) andcomplete the parts ofthe
diagram.
My Jobin anApple Plant
Working inan apple plant was the worst jobI ever had. First of all, the work
was physically hard. For ten hours a night, I took cartons that rolleddowna metal
track andstackedthemonto woodenskids in a tractortrailer. Eachcarton
containedtwenty-five pounds of bottledapple juice, andthey came downthe
track almost nonstop. The secondbadfeature of the jobwas the pay. I was
getting the minimum wage at that time, $4.50 anhour, plus fifty cents extra for
working the night shift. I had to work over sixty hours a week to get a decent
take-home pay. Finally, I hatedthe working conditions.We were limitedto two
ten-minute breaks and anunpaid half hourforlunch. Most of my time was spent
outside onthe loading dock innear-zero-degree temperatures.I was very lonely
onthe job because I hadno interest in commonwiththe other truck loaders. I felt
this isolationespecially whenthe productionline shut downforthe night, and I
spent two hours by myself cleaning the apple vats. The vats were anugly place to
be ona coldmorning, andthe job was a bitter one to have.

3. Diagram of a Paragraph (page 6): This diagram showsyou at a glance the different
parts of a standard college paragraph.
Introduction Introductory Sentence
Topic Sentence Working inan apple plant
was the worst jobI ever
had.
Body
Support Point 1 Work was physically hard.
Specific Evidence -work tenhours, stacked
cartons nonstopwhich
contained25 pounds apple
juice
Support Point 2 The secondbad feature of
the jobwas the pay.
Specific Evidence Minimum wage of $4.50 an
hour plus fifty cents extra
forworking night shift,
workedover 60 hours a
week
Support Point 3 I hated working conditions.
Specific Evidence Limitedto ten-minute
breaks; anunpaid half an
hour forlunch; worked
outside in near zero
temperatures; was lonely…
Conclusion Concluding Sentence …the jobwas a bitter one
to have.

4. A Model Essay: Read through the essay (Page 330).
My Job in an Apple Plant
In the course of working my way through school, I have taken many jobs I would rather
forget.I have spent nine hours a day lifting heavy automobile and truck batteries off the end of
an assembly belt. I have risked the loss of eyesand fingers working a punch press in a textile
factory. I have servedas a ward aid in a mental hospital, helping care for brain-damaged men
who would break into violent fits at unexpectedmoments.But none of these jobs was as
dreadful as my jobin an apple plant. The work was physically hard; the pay was poor; and, most
of all, the working conditions were dismal.
First, the job made enormous demandson my strength and energy.For ten hours a
night, I took cartons that rolled down a metal track and stacked them onto woodenskids in a
tractor trailer. Each carton contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. A carton shot down
the track about everyfifteenseconds.I once figuredout that I was lifting an average of twelve
tons of apple juice very night. When a truck was almost filled, I or my partner had to drag
fourteenbulky woodenskids into the emptytrailer nearby and then setup added sections of
the heavymetal track so that we could start routing cartons to the back of the emptyvan.
While one of us did that, the other performedthe stacking work of two men.
I would not have minded the difficulty work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I
was paid the minimum wage at that time, $4.50 an hour, plus just fifty cents extra for working
the night shift. Because of the poor salary, I felt compelled to getas much over-time pay as
possible. Everything over eight hours a night was a time-and-a-half,so I typically worked twelve
hours a night. On Friday I would sometimeswork straight through until Saturday at noon-
eighteenhours. I averaged over sixty hours a weekbut did not take home much more than
$220.
But evenmore than the low pay, what upset me about my apple plant job was the
working conditions. Our humourlesssupervisor cared only about his production record for each
night and tried to keepthe assemblyline moving at breakneck pace. During work I was limited
to two-minute breaksand an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spentoutside on
the truck loading dock in near-zero-degree temperatures.The steelfloors of the trucks were
like ice; the quickly penetrating cold made my feetfeellike stone.I had no shared interestswith
the man I loaded cartons with, and so I had to work without companionship on the job. And
after the production line shut down and most people left,I had to spend two hours alone
scrubbing clean the apple vats, which were coated with a sticky residue.
I stayed on the jobfor five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work,the
poor money,and the conditions underwhich I worked.By the time I quit, I was determined
neverto find myself in such a degrading job situation again.
Diagramof a Model StandardEssay

5. Mow, Read the diagram for standard essay (page 328).
Essay Parts Specific Parts Quoted samples from Essay
Introduction Introductory background
information
Thesis Statement
(States the main idea)
Plan of development
(List of points that support
thesis; presented in the order
in which they will be
developed)
Body
First Supporting Paragraph
Topic Sentence
(Advances first supporting
point of thesis)
Specific Evidence
(Develops the first point)
Second Supporting Paragraph
Topic Sentence
(Advances second supporting
point of thesis)
Specific Evidence
(Develops the second point)
Third Supporting Paragraph
Topic sentence
(Advances third supporting
point of thesis)
Specific Evidence
(Develops the third point)
Conclusion Concluding Paragraph
(Brief summary restatement of
thesis- a final thoughtor two )

6. Now,let us look at the model essayand pay special attention to the parts. While we read, you
can jot down similarities and differencesto the paragraph structure.
My Job in an Apple Plant
In the course of working my way through school, I have taken many jobs I would rather
forget.I have spent nine hours a day lifting heavy automobile and truck batteries off the end of
an assembly belt. I have risked the loss of eyesand fingers working a punch press in a textile
factory. I have servedas a ward aid in a mental hospital, helping care for brain-damaged men
who would break into violent fits at unexpectedmoments.But none of these jobs was as
dreadful as my jobin an apple plant. The work was physically hard; the pay was poor; and, most
of all, the working conditions were dismal.
First, the job made enormous demandson my strength and energy.For ten hours a
night, I took cartons that rolled down a metal track and stacked them onto woodenskids in a
tractor trailer. Each carton contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. A carton shot down
the track about everyfifteenseconds.I once figuredout that I was lifting an average of twelve
tons of apple juice very night. When a truck was almost filled, I or my partner had to drag
fourteenbulky woodenskids into the emptytrailer nearby and then setup added sections of
the heavymetal track so that we could start routing cartons to the back of the emptyvan.
While one of us did that, the other performedthe stacking work of two men.
I would not have minded the difficulty work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I
was paid the minimum wage at that time, $4.50 an hour, plus just fifty cents extra for working
the night shift. Because of the poor salary, I felt compelled to getas much over-time pay as
possible. Everything over eight hours a night was a time-and-a-half,so I typically worked twelve
hours a night. On Friday I would sometimeswork straight through until Saturday at noon-
eighteenhours. I averaged over sixty hours a weekbut did not take home much more than
$220.
But evenmore than the low pay, what upset me about my apple plant job was the
working conditions. Our humorless supervisorcared only about his production record for each
night and tried to keepthe assemblyline moving at breakneck pace. During work I was limited
to two-minute breaksand an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spentoutside on
the truck loading dock in near-zero-degree temperatures.The steelfloors of the trucks were
like ice; the quickly penetrating cold made my feetfeellike stone.I had no shared interestswith
the man I loaded cartons with, and so I had to work without companionship on the job. And
after the production line shut down and most people left,I had to spend two hours alone
scrubbing clean the apple vats, which were coated with a sticky residue.
I stayed on the jobfor five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work,the
poor money,and the conditions underwhich I worked.By the time I quit, I was determined
neverto find myself in such a degrading job situation again.

7. Compare andContrast Worksheet
Instructions: Consider the diagram of aparagraph and that of anessay andanswer the following questions.
1. List the parts of a paragraph.
I. ___________________________
II. ___________________________
III. ___________________________
IV. ___________________________
V. ___________________________
VI. ___________________________
VII.______________________
VIII. ________________________
IX. ____________________________
2. List the parts of an Essay.
I. ___________________________
II. ___________________________
III. ___________________________
IV. ___________________________
V. ___________________________
VI. ___________________________
VII._______________________
VIII. ________________________
IX. ____________________________
3. Consider the length of the paragraph and essay,‘My Job in an Apple Plant.” Write
which is
Short in length___________________________
Long in length____________________________
4. List 3 similarities betweenthe paragraph and essaystructure.
I. ___________________________
II. ___________________________
III. ___________________________
5. List 6 differencesbetweenthe paragraph and the essaystructure.
I. ___________________________
II. ___________________________
III. ___________________________
IV. ___________________________
V. ___________________________
VI. ___________________________

8. Comparison and Contrast Chart
Parts of a Paragraph Parts of an Essay Significant Similarities
Betweena Paragraph
and an Essay
Significant Differences
between a Paragraph
and an Essay
1. Introductory
Sentence
1. Introductory
Paragraph
1. Has topic
sentence
2. Has supporting
point
3. Has specific
evidence
1.Essayis madeup
of several
paragraphs.
2. Essayhas
severaltopic
sentences
3. Essayhas a
thesis
statement
4. Topic
sentences
support the
thesis
statement
5. Has an
introductory
paragraph
6. Has a
concluding
paragraph
7. Topic
Sentence
Thesis statement
Supporting point 1
Specific evidence
2. Topic sentence1
Supporting paragraph1
Specific evidence
Supporting Point 2
Specific evidence
Topic sentence1
Supporting paragraph1
Specific evidence
Supporting point 3
Specific evidence
Topic sentence1
Supporting paragraph1
Specific evidence
3. Concluding
Sentence
8. Concluding
Paragraph

9. Practice Exercise for Thesis andTopic sentence:
Using the format fromthe essay, ‘My JobinanApple Plant,’ write a thesis
statement whichpreviews the arrangement of ideas forthe topic, ‘The Best or
Worst JobI ever had.’ Once youhave written the thesis statement, write the
three topic sentences that will support the thesis statement. Remember that
those are the same three ideas that you previewedin the thesis statement, just as
the essay, ‘ My Jobin an Apple Plant’ has at the beginning of very body
paragraph.
Thesis
Statement__________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
1. Topic Sentence
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2. Topic
sentence___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Topic
sentence___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________