Classification and Division Prewriting

The graphic organizer must include all the required areas:

1. Topic announcement

2. Thesis statement that shows classification or division and makes a debatable claim

3. Three categories for the topic

a. Three characteristics for each category that help prove the thesis

b. An example for each characteristic

4. Conclusion that paraphrases the thesis statement

Classification and Division Prewriting

A classification and division essay breaks down a large group or subject into smaller categories to show the unique qualities of each small group.

You experience classification every day; for example when you shop online or in a store. Both online and brick-and-mortar stores are classified according to the products they sell. Grocery stores are divided

into produce, meat, dairy, canned goods, paper products, cleaning supplies, etc.

Relevance: In your work, at some point in time you’ll need to persuade someone. Perhaps you’ll have to persuade a client to vaccinate his or her pet. This assignment serves as practice for this.

Prewriting Instructions

For your classification and division prewriting, you’ll choose one of the assigned topics and write an outline or graphic organizer to plan and develop your ideas and to help you draft your essay.

This assignment is a persuasive assignment. Your thesis statement must present a debatable claim (argument) about your categories.

Remember, your goal is to persuade your reader to agree with the argument expressed in the thesis statement. Your characteristics will have to support this argument. Since characteristics are defining qualities, they should be unique to each category.

You don’t need to use text boxes or create flowcharts for your exam. Refer to the sample graphic organizer included in these exam instructions and type your work in a word-processed document.

Topic

Choose one of the following topics:

Music or books or fashion

Types of friends

Types of activities or hobbies

Types of food

Places you’ve lived or visited or vacationed

Use the Classification and Division Worksheet on your student portal to help you organize your ideas.

NOTE: The information you use to prepare your graphic organizer should be based on your own knowledge and experience of your subject. Research isn’t required. However, if you do research or incorporate information from outside or secondary sources, you’re required to cite your sources using APA citation and documentation style.

Sample Graphic Organizer

Avoid using text boxes, arrows, lines, or flowcharts for your graphic organizer. Instead, use a basic informal outline for your ideas like the one shown below.

Title: “A Best Friend for an Apartment”

Topic: Pets

Thesis: Small dogs make better pets than cats and fish for those who live in apartments.

Category/Paragraph 1: Dogs

Characteristic 1: Dogs provide emotional support for their owners with affection and eager attention.

Characteristic 2: Dogs require walks, which means their owners get exercise.

Characteristic 3: Dogs can act as a security system, by barking to alert owners and other tenants of an intruder.

Category 2: Cats

Characteristic 1: Cats are known for being aloof, meaning that their owners might not get a lot of snuggle time. Many don’t run to greet their owners.

Characteristic 2: Cats use a litterbox, which can have a foul odor. A foul odor can be especially uncomfortable in a small space. Litter is often tracked through the apartment.

Characteristic 3: Cats meow, but generally not to alert owners of an intruder. Many times, meows are for meals.

Category 3: Fish

Characteristic 1: Fish can’t be cuddled, and fish don’t greet their owners.

Characteristic 2: Fish tanks require regular and intense cleanings. If care isn’t taken, the fish can die easily.

Characteristic 3: Fish have no ability to alert their owners, and generally don’t interact with their owners, aside from swimming to the surface near feeding time.

Conclusion: Dogs provide better companionship, affection, and security for those who live in apartments than cats and fish.

The first three categories and characteristics have been filled in for you. Use the outline below to practice your outlining skills. Read the essay and fill in the characteristics for categories 4, 5, and 6. Remember, the purpose of the essay is to show how a potato chip is addictive and captivating, so choose the content that directly supports that thesis.

Note the italicized words that connect the body paragraphs to the thesis statement.

Title: “The Language of Junk Food Addiction: How to ‘Read’ a Potato Chip”

Introduction

Topic: A Potato Chip

Thesis: The potato chip is engineered to captivate people’s taste

buds.

Body: Elements of Appeal

Category/Paragraph 1: The salt makes people crave potato chips.

Characteristic 1: Salt first mixes with saliva, and drives people to eat and overeat.

Characteristic 2: Affects the pleasure center of the brain with a “flavor burst”

Characteristic 3: Different varieties of salt for different types of processed food

Category/Paragraph 2: The fat in a potato chip has an addictive “mouthfeel.”

Characteristic 1: Fat is a feeling, “mouthfeel”

Characteristic 2: Also affects the pleasure center of the brain

Characteristic 3: Saturated fats linked to heart disease and obesity

Category/Paragraph 3: The sugar (potato starch) in a potato chip captivates people’s taste buds.

Characteristic 1: Potato starch gets converted to sugar when a chip is eaten.

Characteristic 2: Foods can be too sweet so we stop eating.

Characteristic 3: The “Bliss point” is the optimal amount of sugar.

Category/Paragraph 4: The crunchy noise contributes to the potato chip’s appeal.

Characteristic 1:

Characteristic 2:

Characteristic 3:

Category/Paragraph 5: The way a chip dissolves on the tongue makes

people disregard the calories.

Characteristic 1:

Characteristic 2:

Characteristic 3:

Category/Paragraph 6: The ease of eating a chip with one hand leads to overeating.

Characteristic 1:

Characteristic 2:

Characteristic 3:

Conclusion: People buy a product based on taste.