Year 8 Ancient Greece – Major Task 2
Essay Topic: Despite being a part of the same country, life in the city states of Sparta and Athens was very different. Discuss with reference to two aspects of everyday life.
Assignment summary:
Athens and Sparta were both incredibly successful city-states in Greece. They spent time fighting each other and fighting off other countries that wanted their land. They both had strong armies and navy’s, a well educated community and great trade networks, which ensured their survival for thousands of years. Both cities, however, were incredibly different in the way that the people were treated, the way the community got a say and their general day to day lifestyle. Your task is to work out which similarities and differences are the most important and then clearly explain them to your audience.
Because this is one of your first essays, it will take time to write it. You will not be able to complete a quality piece of work in one night! To finish the essay you will have to evaluate and piece together all your information, plan you essay structure, plan and write your paragraphs, and the edit you work. In class we will go through all the steps to writing a good essay. You will learn how to read a variety of sources and put it together into one set of notes that you can use to write you essay. You will be taught how to structure an essay and lastly how to write it and then edit it so that you have a polished piece of work. To write this essay we will go through each of these steps. If you are having trouble with the work please ask your teacher as soon as possible.
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Athens v Sparta: Criteria Sheet
Criteria 4 3 2 1 0 Comments
Analysis
Understanding of sources and how each represents the differences between Athens and Sparta
Use of Evidence
Evidence fits with contention and topic sentences
Effective referencing
2 1 0
Structure of essay
Introduction
Conclusion
Paragraphing
Contention
Fluency
Language
Appropriately used
Clear and coherent
Punctuation
There are four steps we will follow to write your essay:
Step One: Research
In the essay pack that you are being given you will find nearly all of the information you require to finish the essay. All of the sources are ready for you to read and put into tables that will help you organise your information. Your teacher will evaluate this work to ensure that you are ready to begin writing your essay.
Source One: Complete the following table using the ONLY the source provided.
Source: graphic_organizers_greeks/compare_sparta_athens.html
Let’s Compare (at the time of Pericles, about 475 – 430 B.C.)
Filled-in Form for Discussion and Further Research
ATHENS
The Greeks Multimedia Project: BP 32 “Populace of Athens” SPARTA
The Greeks Multimedia Project: BP 9 “Sparta”
Population & Map
Approximately 140,000; Approximately 40,000 men were citizens; and slaves (about 40,000).
By 432 BC, Athens had become the most populous city-state in Hellas. In Athens and Attica, there were at least 150,000 Athenians, around 50,000 aliens, and more than 100,000 slaves. Approximately 100,000. About 8,000 were Spartiate adult male citizens.
Government &
Political organizations Athenian Government
Usually classified as a “limited democracy”. Athens claims to be the “birthplace of democracy”.
Elected officials including 10 generals (strategos), magistrates (archons), and others.
Council of 500 was charged with administering decisions made by the Assembly.
The Essay on Women In Ancient Greece Athens And Sparta
Most people think of ancient Athens as the city of freedom and democracy, while they think of Sparta as a highly restricted society. The schools teach us that modern democracies are modeled on Athens, while military dictatorships are modeled on Sparta. However, history shows us that women had much more liberty in Sparta than in Athens. In fact, the democracy of Athens was available only to free ...
The Assembly open to all citizens (all citizens were eligible to attend such meetings and speak up).
They passed laws and made policy decisions. The Assembly met on the Hill of the Pnyx at the foot of the Acropolis.
During time of Pericles citizens were paid for jury service so not only the wealthy could participate.
Women did not participate in the political life of Athens. Spartan Government:
Usually classified as an “oligarchy” (rule by a few), but it had elements of monarchy (rule by kings), democracy (through the election of council/senators), and aristocracy (rule by the upper class or land owning class).
Two kings who were generals in command of the armies and with some religious duties.
Five overseers (ephors) elected annually ran the day-to-day operations of Sparta. They could veto rulings made by the council or assembly.
Council or Senate (apella) of 28 councilmen (men over 60 and elected for life by the citizens) and the 2 kings. They acted as judges and proposed laws to the citizens’ assembly.
The Assembly of all Spartan males aged 30 or over could support or veto the council’s recommendations by shouting out their votes.
Women did not participate in the political life of Sparta.
Social Structure Social Structure of Athens:
Freemen were all male citizens: divided into numerous classes: at the top were aristocrats who had large estates and made up the cavalry or captained triremes; middle ranks were small farmers; lowest class was the thetes (urban craftsmen and trireme rowers).
Metics – those who came from outside the city; they were not allowed to own land, but could run industries and businesses.
Slaves were lowest class, but less harshly treated than in most other Greek cities. Slaves had no rights, and an owner could kill a slave. Slaves varied in status: some were given important roles in Athens, like policemen.
Women were rarely seen outside the home and had no rights in the Athenian democracy. Social Structure of Sparta:
Three classes: Spartiates (military professionals who lived mostly in barracks and whose land was farmed by serfs; they served in the army and could vote).
The Term Paper on Egyptian Women Veil Middle Class
Until recent times the historiography of the Middle East, including that of Egypt, has suffered in several ways because of its concentration on a very narrow focus on political institutions, events and high culture with the result that women and the lower classes have remained virtually invisible. In addition, the 'Islamic' definition of history and culture promoted the idea of Middle Eastern ...
Perioeci or “neighbors/outsiders” who were freemen; they included artisans, craftsmen, merchants; they could not vote or serve in the army; foreigners could be in this class.
Helots (serfs descended from those peoples who had resisted subjugation by Sparta and who were constantly rebelling. They were treated like slaves and gave 1/2 of their produce to the Spartiate citizens who owned the land.
Women had few rights, but were more independent in Sparta than elsewhere in Greece.
Allies Delian League (with Athens clearly the most powerful); Athens taxed and protected other city-states. Peloponnesian League (with Sparta clearly the most powerful).
Military strength Strong navy. Strong army, best and most feared fighters on land.
Life style and values Democratic values for citizens. They believed in participation in government as a civic responsibility.
Athenians believed in their cultural superiority and in their role in an empire and benefiting from trade. (See Pericles’ Funeral Oration showing these values.) “Further, we provide many ways to refresh the mind from the burdens of business. We hold contests and offer sacrifices all the year round, and the elegance of our private establishments forms a daily source of pleasure and helps to drive away sorrow. The magnitude of our city draws the produce of the world into our harbor, so that to the Athenian the fruits of other countries are as familiar a luxury as those of his own.” Spartan culture:
Militaristic values. Children of citizens were raised to be “Spartan”, taught to get along with almost nothing. Spartiate citizens were not permitted to own gold or silver or luxuries. Spartan children were taught to respect elderly, women, and warriors. [The strict separation of classes and militaristic system was put into place by Lycurgus in the 8th (?) century BC.]
Spartan mothers would say to their sons, “Either come back with your shield or on it” (meaning return victorious or die fighting).
This lifestyle was praised by Xenophon, an ancient historian c. 375 BCE.
Education Boys: Schools taught reading, writing and mathematics, music, poetry, sport and gymnastics. Based upon their birth and the wealth of their parents, the length of education was from the age of 5 to 14, for the wealthier 5 – 18 and sometimes into a student’s mid-twenties in an academy where they would also study philosophy, ethics, and rhetoric (the skill of persuasive public speaking).
The Term Paper on Women In Athens & Sparta
... that accurately describes the differences between Spartan and Athenian women. If women were the field, in Athens the goal was to guard ... Greece. Like all studies of ancient Greece, they focus primarily on the two most powerful city-states in the Hellenic world, Athens and Sparta. ... bodies and they should grow better”. Since Spartans relied on a powerful military in order to keep their servants, the ...
Finally, the citizen boys entered a military training camp for two years, until the age of twenty. Foreign metics and slaves were not expected to attain anything but a basic education in Greece, but were not excluded from it either.
Girls: Girls received little formal education (except perhaps in the aristocrats’ homes through tutors); they were generally kept at home and had no political power in Athens. The education of a girl involved spinning, weaving, and other domestic art. Boys: Boys were taken from parents at age seven and trained in the art of warfare. They were only give a cloak – no shoes or other clothes, and not enough food so they had to steal (to learn survival skills).
At age 20 they were placed into higher ranks of the military. To age 30 they were dedicated to the state; then they could marry but still lived in barracks with other soldiers.
They were educated in choral dance, reading and writing, but athletics and military training were emphasized.
Girls: Girls were educated at age 7 in reading and writing, gymnastics, athletics and survival skills. Could participate in sports; treated more as equals.
Role of women Athenian women:
Athenian women and girls were kept at home with no participation in sports or politics. Wives were considered property of their husbands. They were were responsible for spinning, weaving and other domestic arts.
Some women held high posts in the ritual events and religious life of Athens (where the goddess Athena was the patron).
Prostitutes and courtesans were not confined to the house. Some became influential (such as Aspasia).
See Greek Multimedia Project: BP 44 “Hetaira and Courtesans” Spartan women and the role of Spartan women:
Girls were educated in reading and writing and could participate in sports; they were treated more as equals to men. The goal was to produce women who would produce strong healthy babies. At age 18 she would be assigned a husband and return home. Citizen women were free to move around and enjoyed a great deal of freedom. Domestic arts (weaving, spinning, etc.) were usually left to the other classes. Spartan women could own and control their own property. In times of war the wife was expected to oversee her husband’s property and to guard it against invaders and revolts until her husband returned.
The Essay on The Roles Of Men And Women In Ancient Greek Society
In most of the ancient Greek world, gender roles were fairly static throughout time and outside circumstances had little or no influence on gender construction. Men functioned within the public sphere, whereas women were restricted to the private, domestic sphere. This was the typical gender construction of most ancient societies, and remained so in much of the world until modern times. Unlike the ...
Cultural achievements and legacy Art, architecture, drama and literature, philosophy, science, medicine, etc. Government (democracy, trial by jury) Military legacy.
Other
Food: Athenians enjoyed luxuries and foods from all over their empire. Wealthy Athenian homes were quite nice with an inner courtyard. Food: Spartan Broth consisted of pork, blood, salt and vinegar. Spartans were trained to dislike luxuries and fancy foods. The men lived most of their lives in military barracks.
Comparing Sparta and Athens: Form for Note Taking and Decision Making
Put the answers in the blanks. Note: Some may be found in both. ATHENS
The Greeks Multimedia Project: BP 32 “The Populace of Athens” SPARTA
The Greeks Multimedia Project: B8 “Sparta”
Which had the largest
Population? Approximately 140,000
Government
Which was a limited democracy?
Which was a military oligarchy?
Which had two kings?
Which had an assembly? . .
Social Structure
Which had citizens as the upper class?
Which had foreigners as a working class?
Which had slaves? .
.
Allies
Which was the leader of the Delian League?
Which was the leader of the Peloponnesian League? .
.
Military strengths
Which had the strongest navy? Which had the strongest army on land? .
.
Life style and values
Which had militaristic values? Which had democratic values? .
.
Role of women
Which limited women’s role in politics? Which gave the most freedom to women? .
.
Education
Which valued choral dance and music?
Which valued athletics?
Which gave more education to girls?
Which gave the most education to boys?
Cultural achievements and legacy – what are the achievements and the legacy of each? .
The Essay on Sparta And Athens City State
... Wars, a horrible earthquake hit Sparta, which caused many deaths and sparked another revolt. Sparta was in turmoil, and Athens became the most powerful city-state. ... and helots. In 700 B. C. a Greek hero, Theseus, united Athens with several other city-states and established a monarchy. In 600 B. ...
.
Other .
.
Vocabulary to Know – Matching:
____ 1. oligarchy [oligos = few ; archos = leader] A. a form of government in which a single person has the power; he may have seized the power and may maintain it with force.
____ 2. tyranny B. a form of government in which the people rule (directly or through their representatives)
____ 3. democracy [demos = people ; kratia = rule] C. a form of government in which a few rule
____ 4. aristocracy [aristos = best ; kratia = rule] D. a form of government in which a small group of “superiors” rules.
____ 5. artisans E. slaves (term used for farming slaves in Sparta)
____ 6. helots F. landless farmers who work for a landowner in exchange for food and protection.
____ 7. serfs G. a way of life with strict military-style discipline and no luxuries
____ 8. a Spartan way of life H. people who make goods such as crafts, construction workers, artists
Source 2: Once again, add to the table you used form source one. This time use a different coloured ink so that you know that your information came form source two. If there is information that is the same as what was said in source one then you can skim over it. If there is new information that you fell is important but you do not know where to put it, make up a new category on your table. While you are doing this, ask yourself why this information might be important for your essay.
Source: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Athens_vs_Sparta
Athens Sparta
About: The capital and largest city of Greece. Known in Greek as Sparti. The city lies at the southern end of the central Laconian plain, on the right bank of the Eurotas River.
Latitude: 37 58′ 37 4′
Longitude: N 23 43′ E N 22 26′ E
Time zone: EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Region: Attica Laconia
Country: Greece Greece
Ancestry: Ionian Descent Descendents of the Dorian invaders
Climate: Mediterranean climate. Fairly temperate but very dry.
Population(Ancient): 1,40,000 1,00,000
Population(Modern): 3,761,810 18,184
Economy(Ancient): Dependant on trade and agriculture Dependant on agriculture
Economy(Modern): Dependant on agriculture and tourism. Dependent on agriculture and Trade.
Culture(Ancient): Forward looking Laid back
Culture(Modern): Cosmopolitan Isolated and laid back.
Outlook(Ancient): Democratic Militaristic
Both Athens and Sparta hold historic value for Greece and the world. Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece. It is a center for economic, political, financial and culture life in Greece. Athens is the symbol of freedom, art, and democracy in the conscience of the civilized world. Athens took its name from the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge.
Sparta, a beautiful town near the river Evrotas, located in the center of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. Sparta was the Dorian Greek military state, considered as the protector of Greece as it was providing large army to Greece for many years. At present, Sparta is the administrative capital of the prefecture of Laconia.
The two cities were bitter rivals in ancient times in Greece. Geographically they are very close to each other on map, but very different in their values, life styles, and culture.
History
Athens has been continuously inhabited for at least 3,000 years, becoming the leading city of Ancient Greece in the first millennium BC; its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of western civilization. During the Middle Ages, the city experienced decline and then recovery under the Byzantine Empire, and was relatively prosperous during the Crusades, benefiting from Italian trade. After a long period of decline under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, Athens re-emerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent Greek state.
Tradition relates that Sparta was founded by its first king Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and Taygete, who named the city after his wife, the daughter of Eurotas around 1000 BCE. Some eighty years after the Trojan War, according to the traditional chronology, the Dorian migration from the north took place and eventually led to the rise of classical Sparta – famous as a martial power, foe of the Persian Empire, and eventual conqueror of Athens. After conquering many kingdoms and warring many communities Sparta spread to a major empire around 400 BCE. This was also the time of fall of Athens which proclaimed Sparta superior in the constant war of the two empires. In medievel times, Sparta, the city was destroyed by many invasions and modern day Sparta was rebuilt around 1834.
Ancient time
Belief and culture
Athens and Sparta differed in their ideas of getting along with the rest of the Greek empires. Sparta seemed to be content with themselves and provided their army whenever required. That is why it considered itself as the protector of the Greek. On the other hand, Athens wanted to take control of more and more land in Greece. This idea eventually led to war between the Greeks. Sparta had a powerful army and Athens knew that they could not beat them but they had the power of a naval unit which Sparta didn’t have.
What the two communities had in common was that they were both were thinkers. They worshipped their gods and respected people. They loved beauty, music, literature, drama, philosophy, politics, and art and some even loved battle and sports.
Where they differed was that while the Spartans had militaristic values, Athenians were democratic. The Spartans emphasized only on expanding their power and gaining control over other kingdoms while the Athenians also grew infrastructure wise in ancient times. They understood the importance of such growth and concentrated on them besides on military strength.
Government
The Athenian form of electing a government was called Limited Democracy while the Spartan form was called oligarchy” (rule by a few), but it had elements of monarchy (rule by kings), democracy (through the election of council/senators), and aristocracy (rule by the upper class or land owning class).
Sparta has had two rulers in recent times, who ruled until they died. On the other hand, the ruler of Athens is elected annually. Athens is said to have been the birthplace of democracy.
Lifestyle
Compared to the simple lifestyle of the Spartan people, Athenians had a very modern and open outlook. Unlike Sparta, in Athens, boys were not forced to join the army. As an Athenian, one could get a good education and could pursue several kinds of arts and sciences. Sparta people were not open to education and they only concentrated on military strength and obedience and they didn’t interact much with the outside world.
Interaction with other Greek states
Sparta was content to keep to itself and provided army and assistance when necessary to other states. Athens, on the other hand, wanted to control more and more of the land around them. This eventually led to war between all the Greeks.
Climate
Athens had a mediterranean climate with great amount of precipitation, whereas Sparta had fairly temperate but very dry climate. Due to soil erosion and less vegetation water was a very scanty commodity in Sparta.
Women of Athens and Sparta
Family ties in Athens were stronger and women were legally the dependents of their husbands or their father. They could own no property apart from the family. In Sparta, women had rights that other Greek women did not have. In Sparta women were stronger and they formed liaisons with men as they chose. They could also own property by themselves. In Athens women did chores such as weaving or cooking, but in Sparta the women were free of all such chores.
War between Athens and Sparta
Athens and Sparta were two rival city-states, the latter had a very well trained military stength and soldiers and the former boasted a good navy. Athens and its allies, known as the Delian League, came into conflict with the Spartans and the Peloponnesian league, and in 431 BCE a war broke out between the two cities—a war based on trade routes, rivalries, and tributes paid by smaller dependent states.
This conflict, the Peloponnesian War, essentially was a 28-year period of on and off civil war among Greek city-states. (A city-state was the city, such as Athens, and the surrounding country under its influence and protection; Athens and its surrounding area, known as Attica, was about the size of Rhode Island).
Sparta had a clear military advantage on land, but the Athenian navy surpassed Sparta’s capabilities at sea; neither side was able to seize and maintain the upper hand. Both sides experienced major victories and crushing defeats, and the war was frequently interrupted by periods of negotiated peace. The war ended in 404 BCE with the defeat of Athens and its democracy.
Economy
Sparta was mainly an agricultural land because of its inland location. The most important imports were metals. In Sparta, men were mainly warriors; others were slaves. Their economy was mainly based on agriculture. Athens economy was dependent more upon trade. Athens became the foremost trading power of the Mediterranean by the 5th century BC.
Claim to fame
Athens has found its name in Greek history for its undying wisdom and concentration on infrastructural development and Sparta for its military power.
Source 3: This source will give you some information AND also an idea about how to structure your essay. Once again, use a different colour to add any information to the table. Remember that you have new information that this student did not so there is no reason to expect you to have the same essay!
Source: http://www.socyberty.com/History/Athens-Sparta-Comparison.117570
Comparing Sparta and Athens as civilizations.
Both Athens and Sparta are recognized as being highly developed cultures, being depicted as strong, intelligent people. However, living only a mere 200 km from each other, as they both developed, they each gained very distinct cultures. In this essay, I will compare the two societies, to determine which is more superior. Both Athens and Sparta at the peak of their societies had a population of roughly 400,000. Up to a quarter of Athens’ population was due to conquest of land and people, keeping them as their slaves.
Marriage in Athens was also less about “love” as we see it, and more about keeping the economy and society running smoothly. It was more like a moral obligation to their state than anything, to give birth and help the numbers grow. With Sparta, however, keeping up their numbers was more difficult. Every child was brought to a group of elders to be examined, and if they deemed the child unfit, lacking strength or motive, he was sent to be thrown in a cave to die. Thus, only the most tough and fit of the Spartans lived. Sparta over the years also captured all the city-states surrounding it, which led to their numbers being spread even thinner across it, as they didn’t allow the slaves they obtained from conquest to be “Spartans” at all.
In Athens, small farms grew grain, olives, grapes and vegetables. The farmers also raised goats, sheep and chickens. However, these small farms did not produce enough goods for all of Athens, so trading was essential for enough food. Since they lived by the sea, they became well-known for their trading, giving up fine products such as pottery, honey, and olive oil, for food and other types of products. Sparta, forcing all men to become warriors, did not allow their own people to become farmers or workers, and outside trading was shunned, as they did not want outside ideas tainting their own. I am guessing that the people they conquered were forced to grow food for them on the land they obtained.
Sparta had undoubtedly one of the strongest political government of the age. From the moment a child is born, they are tested to see if they can live under Sparta’s reign. From a young age they are slowly created to be the perfect soldiers, their mind and body strengthened every day in the barracks, set out to defend their country against revolts and attackers, fighting for their state and for loyalty. Nobody inside their land dare step out of line, as they believed themselves to be the greatest race. Athens, however, was run as a democracy, so everybody had their say, if they were of age. Their laws would not be much different from ours today. Sparta education was mediocre at best. Since young boys were being trained to be excellent soldiers, education came down to only the necessities. However, in Athens, education was as important as it is today, and thing such as discussion and ideas were highly encouraged. Boys at the age of seven were sent to private schools if their family could afford it, where they took physical training, learned to play the lyre, and how to write, while girls stayed at home to be taught necessary domestic skills for when they become a mother.
Both societies held the same type of class structure, with government being at the top, and farther down the list were free men who only were asked to serve their state, women, who couldn’t have a say in politics but had much freedom anyways, and slaves and people they have conquered being at the bottom. In my opinion, I believe that, after these comparisons, Sparta is the better civilization suited to survive. They may have gotten rid of more “social” things that are found in civilizations, but it was given up so they could devote their time to becoming the strongest, most well-kept society, and even then they had lots of freedom.
Source 4 – Extra information. We will not do this source in class but you may find it useful to add information for your essay.
Source: http://womenintheancientworld.com
WHY SPARTAN WOMEN WERE MORE DOMINANT IN SOCIETY THAN THEIR ATHENIAN SISTERS
1. Girls were given a good education in both the arts and athletics.
2. Women were encouraged to develop their intellect.
3. Women owned more than a third of the land.
4. There was less difference in age between husbands and wives, and girls in Sparta married at a later age than their sisters in Athens.
5. Husbands spent most of their time with other men in the military barracks; since the men were rarely home, the women were free to take charge of almost everything outside of the army.
6. Mothers reared their sons until age 7 and then society took over. Fathers played little or no role in child care.
Step Two: Planning
It is important to understand what an essay is and then plan accordingly before you begin writing it. Read the information about what an essay should be, what is should not do and what its structure should look like, then complete the table so that you know what you are going to write before you begin writing.
What is a good essay? A good essay will tell the reader what the writer’s thoughts are in a clear and interesting manner. It will have:
• A well thought out, critical, answer to the question.
• An introduction which clearly introduces you contention (your answer to the question) to the reader.
• A coherent and logical argument.
• A clear writing style.
• A range of evidence that supports your contention.
• A conclusion that draws together the main arguments you have made.
Some ‘Golden’ rules on essay writing:
• No personal pro-nouns such as ‘I’
• Each body paragraph should contain one main point that is well explained and supported with evidence.
• The introduction and conclusion should state your contention and your main points in an interesting manner.
• Each body paragraph requires evidence.
• All evidence should be ‘referenced’, which means the reader should be able to know where you got your facts from.
Essay Structure:
Introduction – A brief summary of your argument and the main points that will support it
Paragraph One – A summary and comparison of one major similarity/difference between Athens and Sparta (e.g. the role of women or democracy), which includes explanations and examples that prove your point.
Paragraph Two – A summary and comparison of another major similarity/difference between Athens and Sparta (e.g. the role of women or democracy), which includes explanations and examples that prove your point.
Paragraph Three – A summary and comparison of another major similarity/difference between Athens and Sparta (e.g. the role of women or democracy), which includes explanations and examples that prove your point.
Conclusion – Re-state your main argument and the main pints that supported it.
Essay Planning Table: Complete the table below BEFORE you begin writing your essay. It will help you put the information into the correct place so that you do not have to think about it while you are writing.
Essay Planning Table
Contention/Introduction:
Contention:
Main Points:
Paragraph 1:
Topic:
Explanation:
Examples (and their source):
Link to next paragraph:
Paragraph 2:
Topic:
Explanation:
Examples (and their source):
Link to next paragraph:
Paragraph 3:
Topic:
Explanation:
Examples (and their source):
Link to next paragraph:
Paragraph 4:
Topic:
Explanation:
Examples (and their source):
Link to next paragraph:
Paragraph 5: (Conclusion)
Contention:
Main Points:
Closing sentence:
Step Three: Writing
Now that you have your plan you can begin writing. Start with the body paragraphs first and then move to conclusion. You should write you introduction last. You do this because your introduction needs to be brief and to the point. If you do it after you have written the body paragraphs you will know what each paragraph has said, which will mean you can summarise them easily.
Body Paragraphs:
To start your body paragraphs use your table to see which points you want to write down. Remember that each paragraph needs a topic sentence that introduces the major theme of the paragraph. It then has an explanation of your topic sentence, moves on to examples that prove you fact and lastly has a linking sentence that will help the reader move easily from one paragraph to the next.
Introductions and Conclusions:
An effective introduction prepares the reader for the essay’s topic, arouses interest so the reader will want to read on, and includes a clear, brief contention statement. It describes your main arguments but does not give everything away. You could try starting with a quote or an interesting story.
An effective conclusion brings the essay to a logical end, provides a sense of completion, a finishing touch that adds to the whole essay, and leaves the reader with something to think about. You should re-state your contention in a different way, should not include any new information, and should not announce what you have done (“In the paper I have…”)
Referencing:
Referencing is an important part of writing because it adds to the shared knowledge of all involved. Using others’ ideas in your academic writing without appropriate acknowledgement is regarded as a form of dishonesty.
Referencing also enhances your writing and assists your readers by:
1. Showing the breadth of your research
2. Strengthening your academic argument
3. Demonstrating your understanding of academic requirements
4. Acknowledging and rewarding others for their contribution
5. Showing the readers the sources of your information
6. Allowing your readers to consult your sources independently
7. Allowing readers to verify your information.
Important note: By using referencing appropriately, you will avoid plagiarism, which is falsely claiming someone else’s words or ideas as your own. If you a caught Plagiarising we will phone your parents and you will get 0% for this piece of work.
Referencing this essay: For this essay will be using the Harvard system of referencing. This system requires you to place the author and the date the article was published in brackets after the information or quote. You then have to write a full reference in the Bibliography. A guide to referencing can be found at:
Step Four: Editing and Drafting
While it is a wonderful relief to finally finish writing an essay there is much more that has to be done. You searched for the perfect contention and the evidence that supports it, and then you spent even more hours putting the essay together. You cannot stop there! Now you must edit your essay. Here are some basic tips to ensure that your essay is the best you can make it.
1. Check your essay for form. Have you indented the paragraphs and used proper spacing? Make sure you have used enough paragraphs to support your thesis statement. Ideally, you should have at least five paragraphs – an introduction, three paragraphs that each deal with a supporting point and a conclusion.
2. Locate errors in spelling and grammar. You can use the spell check in your work processor when you’re editing but make sure the spell checker didn’t miss an error. The spell checker often skips synonyms.
3. Add more detail if needed. Check each supporting point in the essay and make sure you have provided enough detail to prove your thesis statement.
4. Eliminate repetitions. Check over your essay carefully to be sure you have not repeated ideas over and over again.
5. Show your essay paper to someone else and ask him to read and edit the paper for you. Often an additional pair of eyes will pick up errors that you missed.
6. Read your essay out loud to yourself or another person. The sheer act of having to verbalize what you have written will help you to locate errors in style and form.
