Personal Ethic Statement

Sample Outline for Personal Statement Essay

Please follow this draft outline for your personal statement essay. Remember you are writing a total of 25 sentences, five sentences for paragraph.

INTRODUCTION:

a. hook — grab reader’s attention

b. three sentence summary of Leopold’s Land Ethic (including history of human relationship to land since 1600s)

c. your complete thesis statement, which answers the question “I agree/disagree with Leopold’s Land Ethic because… (and list the three reasons why)

BODY PARAGRAPH ONE;

a. topic sentence: reason #1 for agreeing or disagreeing with Leopold

b. three sentences that explain this reason #1, including one quote from Leopold

c. transition to next paragraph, linking this reason to the next reason (repeat a key word in this sentence and the topic sentence of the next paragraph as the link)

BODY PARAGRAPH TWO:

a. topic sentence: reason #2 for agreeing or disagreeing with Leopold

b. three sentences that explain this reason #2, including one quote from Leopold

c. transition to next paragraph, linking this reason to the next reason (repeat a key word in this sentence and the topic sentence of the next paragraph as the link)

BODY PARAGRAPH THREE:

a. topic sentence: reason #3 for agreeing or disagreeing with Leopold

b. three sentences that explain this reason #3, including one quote from Leopold

c. transition to next paragraph, linking this reason to the next reason (repeat a key word in this sentence and the topic sentence of the next paragraph as the link)

CONCLUSION

a. restate your thesis