Jasper Jones Model Essay and Structure Breakdown

Save time and unpack this model essay and completed planner with students on Craig Silvey’s novel Jasper Jones. The essay explores the impact of racism on the characters of Jeffrey Lu and Jasper Jones in the novel.

The essay details:

• Thesis: Jasper Jones explores the psychological and physical impact of deep-seated racism in 1960s Australia.
• Structure: introduction, 2 x extended body paragraphs (Jeffrey and Jasper), conclusion
• Word length: 780 words
• Writing level: Year 10 / 11 / 12 standard prose and construction (UK English).

The planner includes a broken down:

• introduction
• body paragraph and
• conclusion
  Students are asked to circle and label the structural elements in each sentences so they can see how information is synthesised into an free-flow argument.

Teaching and Learning Suggestions:

• Give students the introduction planner first and get them to write their own introductions before reading the example introduction in the model essay
• Get students work in small groups or individually as they break down body paragraph two.
• Get students to write a better intro, paragraph and/or conclusion using the example as a starting point.

Happy teaching!