Field Journal Writing Organizer

Prompt

Write a journal entry to reflect on Fridays excavation. Remember, you are an archaeologist from the future who is
part of The Blackstone Valley Prep Project team. Your journal entry can use a humorous or serious tone and
should include a description of what the daily life of the people who inhabited the area was like based on artifacts
and evidence located at the site. What did you find interesting? Why did you find it interesting? What are you
excited about? What parts of the location do you want to "dig deeper" into? Be creative and use evidence from
Fridays excavation to support your response!

Brainstorm & Break Down the Prompt

Define challenging words

Put the prompt in your words

Organize the essay to best answer the

prompt
(How many paragraphs? What will
you discuss in each paragraph?)

Introduction

Context
Introduce and summarize the site
area
Thesis
State what you believe the site was
used for (description of daily life)
Preview
Introduce what artifacts and features
will be discuss to prove your thesis
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 1

Topic Sentence(s) ________________________________________________

State the topic of the paragraph
________________________________________________
Evidence
Introduce the artifact or feature ________________________________________________
being discussed
________________________________________________
Analysis
Explain where the artifact/feature ________________________________________________
was found
Explain the context of the ________________________________________________
artifact/feature
Explain your classification of the ________________________________________________
artifact/feature
Explain your interpretation of the
________________________________________________
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
Concluding Sentence(s)
Explain significance of the
________________________________________________
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
Transition to next paragraph
 Body Paragraph 2

Topic Sentence(s) ________________________________________________

State the topic of the paragraph
________________________________________________
Evidence
Introduce the artifact or feature ________________________________________________
being discussed
________________________________________________
Analysis ________________________________________________
Explain where the artifact/feature
was found ________________________________________________
Explain the context of the
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
Explain the classification of the
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
Explain your interpretation of the
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Concluding Sentence(s)
Explain significance of the ________________________________________________
artifact/feature
Transition to next paragraph ________________________________________________

Body Paragraph 3

Topic Sentence(s) ________________________________________________

State the topic of the paragraph
________________________________________________
Evidence
Introduce the artifact or feature ________________________________________________
being discussed
________________________________________________
Analysis ________________________________________________
Explain where the artifact/feature
was found ________________________________________________
Explain the context of the
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
Explain the classification of the
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
Explain your interpretation of the
artifact/feature ________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Concluding Sentence(s)
Explain significance of the ________________________________________________
artifact/feature
Transition to next paragraph

Conclusion

Summarize the thesis and arguments ________________________________________________

from the body paragraphs
Show the reader why the topics in
your essay are important for others
to understand
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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