Todd P. answered 06/14/20
English Expert and Master Teacher with 10+ Years Experience
Rachel,
There is a very simple method that will help you organize your thoughts. I call it the "Tell Them" Method.
1.Tell them what you are going to tell them. (think of building a skeleton or filling a bowl with cereal)
Ex: China is a huge and diverse country with many different ethnic groups. I will examine the three major groups: group one, group two and group three.
2.Tell them (think of adding flesh and muscle to the skeleton or adding milk to your cereal)
Ex: China's largest ethnic group is the ... (give some details). You could also use other ways to compare and contrast (i.e., compare by region or compare by influence in country, etc...)
3.Tell them what you told them (think of adding clothes to your newly created body or now using a spoon to eat your cereal). You should restate the "Tell them what you are going to tell them" paragraph in different words that also cements in the reader's mind what you wanted them to learn from your presentation
Ex: In conclusion (or any appropriate closure), China is a country whose diversity gives it a unique character and composition. The three of the groups that define its character are: group one ... Finally sum up shortly the high points of each group.
Once you are done ask yourself with you have created the entire body with pretty clothes or if you have prepared your breakfast cereal and are able to eat it. If you can do these, you have created a great paper.
If you want further clarification, just contact me. The method I just gave you will work for many subjects.
Regards,
Todd