Multi-flow Map as Prewriting

Tomorrow in class we will talk briefly about how to convert the multi-flow map to a thesis statement that will guide your cause and effect paragraphs. I took the ideas from our class-generated multi-flow map and thought about the ideas again, grouping your effects into even larger ideas that could serve as paragraph topic sentences. You will be able to compare the map below to the paper poster tomorrow to see the new thinking. This is a good lesson in why you need to do prewriting and thinking. The more you do, the deeper your essay can become and the more organized.


Our thinking on war with our root causes and uber effects was even beyond the capabilities of the software, so in the map below you have to imagine that there are arrows to war from political and religious differences, and there are arrows from war to personal and economic losses.


Also, notice the repetition of "differences" and "loss" in my Multi-flow round 2. This grouping will help me write a cohesive and parallel essay.


From this map, now it's time to think about a thesis and organization. Both are easy to do from the multi-flow map. The thesis should incorporate the general causes and effects and be a blueprint for the body paragraphs. Read the first draft of my thesis statement and notice the multi-flow come alive in it:


In Davita's Harp, Chaim Potok proves that religious and political differences can cause wars which ultimately result in personal and economic losses.


Did you notice my cause and effect verb bank too?


My body paragraphs are also right on the multi-flow map, and since the map is fairly balanced between causes and effects, it looks like I will have four body paragraphs organized roughly as follows:

1. Political differences cause war with PIEs on inequities and power.
2. Religious differences cause war with PIEs on fear and thinking your religion is right.
3. War resulting in personal loss with PIEs on dealing with death and other mental health issues and injuries.
4. War resulting in economic loss with PIEs on destroyed infrastructure and famine & poverty.

Now, you try to create a multi-flow map for your topic.