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Al final de la lección, los estudiantes podrán construir un canon literario personalizado a partir de las lecturas realizadas durante el curso. Esto fortalecerá su capacidad de análisis crítico y apreciación literaria.

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¿Qué criterios debemos considerar para incluir una obra en nuestro canon literario?

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Revisaremos los conceptos clave de lo que constituye un 'canon literario' y los criterios históricos y culturales involucrados. Utilizaremos Padlet para que los estudiantes puedan colaborar y compartir sus ideas.

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En grupos pequeños, los estudiantes discutirán sus lecturas favoritas y cuál creen que deberían incluir en el canon literario del curso. Cada grupo usará Padlet para presentar sus argumentos al resto de la clase.

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Cada estudiante escribirá un corto ensayo justificando la inclusión de una obra particular en el canon literario basado en lecturas personales. Incluirán referencias a texto y críticas literarias.

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An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative -they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

1. Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.

2. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.

3. Revision: Check the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

In this guide, we walk you through what to include in the introduction, body, and conclusion of an academic essay, using paragraphs from our interactive essay example.

Essay writing process

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay.

For example, if you've been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you'll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay, on the other hand, you'll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

Preparation for writing an essay

Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you're going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you're prepared:

1. Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?

2. Define a topic: If you're allowed to choose your own topic, try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.

3. Do your research: Read primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You'll use these as evidence for your points.

4. Come up with a thesis: The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay-you should keep referring back to it as you write.

5. Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline. This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you've got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you'll use, you're ready to start writing.

Tip
AI tools like ChatGPT can be effectively used to brainstorm potential ideas and develop a research paper outline. To learn how to use these tools responsibly, see our AI writing resources page.

Writing the introduction

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader's interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10-20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader's interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let's say we're writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it's important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don't provide too much detail in the introduction-you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement- the central argument you're going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people's needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

Example of an essay introduction

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people's needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people's social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction
Writing the main body

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60-80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8-10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure, it is important to organize it into paragraphs. Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a topic sentence. The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Example of a paragraph from an essay

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

Writing the conclusion

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10-15% of the text. A strong essay conclusion:

Returns to your thesis

Ties together your main points

Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay's conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

Including new arguments or evidence

Undermining your arguments (e.g. "This is just one approach of many")

Using concluding phrases like "To sum up..." or "In conclusion..."

Example of an essay conclusion

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille's innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students' reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion
Essay checklist

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Frequently asked questions about writing an essay

What is an essay?

An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative: you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

When do I need to cite sources?

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays, research papers, and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago.

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

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To write a strong essay, you need an introduction, a main body organized into paragraphs, and a conclusion. See how it's done with examples.

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Se proporcionarán recursos adicionales para estudiantes que necesiten apoyo adicional en la comprensión de conceptos clave, así como tareas extendidas para aquellos que desean profundizar en el análisis literario.

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Educational resources are used in a learning environment to help and assist with people's development and learning. They're designed to reinforce learning and in some cases allow people to put their knowledge to the test. Educational resources are brilliant for teachers and educators to help them deliver the best quality lessons.

Download FREE teacher-made resources covering 'Educational Resources '

Classic English and Handwriting - Classic English covers writing and grammar resources for ages 5-11, which are in line with the curriculum aims and topic areas. Twinkl Handwriting is used by EYFS, KS1, KS2 teachers, teaching assistants, home educators, parents and the Pupils themselves. The aim is to help pupils on a journey to progress with their writing resulting in them being able to write fluently, legibly, and with increased speed.

Move - Offers primary school teachers in England teaching PE, a scheme that has been written by PE subject leaders which cover all areas of the curriculum.

Boost - A range of intervention resources which are created to support and lift learning for SATs, to help children prepare for their Year 2 and Year 6 assessment tests that take place yearly.
They focus on four different areas:

Special Educational Needs & Disabilities

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Newsroom - Delivers a trusted feed of the latest headlines, classroom-friendly reports and ready to use National Curriculum resources. They offer balanced, accurate and Age-appropriate content that can safely connect to a class' current affairs.

GO! - Produces interactive games and self-marking resources for all subjects and age ranges from EYFS to KS4. They are designed to be used with a computer or mobile device, meaning they are 100% paperless and can be shared directly over the Internet with children via a simple PIN or creating usernames and passwords.

So why don't you explore one of these products and sample some of our brilliant educational resources to help cut-down on lesson planning and improve engagement levels? Or watch the video below to see further exactly what Twinkl can offer with our range of resources.

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What are Educational Resources ? - Answered - Twinkl Teaching Wiki

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Educational resources are used in a learning environment to help and assist with people's development and learning. They're designed to reinforce learning and in some cases allow people to put their knowledge to the test. Educational resources are brilliant for teachers and educators to help them deliver the best quality lessons.

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Veremos un video que analiza cómo se ha construido el canon literario a lo largo del tiempo y por quién. Esto dará contexto histórico a la discusión.

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Observaremos y discutiremos las presentaciones de los grupos en Padlet para evaluar la comprensión de los estudiantes sobre los criterios del canon literario.

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Los estudiantes tomarán una prueba escrita al final de la lección que medirá su capacidad para explicar y aplicar los criterios del canon literario.

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Enhance your writing for English exams with varied exercises across CEFR levels A1-B2! Learn structuring, connectors, grammar, & vocabulary.

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En un grupo grande, discutiremos las conclusiones de cada grupo y llegaremos a un consenso sobre qué obras deben ser incluidas en el canon literario del curso.

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8 Tips To Master Group Discussion | Group Discussion Techniques - Tips, Tricks & Ideas | Simplilearn

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Cada estudiante completará un breve formulario de salida en el que resumirá lo que ha aprendido y reflexionará sobre cómo esta lección ha cambiado su perspectiva sobre la literatura.

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Como tarea, los estudiantes escribirán un ensayo extendido en el que exploren en profundidad uno de los textos seleccionados para el canon literario y su impacto cultural e histórico.