Essay Tips for History Students

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Essay Tips for History Students
psychology
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Essay Tips for History Students
psychology
Original concept by Martin Walsh Modified by
Shaun McElroy
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You know stuff!
Have it organized in your mind by
perspective Have researchers committed to
memory Think strengths and weaknesses
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Thesis Statements

• Thesis Statements
• Every essay must have only one.
• A statement is not a question, but it should
  address the question!
• This is the point you will make in the essay.
• This should be the last sentence in your
  introductory paragraph.
• A good thesis must be analytical, manageable,
  specific and clear.

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Thesis Samples

• The growth of the cognitive perspective comes as
  a reaction to the behavioral schools ignoring
  the process of the mind.
• One significant criticism of the biological
  perspective is that it reductionist, explaining
  complex behaviors by evolutionary needs, genetics
  or brain functioning.

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Topic Sentences

• Once you have extracted your thesis from your
  evidence, reexamine your evidence piles. These
  themes will be refined into your topic sentences.

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Now Try Outlining
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Now Try Outlining
Human behavior is primarily a result of
environmental conditions
Skinner proved that responses could be conditioned
Even Identical twins, which share the same
genetic code, do not behave similarly
Bandura showed that behavior is modeled
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Fill In the Research Holes
Do you have significant, specific, and diverse
evidence to support each topic sentence? Do the
topic sentences develop your thesis?
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Writing Focused paragraphs

• Why?
• Guide the writer.
• Guide the reader.
• Prevents your from writing a narrative.
• May begin with simple word clues.
• First.
• Next.
• Additionally.
• Finally

• The topic sentence
• Your analytical opinion.
• Develops your thesis.
• Presents a specific idea.
• Should be the first sentence of your paragraph.

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TEFAC-it works!!!! (paragraph structure)
Topic Sentence
Explanation
Facts
Application/Analysis
Conclusion
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TEFAC--in action
Topic Sentence Bandura showed that behavior is
modeled. Explanation Bandura studied how small
children tend to replicate behavior they
observed, especially when the model was held in
esteem.
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TEFAC--in action
FACTS (studies and researchers) In his landmark
work with pre-school children, he
bobomodel. Furthermore, his studies clearly
showed that aggression modeled on cartoons would
also be copied. Application/Analysis Banduras
work clearly illustrates how humans tend to copy
others behaviors. For example, . Advertisers
have long relied on our need to copy
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TEFAC--in action
Conclusion Banduras work clearly brings modeling
as an important tool in learning. The
implications are staggering. If a child grows in
an improvised background. Tie it to your next
thesis The best challenge to environmental
impact over genetics comes from twins raised
apart.
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Supporting Details

• Facts and studies are required in any psychology
  paper.
• Analysis is also a must! Take a moment to explain
  to the reader how all this information supports
  your topic sentence!

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Connecting Your Details

• Use, know and love common English transition
  words! They will help guide your paper and
  clarify your ideas to the reader.

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Conclusions

• Take the time to tie your thoughts together in a
  paragraph and a paper.
• These are called conclusary sentences.
• Also your paper must have an overall conclusion.

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You can make your examiner crazy!!! Unless you

• include a detailed description with studies
  and/or theories and
• The name of the theorist or researcher and
• include an evaluation of studies and/or theories,

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Your plan should look something like this

• Introductory paragraph.
• - Here outline how your essay will attempt to
  answer the question.
• Description of first study/theory. Evaluation of
  first study/theory. TEFAC
• Description of second study/theory. Evaluation of
  second study/theory. TEFAC
• Description of last study/theory. Evaluation of
  last study/theory. TEFAC
• Conclusion. Your conclusion should refer back to
  the introduction and summaries the evaluation
  that has been done.