Introduction (6-8 sentences) Lead-in Build up to thesis statement Thesis statement (main idea of the essay + the three points you're going to focus on) I am from a unique family that is different from most, my family were all born in different places, they were all raised from low income, and are very family oriented. Body paragraph 1 (8-12 sentences) Topic sentence (main idea of the paragraph) My grandmother and grandfather were both raised in similar ways. Supporting details (examples of your topic sentence) * they had low income families * worked at such a young age * were raised to work hard to earn what they wanted Concluding sentence (ties whole paragraph together) Body paragraph 2 (8-12 sentences) Topic sentence In my family we have different kind of cultures and respect all, we have native american, Puerto Ricans, and hispanics. Supporting details * its a tradition at each gatherings we have dances and music * at some gatherings we have a dance that my grandmother and grandfather do that tells a story * each and everyone of us has to bring a food dish to our gatherings out of respect for the house were going too. Concluding sentence Body paragraph 3 (8-12 sentences) Topic sentence My great-grandmother and great-grandfather from my grandmother side are very religious, they have strong beliefs in remedies, and in myths. Supporting details Concluding sentence Conclusion (6-8 sentences) Paraphrase thesis statement Paraphrase your three topic sentences Final thoughts