Sometimes the hardest step in writing an essay is trying to decide what to write about. One method of minimizing the frustration involved in making that initial plunge into a chosen topic is asking the class to brainstorm together. If the essays are written about a certain theme, lead a class discussion on the theme. You may even grade the students on their participation during the discussion. Write some key ideas from the discussion on the board.
After a topic or thesis has been chosen, the next step is the research. If the students are not familiar with research methods, then writing the essay will be extremely difficult. Give the students a primer on basic research methods. Teach them how to navigate the Dewey decimal system, how to properly cite different research materials and how to effectively take notes among other skills. This might require visiting your local or school library and testing them on how well they cite material.
Before students write their own essay, ask them to compose short texts on preselected themes. Have them analyze articles or essays in concise paragraphs, or assign them the task of arguing for or against an issue discussed in class. Writing shorter texts before tackling an essay will increase the students' confidence as writers. Once the shorter responses are turned in, take a look at them to get a sense of how the students are writing.
The basic method of teaching essay writing involves outlining the five-paragraph structure. In this structure, the essay is divided into five distinct parts, each of which is connected by a transition sentence. The five paragraphs are the introduction, the three body paragraphs and the concluding paragraph. The introductory paragraph should clearly present the essay's thesis to the reader. The three body paragraphs should defend the thesis, and the concluding paragraph should ideally summarize the entire essay in an engaging fashion. (ref. 1)