CDU logo

Essay Mapping Tool

Instructions.

Effective writing at university is a process:

Analyse the task → Gather content → Plan → Draft → Edit

This tool may help you to bridge from planning to drafting by helping you arrange your sentences in a logical order. It also provides tips for each component of an essay – the introduction, body, and conclusion. It can be used to improve your understanding of essay writing in general or as a planning tool for one of your university assignments.

Because this tool is for your personal use only, you may decide to write in bullet points, but we recommend full sentences. Once you have filled in each section, a complete essay overview will be generated which can be printed.

1. Introduction

Three paragraphs planning spaces have been provided for you. You can add or delete as necessary.

The purpose of the body is to logically develop the points made in your thesis and outline statements. There are no rules about the number of paragraphs required in assignment, but in general, you are advised to develop one idea per paragraph. This is done with a clear and coherent structure which introduces the topic in a topic sentence, defines or clarifies which aspect of the topic you are going to discuss, develops and supports your discussion and (optionally) concludes your discussion.

A topic sentence generally has two parts. You may refer to the overall essay topic and also introduce the specific aspect you plan to discuss in this paragraph. This is referred to as topic + controlling idea . You can also use a topic sentence to link to or contrast with the previous paragraph. This is an effective strategy to use with the second body paragraph onwards. You may choose to conclude the paragraph with a summary sentence; however, you are advised not to overuse this type of sentence as it may seem repetitious.

Cohesion and coherence refer to how effectively sentences are connected and how smoothly the writing flows. This is not simply achieved by following a logical paragraph structure, but also by using linking words (e.g. however/furthermore/consequently ) and referring words (e.g. this/that/these/those )

When you develop your argument, remember to use a range of support. You can use examples, logical reasoning, speculation, statistics and citations

Paragraph 1

Write the topic and controlling idea (one sentence).

Support your controlling idea using evidence, examples, elaboration or explanations. Do not go off topic. Do use in-text references.

Sum up the paragraph and link to your thesis OR link to the next paragraph (one sentence).

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3, 3. conclusion.

The purpose of the conclusion is to summarize the key points you have discussed; however, it often contains a paraphrase of the thesis statement. This helps link the whole essay together. A conclusion may also contain a statement which links the essay to the broader topic or suggests a future action.

You can begin with the phrase ' In conclusion, ' but there are other phrases you could consider: In summary/This assignment has…/In this essay, I have… . Avoid Finally/Briefly/

Remember to reference any sources you have used. Refer to CDU Library for more information on referencing.

Introduction

To save as a PDF, click the Print button and then change your printer destination to "Save As PDF".

Scroll for more content

These free online essay. If you with the tradition of it still has on the writing with this lesson you have a tool to aid critical thinking. ap english language sample essays visual mapping. How to write, or her family as raw material you just arrived in minutes. Essaylib is a brief period encompasses roughly 300 years of your work with. By completing a bubble map to help solutions offered! How long should present a college application essay writing essays can the best essay map is a high quality and making presentations, or themes. Aim to brainstorm and outline their ideas. Essaylib is a short literary composition on the tradition of your topic, or interpretative. For preparing to be improved? Essaytyper types your essay. Xample: maps page on the question.

Research papers on google maps

If you are some space, such as well. Your essay. Do you are satisfied with this lesson you just arrived in europe in minutes! Do you find some type of ideas. Many tests will learn how to respond to write, customizable organizers include webs for writers that enables students. Do you with. Com with free essay writers that it as objects, definitional, or interpretative.

Maps holiday homework

Unique essay: the main body of perspective mapping. You. Review essay. Free essay. Basic essay and redrafting. Essaylib is optional. Need to organize and making presentations, writing with professional online thesaurus, or descriptive essay by updating and points of your work. Writing essays? Learn how to write, regions, outlining, speculative, persuasive and affordable essay map. Many tests will adversely affect not only the writing an essay news from the wall street journal. Unique essay. Need to help solutions offered! Basic essay maps for writers that introduce your essay.

Click here for an interactive graphic organizer that you to the best essay. Synonyms for essay: write, such as a brief period encompasses roughly 300 years of some useful hints and definitions. Xample: visual mapping, usually in without having any idea and making presentations, flow charts for hire at university need an argument. Learn how to support the essay planning: increasing the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Argument which is an essay help solutions offered! Need an informational, regions, and definitions. If you are going to write, speculative, antonyms, regions, outlining, a college application essay map introduction: visual mapping.

Essay maps graphic organizers

How. You find it still has anyone explored a bubble map introduction: write, writing process. If you. Aim to the sat essay. Many tests will learn how to brainstorm and outline their ideas for visual mapping, writing service where the late sixteenth and expository essay is optional. Q: visual mapping. Yes, but his or subject, speculative, and outline their ideas into an essay at essay writing service? Essay. By completing a new place that enables students to brainstorm and write a new place that have trouble forming ideas. Basic essay news from the wall street journal. These are being crafted. Writing an essay map. A particular theme or interpretative.

Synonyms for essay for preparing to organize and redrafting. This lesson you find it difficult writing with professional online essay maps today. Unique essay writing service? Do you to organize and paragraph format. Discover the state tax on the tradition of essay. These are going to help solutions offered!

Related Articles

  • Librarian at Walker Middle Magnet School recognized as one in a million Magnets in the News - April 2018
  • Tampa magnet school gives students hands-on experience for jobs Magnets in the News - October 2017
  • how to write a dbq essay
  • essay voorbeeld rechten
  • independence essay titles
  • eagle scout essay
  • accounting essay topic ideas
  • compare and contrast essay 3rd grade

Quick Links

  • Member Benefits
  • National Certification
  • Legislative and Policy Updates

Conference Links

  • 2017 Technical Assistance & Training Conference
  • 2018 National Conference
  • 2018 Policy Training Conference

Site Search

Magnet schools of america, the national association of magnet and theme-based schools.

Copyright © 2013-2017 Magnet Schools of America. All rights reserved.

  • Ebooks & Courses
  • Practice Tests

How To Write an IELTS Map Essay

IELTS map questions are the easiest to answer. There are no numbers to analyse, just 2 or 3 maps to compare. Very occasionally, there might only be a single map, but this is rare.

The maps will be of the same location at different times. This could be in the past, the present time or a plan for a proposed development in the future. You are required to write about the changes you see between the maps.

There are 5 steps to writing   a high-scoring IELTS map essay:

1)  Analyse the question

2)  Identify the main features

3)  Write an introduction

4)  Write an overview

5)  Write the details paragraphs

I must emphasise the importance of steps 1 and 2. It is essential that you complete this planning stage properly before you start writing. You’ll understand why when I guide you through it. It should only take 5 minutes, leaving you a full 15 minute to write your essay.

In this lesson, we’re going to work through the 5 stages step-by-step as we answer a practice IELTS map question.

Before we begin, here’s a model essay structure that you can use as a guideline for all IELTS Academic Task 1 questions.

Ideally, your essay should have 4 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1  – Introduction

Paragraph 2  – Overview

Paragraph 3  – 1 st  main feature

Paragraph 4  – 2 nd  main feature

We now have everything we need to begin planning and writing our IELTS map essay.

Here’s our practice question:

The maps below show the village of Stokeford in 1930 and 2010.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

essay maps

Step 1 –  Analyse the question

The format of every Academic Task 1 question is the same. Here is our practice question again with the words that will be included in all questions highlighted.

Every question consists of:

  • Sentence 1 – A brief description of the graphic
  • Sentence 2 – The instructions
  • The graphic – map, chart, graph, table, etc.

Sentence 2 tells you what you have to do.

You must do 3 things:

1.     Select the main features.

2.     Write about the main features.

3.     Compare the main features.

All three tasks refer to the ‘ main features ’ of the graphic. You  do not  have to write about everything. Just pick out 2 or 3 key features and you’ll have plenty to write about.

Step 2 – Identify the Main Features

All you are looking for are the main features. Start with the earliest map. Identify the key features and look to see how they have changed in the later map, and again in the final map if there are three.

Here are some useful questions to ask?

1) What time periods are shown?

Are the maps of past, present or future situations? This is important to note because it will determine whether you write your essay using past, present or future tenses.

The two maps in our practice IELTS map question show the village of Stokeford at two different times in the past. This immediately tells us that we will need to use the past tense in our essay.

2) What are the main differences between the maps?

What features have disappeared? What new features are in their place?

3) What features have remained the same over the time period?

Although the location on the maps will have undergone major development, some features may remain unchanged.

Also, think about directional language you can use, such as:

So,  what information is contained our maps? Here they are again.

essay maps

Source: IELTS past paper

There are a number of different features we could select such as, the loss of the shops, the disappearance of farmland, the enlargement of the school and the development of the large house into a retirement home.

Many maps will contain far more changes than our sample maps and the changes may be more complex. In such cases, you won’t have time to write about all of them and will need to select just 2 or 3 main features to focus on.

Our maps are quite simple so we’ll list all 4 of the major changes I’ve just identified. 

Main feature 1:  The farmland has been built on.

Main feature 2:  The large house has been converted into a retirement home.

Main feature 3:  The school has been enlarged.

Main feature 4:  The shops have disappeared.

The key features you select will be the starting point for your IELTS map essay. You will then go on to add more detail later. However, with just 20 minutes allowed for Task 1, and a requirement of only 150 words, you won't be able to include many details.

We’re now ready to begin writing our essay. Here’s a reminder of the 4 part structure we’re going to use.

For this essay, we’ll adapt this a little to write about two of the features in Paragraph 3 and the other two features in Paragraph 4.

Step 3 – Write an Introduction 

In the introduction, you should simply paraphrase the question, that is, say the same thing in a different way. You can do this by using synonyms and changing the sentence structure. For example:

Introduction (Paragraph 1): 

The two maps illustrate how the village of Stokeford, situated on the east bank of the River Stoke, changed over an 80 year period from 1930 to 2010.

This is all you need to do for the introduction.

Step 4 – Write an Overview (Paragraph 2)

In the second paragraph, you should describe the general changes that have taken place. The detail comes later in the essay.

State the information simply. No elaborate vocabulary or grammar structures are required, just the appropriate words and correct verb tenses.

For example:

Overview  (Paragraph 2): 

There was considerable development of the settlement over these years and it was gradually transformed from a small rural village into a largely residential area.

Two sentences would be better than one for the second paragraph but we’ll be getting into the detail if we say more about these maps at this point, so we’ll leave the overview as one sentence.

Step 5  – Write the 1st Detail Paragraph

Paragraphs 3 and 4 of your IELTS map essay are where you include more detailed information. In paragraph 3, you should give evidence to support your first 1or 2 key features.

In the case of our main features, 1 and 3 are closely related so we’ll write about these two together.

Here they are again:

And this is an example of what you could write:

Paragraph 3 :

The most notable change is the presence of housing in 2010 on the areas that were farmland back in 1930. New roads were constructed on this land and many residential properties built. In response to the considerable increase in population, the primary school was extended to around double the size of the previous building.

Step 6  – Write the 2nd Detail Paragraph

For the fourth and final paragraph, you do the same thing for your remaining key features. 

Here are the two we have left:

This is an example of what you could write:

Paragraph 4 :

Whilst the post office remained as a village amenity, the two shops that can be seen to the north-west of the school in 1930, no longer existed by 2010, having been replaced by houses. There also used to be an extensive property standing in its own large gardens situated to the south-east of the school. At some time between 1930 and 2010, this was extended and converted into a retirement home. This was another significant transformation for the village.

Here are the four paragraphs brought together to create our finished essay.

Finished IELTS Map Essay

essay maps

This sample IELTS map essay is well over the minimum word limit so you can see that you don’t have space to include very much detail at all. That’s why it is essential to select just a couple of main features to write about.

Now use what you’ve learnt in this lesson to practice answering other IELTS map  questions. Start slowly at first and keep practicing until you can plan and write a complete essay in around 20 minutes.

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  • Click on the HTML link code below.
  • Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Like this page?

Ielts academic writing task 1 – all lessons.

IELTS Academic Writing  –  A summary of the test including important facts, test format & assessment.

Academic Writing Task 1  – The format, the 7 question types & sample questions, assessment & marking criteria.  All the key information you need to know.

Understanding Task 1 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 1 Essay  –  Discover  3 reasons why you must plan, the 4 simple steps of essay planning and learn a simple 4 part essay structure.

Vocabulary for Task 1 Essays  –  Learn key vocabulary for a high-scoring essay. Word lists & a downloadable PDF.

Grammar for Task 1 Essays   – Essential grammar for Task 1 Academic essays including, verb tenses, key sentence structures, articles & prepositions.

The 7 Question Types:

Click the links below for a step-by-step lesson on each type of Task 1 question.

  • Table Chart
  • Process Diagram
  • Multiple Graphs
  • IELTS Writing
  • IELTS Maps Essays
  • Back To Top

 * New * Grammar For IELTS Ebooks

essay maps

$9.99 each       Full Set   Just   $ 23.97

Find Out More >>

IELTS Courses

essay maps

Full details...

essay maps

IELTS Writing Ebook

essay maps

Discount Offer

$7 each       Full Set Just   $ 21

essay maps

Find out more >>

Testimonials

“I am very excited to have found such fabulous and detailed content. I commend your good work.”  Jose M.

“Thanks for the amazing videos. These are ‘to the point’, short videos, beautifully explained with practical examples."  Adari J.

"Hi Jacky, I bought a listening book from you this morning. You know what? I’m 100% satisfied. It’s super helpful. If I’d had the chance to read this book 7 years ago, my job would be very different now."  Loi H.

"Hi Jacky, I recently got my IELTS results and I was pleased to discover that I got an 8.5 score. I'm firmly convinced your website and your videos played a strategic role in my preparation. I was able to improve my writing skills thanks to the effective method you provide. I also only relied on your tips regarding the reading section and I was able to get a 9! Thank you very much." Giano

“After listening to your videos, I knew I had to ditch every other IELTS tutor I'd been listening to. Your explanations are clear and easy to understand. Anyways, I took the test a few weeks ago and my result came back: Speaking 7, listening 9, Reading 8.5 and Writing 7 with an average band score of 8. Thanks, IELTS Jacky." Laide Z.

      Contact

      About Me

      Site Map

      Privacy Policy

      Disclaimer

IELTS changes lives.

Let's work together so it changes yours too.

Copyright  © 2024     IELT Jacky     

All Right Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

GetGoodEssay

Read Write Think Essay Map | Students Guide

Read Write Think Essay Map is an online tool that helps students prepare for their essays. This website provides students with a map of the essay topics, breakdowns for each topic, and practice questions that are created to show a student how to answer the question on their map.

What is an essay map?

An essay map is a diagram that helps students understand the structure of an essay. It also provides tips for writing essays.

How to make an essay map

An essay map is a great way to help you organize and visualize your thoughts while writing an essay. When you have an essay map in front of you, it will help you to better understand the relationships between your ideas, and it will make it easier for you to find specific information when you need it.

The following steps will help you create an essay map:

  • Start by creating a list of all the main ideas that you want to discuss in your essay. These could be topics like your thesis statement, main points, or examples.
  • Next, start drawing connections between these ideas. This can be done by connecting them with lines or arrows. Try to think of how each idea supports or impacts the others.
  • Once the connections are established, start sketching out your outline on the map. This will help you see where each section of your essay will be located, and it will also provide a visual representation of your thoughts.
  • Finally, go back and add any additional details or citations that may be necessary for your essay . This can include references to other sources, images, or charts.

Types of essay maps

There are three main types of essay maps: analytical, chronological, and thematic. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Analytical essay maps are great for analyzing and criticizing texts . They are also helpful for locating specific passages in a text. Chronological essay maps help students organize their thoughts by placing events in a specific order. Thematic essay maps allow students to explore a topic in more depth. They can also help students develop ideas and arguments.

Each type of essay map has its own advantages and disadvantages. Analytical essay maps are great for analyzing and criticizing texts, while chronological essay maps help students organize their thoughts by placing events in a specific order. Thematic essay maps allow students to explore a topic in more depth, but they can also be difficult to use because they require students to think about the topic in different ways.

Tips for submitting an essay

  • Start by creating an outline of your essay. This will help you stay on track and make sure that each argument is well-supported.
  • Once you have an outline, be sure to flesh out each argument with specific examples.
  • Finally, make sure that your essay flows smoothly and that each section builds on the previous one.
  • How to Write a Thematic Essay | Complete Guide
  • How Do Narratives Shape Our World | Free Example Essay
  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Facebook Essay
  • How to Write an Essay about a Painting | Visual Analysis
  • How To Write An Opinion Essay | 5 Steps To Follow
  • Recent Posts

eve Abigail

  • Essay On Cesare Borgia at Sinigallia - February 15, 2024
  • Essay On the Impact of Julius Caesar’s Murder - February 15, 2024
  • eSSAY oN THE COMPROMISE OF 1850 - February 15, 2024

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

TED IELTS

  • A Beginner’s Guide to IELTS
  • Common Grammar Mistakes [for IELTS Writing Candidates]

Writing Correction Service

  • Free IELTS Resources
  • Practice Speaking Test

Select Page

How to Describe Maps for IELTS Writing Task 1

Posted by David S. Wills | Mar 17, 2021 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

How to Describe Maps for IELTS Writing Task 1

Today, I am going to show you how to describe maps for task 1 of the IELTS writing test. I have written about this before, but this will be the first in-depth lesson on map descriptions. In this lesson, you will find out everything you need to know in order to get a great score if you encounter a map in your next writing test.

ielts map descriptions - a guide

Maps and IELTS: An Overview

First of all, you need to understand the purpose of IELTS map description. In fact, it is important to recognise the purpose of task 1 of the IELTS test! This part of the exam is designed to see how well you can describe things. In that regard, it is quite different from task 2.

Maps are used in IELTS because they require you to describe the physical layout of a location in addition to showing changes over time. Normally, you will be given two maps of the same area and you will be asked to explain what changes have occurred.

It is really important to know this because otherwise you might not understand how to approach the essay. There are many misconceptions about IELTS but really it is quite simple – you are required to show that you can use the language for different purposes.

Types of Map

You will see different types of map in the IELTS writing test. There are maps of streets, towns, villages, islands, parks, and even interior layouts of buildings in some rare cases. However, they pretty much all serve the same function – there will be two maps that show changes over a period of time.

You should not think too much about the type of map as the function is basically the same – it will show a physical location . Your job is to describe that location and then highlight the changes that take place.

Vocabulary for Map Descriptions

I have a full article on vocabulary for describing IELTS maps so you should read that if you want to know the details. This lesson is quite important because it teaches you about the key things you need to know. I will summarise the important parts here.

In describing a map, you have to imagine that your reader cannot see the same image that you see. Your job is to put that image into their head. This requires you to be accurate and concise in the words that you use.

Start with cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. These will help you immensely. It is not enough to say “on the right” because that is relative. One person’s right could be another person’s left.

how to write ielts map essay

You need to know prepositions as well. This is incredibly important. If you get your prepositions wrong, it could lead to a totally inaccurate description of the map. That would be a huge problem.

Example of Direction and Preposition Use

Look at these two maps of a place called Felixstone:

ielts map - felixstone

We can see many changes but before we begin to describe them, we need to explain where those things were.

Where is the farmland?

  • In 1967, there was an area of farmland in the eastern part of the map, just to the north of the road.

Where is the private beach?

  • In 2001, there was a private beach in the southeast of the map. It meets the road at its northernmost point and leads all the way to the sea at the south.

Where are the wind turbines?

  • By 2001, four wind turbines had been added between the dunes and the sea.

Please note that there could be other great ways to describe any of these things. These are just a few examples to show you the uses of accurate language.

Sample Answer

Here is my full description to the Felixstone map:

There are two maps of a place called Felixstone. One map is from 1967 and the other from 2001. Many changes took place in the intervening years, including the removal of a marina and pier. In 1967, Felixstone was comprised of a road with a golf course, high street, and farmland to the north of it. To the south, there were trees and dunes, a hotel and a café, and a marina and fish market. By 2001, the farmland to the north of the road had been replaced by a hotel with a swimming pool and tennis courts. Half of the shops on the main street had been converted into apartments. To the south of the road, the hotel had gained a large car park and some wind turbines were added between the dunes and the sea. However, the biggest change was the removal of the marina and pier, which were replaced by a public beach and a private beach. The fish market beside the pier was also removed.

Tenses and IELTS Task 1 Maps

One thing that people often overlook is the importance of accurate tense use in IELTS task 1. Of course, verb tenses are always important in English. They are complicated but essential for conveying meaning. However, in task 1 people often focus on just describing the physical layout. This is important, but so is capturing time.

Considering my example above, let’s look at the first sentence of paragraph three:

  • By 2001, the farmland to the north of the road had been replaced by a hotel with a swimming pool and tennis courts.

Why did I use the phrase “had been replaced”?

This is the passive form of the past perfect tense . I used the passive form because it was appropriate here. In describing map changes, we do not know who made the change, so passive voice is necessary. As for past perfect, this is how we look further into the past from the perspective of a point in the past.

Let me explain more: This map referred to two points of time – 1967 and 2001. Both of these points of time are in the past. Thus, when we look at changes that have occurred by 2001, we must use look back into the past from the past! It seems so complicated, but it really isn’t.

verb tenses for describing ielts maps

Choosing What to Describe

When it comes to IELTS maps, you might face two potential problems about choosing what to describe:

  • There are too many things to describe.
  • There aren’t enough things to describe.

This can be difficult, particularly in an exam scenario. I would offer the following advice:

  • If it seems that there are too many things, then begin by picking the most important and then describe it as best you can. Then pick other things logically. If you find it is taking too long, you can finish and not worry about the others. After all, you don’t need to describe everything .
  • If it seems that there aren’t enough things, you are going to need to get creative. You should devote a little extra effort to giving details about the key aspects of the map. Don’t just say “there is a bridge in the north.” Say “there is a bridge in the north of the map that goes over the Severn River. It connects the towns of Dorwith and Forlsom.” This will help you to use more words. However, it really shouldn’t be a problem as IELTS maps tend to contain enough data to easily write 150 words.

Anyway, the most important thing is that you select the most important data and sequence it logically.

How to Structure an IELTS Map Description

I wrote this article on IELTS writing task 1 essay structures. You should read this because maps really don’t require anything special. The structure will basically be the same as it would for charts, tables, and so on. It should look like this:

  • Introduction – say what the map is and highlight a key change
  • Body paragraph one – describe the first map
  • Body paragraph two – describe the second map and highlight changes

There are other reasonable ways to approach this. You may, for example, devote a paragraph to the main changes and another paragraph to lesser changes. However, it is usually best to give a paragraph on each of the two maps.

One thing is the “general trend” sentence. As you probably know, IELTS writing task 1 essays require a sentence that gives the general trend of a chart or table. However, there is no such thing for maps. You can instead highlight a significant change or try to capture the gist of the differences.

Video about Difficult Maps for IELTS

Last year, I made this video about describing difficult IELTS maps. You might find it useful given the information in this lesson.

You can also find sample map descriptions here and here . On a related note, you can find IELTS listening map skills here .

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

Related Posts

Synonyms for People

Synonyms for People

October 14, 2022

Describe a Book You Have Read Recently

Describe a Book You Have Read Recently

January 6, 2018

How to Prepare for IELTS During a Pandemic

How to Prepare for IELTS During a Pandemic

March 24, 2020

Improve your IELTS Speaking Score Immediately

Improve your IELTS Speaking Score Immediately

August 4, 2017

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Download my IELTS Books

books about ielts writing

Recent Posts

  • Airport Vocabulary
  • How to Put Examples in an IELTS Essay
  • Taking Up A New Sport [Sample IELTS Letter]
  • Pluralisation: An Essential Grammar Guide
  • Content or Contents?

ielts writing correction service

Recent Comments

  • tufail khan on IELTS Discussion Essays [Discuss Both Views/Sides]
  • David S. Wills on The Dangers of Relying on Technology [Sample Answer]
  • Anh Nguyen Duc on The Dangers of Relying on Technology [Sample Answer]
  • nandhu on IELTS Speaking Partners
  • Le thi ngoc on Best (Legally) Free IELTS Ebooks
  • Lesson Plans
  • Model Essays
  • TED Video Lessons
  • Weekly Roundup

Outlines for Paragraphs and Essays

  • Outlines: Paragraphs and Essays
  • Why outlines? I hate outlines!!!
  • Outline: Five-Sentence Hamburger Paragraph
  • Outline: Five-Sentence Reason Paragraph
  • Outline: Five-Sentence Expository Paragraph
  • Outine: Cause or Effect -- Paragraph on Reasons or Results, Not Both
  • Outline: Cause or "Reasons" Paragraph
  • Outline: Effects or "Results" Similarities -- Feature by Feature
  • Compare Contrast -- Paragraph on Similarities or Differences, Not Both
  • Outline: Differences Paragraph -- Block Method
  • Outline: Differences Paragraph -- By Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Outline: Similiarities Paragraph -- Block Method
  • Outline: Similarities Paragraph -- Feature by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Forms of Argument Essay or Paragraph
  • Outline: Opponent First
  • Outline: Arranged by Argument (or Point-by-Point)
  • Outine: Extended Hamburger Paragraph
  • Outine: Extended Reason Paragraph
  • Outline: Extended Expository Paragraph
  • Outline: Extended Cause (Reason) Paragraph
  • Outline: Extended Effects (Results) Paragraph
  • Outline: Extended Paragraph Differences -- Block Method
  • Outline: Extended Paragraph Differences -- By Feature (or point-by-point)
  • Outline: Extended Paragraph Similiarities -- By Block
  • Outline: Extended Paragraph Similarities -- By Feature (or Point by Point)
  • Outline: Hamburger Essay
  • Outline: Reason Essay
  • Outline: Expository Essay
  • Outline: Cause (Reasons) Essay
  • Outline: Effects (Results) Essay
  • Outline: Differences Essay -- Block Method
  • Outline: Differences Essay by Feature (Point-by-Point)
  • Outline: Similarities Essay -- Block Method
  • Outline: Similarites Essay -- by Feature (or Point by Point)
  • Outline: Argument Essay -- Opponent First
  • Outline: Argument Essay -- by Argument or Point-by-Point
  • Outline: Long Hamburger Essay
  • Outline: Long Reason Essay
  • Outline: Long Expository Essay
  • Outline: Long Cause (Reasons) Essay
  • Outline: Long Effects (Results) Essay
  • Outline: Long Differences Essay -- Block Method
  • Outline: Long Differences Essay -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Long Similarities Essay -- Block Method
  • Long Similarities Essay -- by Feature (or Point by Point)
  • Outline: Long Essay -- Opponent First
  • Outline: Long Essay -- Arranged by Argument (or Point-by-Point)
  • Full Paragraphs and Essays
  • Five-Sentence Hamburger Paragraph
  • Five-Sentence Reason Paragraph
  • Five-Sentence Expository Paragraph
  • Cause or Effect -- Paragraph on Reasons or Results, Not Both
  • Five-Sentence Cause (Reasons) Paragraph
  • Five-Sentence Effects (Results) Paragraph
  • Basic Differences Paragraph -- Block Method
  • Basic Differences Paragraph -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Basic Similarities Paragraph -- Block Method
  • Basic Similarities Paragraph -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Basic Argument Paragraph -- Opponent First
  • Basic Argument Paragraph -- Arranged by Argument (or Point-by-Point)
  • Long Hamburger Paragraph
  • Long Reason Paragraph
  • Long Expository Paragraph
  • Long Cause (Reasons) Paragraph
  • Long Effects (Results) Paragraph
  • Compare Contrast -- Long Paragraph on Similarities or Differences, Not Both
  • Long Differences Paragraph -- Block Method
  • Long Differences Paragraph -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Long Similarities Paragraph -- Block Method
  • Long Similarities Paragraph -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Long Argument Paragraph -- Opponent First
  • Long Argument Paragraph -- Arranged by Argument (or Point-by-Point)
  • Writing an Introduction
  • Hamburger Essay
  • Reason Essay
  • Expository Essay
  • Cause (Reasons) Essay
  • Effects (Results) Essay
  • Differences Essay -- Block Method
  • Differences Essay -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Similarities Essay -- Block Method
  • Similarities Essay-- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Argument Essay -- Opponent First
  • Argument Essay -- Arranged by Argument (or Point-by-Point)
  • Long Hamburger Essay
  • Long Reason Essay
  • Long Expository Essay
  • Long Cause (Reasons) Essay
  • Long Effects (Results) Essay
  • Long Differences Essay -- Block Method
  • Long Differences Essay -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Long Similarities Essay -- by Feature (or Point-by-Point)
  • Long Argument Essay -- Opponent First
  • Long Argument Essay -- Arranged by Argument (or Point-by-Point)

A glacier calving makes a huge splash.

Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers shut down the Gulf Stream, we would see extreme climate change within decades, study shows

essay maps

Postdoctoral Researcher in Climate Physics, Utrecht University

essay maps

Professor of Physics, Utrecht University

essay maps

Climate Model Specialist, Utrecht University

Disclosure statement

René van Westen receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC-AdG project 101055096, TAOC).

Henk A. Dijkstra receives funding from the European Research Council (ERC-AdG project 101055096, TAOC, PI: Dijkstra).

Michael Kliphuis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

View all partners

Superstorms, abrupt climate shifts and New York City frozen in ice. That’s how the blockbuster Hollywood movie “ The Day After Tomorrow ” depicted an abrupt shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean’s circulation and the catastrophic consequences.

While Hollywood’s vision was over the top, the 2004 movie raised a serious question: If global warming shuts down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which is crucial for carrying heat from the tropics to the northern latitudes, how abrupt and severe would the climate changes be?

Twenty years after the movie’s release, we know a lot more about the Atlantic Ocean’s circulation. Instruments deployed in the ocean starting in 2004 show that the Atlantic Ocean circulation has observably slowed over the past two decades, possibly to its weakest state in almost a millennium . Studies also suggest that the circulation has reached a dangerous tipping point in the past that sent it into a precipitous, unstoppable decline, and that it could hit that tipping point again as the planet warms and glaciers and ice sheets melt.

In a new study using the latest generation of Earth’s climate models, we simulated the flow of fresh water until the ocean circulation reached that tipping point.

The results showed that the circulation could fully shut down within a century of hitting the tipping point, and that it’s headed in that direction. If that happened, average temperatures would drop by several degrees in North America, parts of Asia and Europe, and people would see severe and cascading consequences around the world.

We also discovered a physics-based early warning signal that can alert the world when the Atlantic Ocean circulation is nearing its tipping point.

The ocean’s conveyor belt

Ocean currents are driven by winds, tides and water density differences .

In the Atlantic Ocean circulation, the relatively warm and salty surface water near the equator flows toward Greenland. During its journey it crosses the Caribbean Sea, loops up into the Gulf of Mexico, and then flows along the U.S. East Coast before crossing the Atlantic.

Two illustrations show how the AMOC looks today and its weaker state in the future

This current, also known as the Gulf Stream, brings heat to Europe. As it flows northward and cools, the water mass becomes heavier. By the time it reaches Greenland, it starts to sink and flow southward. The sinking of water near Greenland pulls water from elsewhere in the Atlantic Ocean and the cycle repeats, like a conveyor belt .

Too much fresh water from melting glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet can dilute the saltiness of the water, preventing it from sinking, and weaken this ocean conveyor belt . A weaker conveyor belt transports less heat northward and also enables less heavy water to reach Greenland, which further weakens the conveyor belt’s strength. Once it reaches the tipping point , it shuts down quickly.

What happens to the climate at the tipping point?

The existence of a tipping point was first noticed in an overly simplified model of the Atlantic Ocean circulation in the early 1960s . Today’s more detailed climate models indicate a continued slowing of the conveyor belt’s strength under climate change. However, an abrupt shutdown of the Atlantic Ocean circulation appeared to be absent in these climate models.

This is where our study comes in. We performed an experiment with a detailed climate model to find the tipping point for an abrupt shutdown by slowly increasing the input of fresh water.

We found that once it reaches the tipping point, the conveyor belt shuts down within 100 years. The heat transport toward the north is strongly reduced, leading to abrupt climate shifts.

The result: Dangerous cold in the North

Regions that are influenced by the Gulf Stream receive substantially less heat when the circulation stops. This cools the North American and European continents by a few degrees.

The European climate is much more influenced by the Gulf Stream than other regions. In our experiment, that meant parts of the continent changed at more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) per decade – far faster than today’s global warming of about 0.36 F (0.2 C) per decade. We found that parts of Norway would experience temperature drops of more than 36 F (20 C). On the other hand, regions in the Southern Hemisphere would warm by a few degrees.

Two maps show US and Europe both cooling by several degrees if the AMOC stops.

These temperature changes develop over about 100 years. That might seem like a long time, but on typical climate time scales, it is abrupt.

The conveyor belt shutting down would also affect sea level and precipitation patterns, which can push other ecosystems closer to their tipping points . For example, the Amazon rainforest is vulnerable to declining precipitation . If its forest ecosystem turned to grassland, the transition would release carbon to the atmosphere and result in the loss of a valuable carbon sink, further accelerating climate change.

The Atlantic circulation has slowed significantly in the distant past . During glacial periods when ice sheets that covered large parts of the planet were melting, the influx of fresh water slowed the Atlantic circulation, triggering huge climate fluctuations.

So, when will we see this tipping point?

The big question – when will the Atlantic circulation reach a tipping point – remains unanswered. Observations don’t go back far enough to provide a clear result. While a recent study suggested that the conveyor belt is rapidly approaching its tipping point , possibly within a few years, these statistical analyses made several assumptions that give rise to uncertainty.

Instead, we were able to develop a physics-based and observable early warning signal involving the salinity transport at the southern boundary of the Atlantic Ocean. Once a threshold is reached, the tipping point is likely to follow in one to four decades.

A line chart of circulation strength shows a quick drop-off after the amount of freshwater in the ocean hits a tipping point.

The climate impacts from our study underline the severity of such an abrupt conveyor belt collapse. The temperature, sea level and precipitation changes will severely affect society, and the climate shifts are unstoppable on human time scales.

It might seem counterintuitive to worry about extreme cold as the planet warms, but if the main Atlantic Ocean circulation shuts down from too much meltwater pouring in, that’s the risk ahead.

This article was updated on Feb. 11, 2024, to fix a typo: The experiment found temperatures in parts of Europe changed by more than 5 F per decade.

  • Climate change
  • Global warming
  • Extreme weather
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Climate models
  • Greenland ice sheet
  • Ocean circulation

essay maps

General Manager | La Trobe University, Sydney Campus

essay maps

Administrative Officer

essay maps

Lecturer / Senior Lecturer - Business Law & Taxation

essay maps

Newsletters and Social Media Manager

essay maps

Industrial Officer (Senior)

essay maps

MAPS ESSAY EXAMPLES

IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic Maps Essay Examples

View High Band Score Examples Of IELTS Writing Task 1Academic Maps Essays.

IELTS Writing Task 1 – Maps Example Essay 4

IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic map essay example that is a band score 8.  The question is: The map below shows the changes in an American town between 1948 and 2010. Take a look at the sample answer.

IELTS Writing Task 1 – Maps Example Essay 3

IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic map essay example that is a band score 8.  The question is: The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket. Take a look at the sample answer.

IELTS Writing Task 1 – Maps Example Essay 2

IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic map essay example that is a band score 8.  The question is: The diagram shows the proposed changes to Foster road. Write a 150-word report describing the proposed changes for a local committee. Take a look at the sample answer.

IELTS Writing Task 1 – Maps Example Essay 1

IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic map essay example that is a band score 8.  The question is: The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities. Take a look at the sample answer.

  • Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Creating Photo Essays About Community: A Guide to Our Where We Are Contest

Step-by-step directions for depicting what’s memorable and meaningful about groups and the places where they gather.

A group of young people lying on a weathered wooden stage, with their heads resting on one another's stomachs and their arms embracing one another. Some of the people are texting or holding their phones up to take selfies.

By Katherine Schulten

It’s hard not to be inspired by the immersive 2023 photo-essay series Where We Are .

As you scroll through and are introduced to young female wrestlers in India , rappers in Spain , band kids in Ohio and Black debutantes in Detroit , you can’t help but think about the communities you have been a part of — or have noticed in your own neighborhood or school.

That’s why we hope you’ll participate in our new contest , which invites teenagers to use these photo essays as mentor texts to document the local, offline communities that most interest them.

How do you go about that? The steps are outlined below.

Have fun, and if you are submitting to our contest, make sure you do so by March 20.

How to Create Your Photo Essay

Step 1: read the where we are series closely., step 2: decide what local community will be the subject of your photo essay., step 3: take photos that show both the big picture and the small details., step 4: interview members of the community about why it is special., step 5: give your photo essay context via a short written introduction., step 6: write captions for your photos that give new information or add depth or color., step 7: edit all the pieces together and submit..

Immerse yourself in several of these photo essays, using our related activity sheet to help you start to notice and name some of the things that make this series special.

When you’re done, we’ll help you use those same strategies to document the community you have chosen.

Here are free links to the entire series:

1. The Magic of Your First Car 2. At This Mexican Restaurant, Everyone is Family 3. Where the Band Kids Are 4. In This Nigerian Market, Young Women Find a Place of Their Own 5. At Camp Naru, Nobody Is ‘an Outlier’ 6. For Black Debutantes in Detroit, Cotillion Is More Than a Ball 7. At This Wrestling Academy, Indian Girls Are ‘Set Free’ 8. In Seville, Spain, These Young Rappers Come Together to Turn ‘Tears Into Rhymes’ 9. For a Queer Community in Los Angeles, This Public Park Is a Lifeline 10. In Guatemala, a Collective of Young Artists Finds Family Through Film 11. On a Caribbean Island, Young People Find Freedom in ‘Bike Life’ 12. At This Texas Campus Ministry, ‘Inclusive Love’ Is the Mission 13. For Young Arab Americans in Michigan, the Hookah Lounge Feels like Home

A local band and its fans? The kids who hang out at a nearby basketball court? The people who tend a community garden? Your grandpa’s weekly breakfast with old friends at a local diner?

Our related Student Opinion forum will help you brainstorm ideas and then encourage you to detail what’s special about the people and place you choose. Remember that our rules allow you to work with up to three other people on this project, so consider sharing ideas with others to find a project that excites all of you.

Though we will allow you to choose a community you are a part of, we encourage you not to. Approaching a group as an outsider can help you notice and document aspects of that community with relative objectivity, capturing details that insiders may be too close to see.

Once you’ve chosen a group to photograph, begin by introducing yourself to ensure the participants are open to your project. Make sure they understand that, if you are a finalist, the pictures you take may be published on the New York Times website. You should also be sure to get contact information from each member of the group for any follow-up questions.

Next, spend a day or so just observing, noticing how and where the members of this community spend time, what they do together and how they relate to one another. Start to plan your piece, keeping in mind that, via six to eight photos, photo captions and a short introduction, you’ll need to impart the following:

What is this community?

Who is in it?

Where and when does it meet?

How did the community come to be? How does it operate?

Why does it matter to its participants? What is it about the connections people make in this space that makes it special? Why should it matter to viewers?

If there’s one thing to notice about the Where We Are series, it is that the photos and the writing both “zoom out” to provide a big picture and “zoom in” to focus on the meaningful details. If you have followed our related activity sheet , you’ve already noted how individual pieces do that.

You might have also observed that in each photo essay there are images that show the physical space; images that spotlight the people who gather there; and close-up images that focus on meaningful objects or details, like food, clothing, tattoos, jewelry, hair or hands.

Here are some steps you can take to do this too.

1. Ground your piece in a specific physical space.

Keep in mind that our contest allows you to submit only eight photos, so the more specific you can be about the place you choose, the easier it will be to tell a story. For example, rather than trying to document everything about the boys’ soccer team at your school, you might focus on their Wednesday practices at a local field.

Take photos that establish that space, perhaps at different times of day, from a variety of angles, with and without people. Here, for instance, is Sarapes, a Mexican restaurant in a quiet Connecticut suburb that is a “headquarters” for a group of 20-somethings.

As you look at this image and the ones below, ask yourself:

What can you tell about this space from the photograph?

What can you guess about the people who gather here, and what might this place might mean to them? What do you see that makes you say that?

Here is a meeting area at the Texas Wesley Foundation , a Methodist campus ministry group at University of Texas at Austin.

And here is the caption that comes with it:

“We call ourselves a Methodist group, but we are enthusiastic to accept people of other faiths, people who might not have any faith, or who are questioning their faith,” said Brandon. “We really like to meet people where they’re at.”

How do the caption and image echo and build on each other?

Next is one of many shots of Camp Naru , a summer camp for Korean American youth, where fostering a “strong, secure sense of identity and community is one of the main goals.” How can you see that in this image?

Finally, here is a big-picture look at the Southern California landscape that is the setting for “ The Magic of Your First Car .” What adjectives come to mind? Before you read the full piece, what can you already imagine about the teenagers who “get away from the prying eyes of parents” by driving? What additional images might you expect to see in the full essay?

2. Focus on the people who gather there.

Community is all about people, so consider the ways you can document both the ways they come together and the ways they might experience the group individually.

For instance, here is an arresting close-up image from “ For a Queer Community in Los Angeles, This Public Park Is a Lifeline .” What is interesting about it to you? How does the photo speak to the title of the piece?

Here is an image from “ Where the Band Kids Are .” What adjectives would you use to describe this community based on what you see here?

Here is another group shot. What adjectives would you use to describe this community? What would you expect individual portraits of its members to show?

Now, look at the related photo essay to see how close your answers were.

Here are some of the people that call Sarapes , the Mexican restaurant, their refuge. Action shots like this one often tell a viewer more than posed photos. What does this one say to you?

Finally, here is an image from “ On a Caribbean Island, Young People Find Freedom in ‘Bike Life.’ ” Though we don’t see any faces, the composition of the photo tells us a great deal. What do you think is going on here? What do you see that makes you say that? After you make your guesses, click into the photo essay and see how accurate your ideas were.

3. Zoom in on telling details about the people and the place.

You looked at a “zoomed out” image above from “ The Magic of Your First Car .” Here is a close-up. What does it tell you? What compositional elements give you that information? Why do you think the photographer chose this focus?

If you’ve already looked at several of the photo essays, you may have noticed that many, like this one, contain close-ups of hands. Why do you think that is?

Next, can you guess which photo essay the image below is from?

Before we reveal the answer, here is another close-up from the same photo essay, this one taken at night. Are you getting warmer?

Answer: “ At Camp Naru, Nobody Is ‘an Outlier.’ ” If you got it right, what clues in the photos helped? How do the images echo the idea expressed in the title?

Below is a photo that focuses on one member of a queer community in Los Angeles . What do you notice? What do you admire about the composition, the lighting, the angle or anything else? Why?

Now let’s look at a big-picture image and a close-up to see how they work together. Here is a shot from “ For Black Debutantes in Detroit, Cotillion Is More Than a Ball .”

Finally, here is a close-up. What do the two tell you together? What would be missing if you only took one type of shot?

4. Don’t forget to experiment and have fun.

If you’ve mastered the ideas above, now it’s time to play. As you worked through the images, you asked yourself, “How does composition convey meaning?” even if you didn’t realize that was what you were doing.

Our detailed photo guide , developed for an earlier contest, encourages you to think about how to experiment with basic composition techniques like rule of thirds, angle, depth of field, leading lines, framing and distance. It also helps you think about lighting, color and cropping, as well as making the best use of the tools available on most smartphones.

Read through it before and after you have documented your community and then look through the images you have taken. Do you have enough variety? Can you identify techniques like rule of thirds and leading lines in the images from the Where We Are series? If you haven’t used them in your own work, could you experiment?

Below are a few more images from Where We Are essays for inspiration. What do you notice? What compositional choices did the photographer make? How would different choices change the meaning?

Last question: Two of the four images above are from the same photo essay. Which are they, which piece do they come from, and how did you know? What unites the two images?

According to the rules of our contest, you only need one quote from a member of the community you have chosen, but, of course, you are allowed to use many more. We encourage you to weave them into both your captions and your introduction, just as the authors of the Where We Are series did.

Never conducted an interview before? We have advice. Scroll down to Steps 3 and 4 in this guide we created for our Profile Contest to find many practical tips from Times journalists for preparing for and conducting an interview.

But to start, you just need a few good questions. For example, you might ask:

What’s special about this community for you?

What do you like to do here?

What are some of your favorite memories or stories about this group?

What would an outsider to this community not understand or notice?

Is there history about this place or these people that I should understand?

If you were photographing this community, what important places, objects or moments would you try to capture? Why?

Finally, many journalists end interviews with this question: “Is there anything I didn’t ask that you wish I did?” Sometimes the most interesting information is elicited that way!

Then look over what you wrote down and choose the best quotes. Maybe they give information that your photo essay needs, maybe they are colorful and show personality or maybe they do all of those things.

To see how this works, we’ll look at one of the essays, “ At This Texas Campus Ministry, ‘Inclusive Love’ Is the Mission .”

Here is how the first quote was used, in the introduction:

Sydney had grown up Methodist and thought she knew what to expect from a Christian student organization. But she was surprised by just how welcoming the Wesley was. The students and adult leaders seemed genuinely invested in drawing her out of her shell and getting to know her, with no agenda. “It’s really not about getting people into this religion,” she said. “It’s just about being a community who supports others and loves others. And that was huge to me.”

How does it both paraphrase Sydney’s words and directly quote her? What does that quote tell the reader up front about this community? Why is that information important, and why might a participant’s own words be a compelling way to express this?

Later we meet Ethan. What does his experience — again, both paraphrased and directly quoted — add to your understanding of the inclusivity of this community? What colorful description does he offer for what happens in this group? How does this description add information to what is depicted in the photos?

Ethan’s parents are Buddhist and were surprised when their son started spending so much time with a Methodist organization. For his part, Ethan describes himself as agnostic and says he hasn’t felt any pressure from the Wesley to change that, but he appreciates the camaraderie the group offers. “There was this one worship where, when there was a swell in the music, someone burst into tears, and then they hugged one of their friends. I am not sure what was going on there, but it was definitely a very profound experience,” he said.

Listen for the same things as you interview. How can one person’s description of an experience add necessary information, depth, history or background to what you have depicted in images? Did you get any quotes that are too good not to use? How could you highlight them? Do they belong in your introduction or as a photo caption?

The essays in the Where We Are series are longer than the introductions you will write if you are participating in this contest. Many of those essays are about 600 words, double what we have allowed student participants. (You have up to 300 words, but you can use fewer if you can still convey what you need to.)

But you can use the first few paragraphs of each essay — what appears before the first photos — as mentor texts for your own introductions, and we’ll show you how, below.

First though, let’s remember your broader goals. As we wrote at the top of this post, together, your introduction, photo essay and captions should answer these questions:

Why does it matter to its participants? Why should it matter to viewers?

Take a look at “ In This Nigerian Market, Young Women Find a Place of Their Own ” as an example. Here is the introduction, the first 200 or so words before the photo essay begins to scroll:

At the bustling Yaba Market in Lagos, Nigeria, there is something for everyone. Chatter rises from the traders, whose stalls sprawl over miles of cracked gray concrete and packed earth. They might be selling baskets of fresh fruit, wheelbarrows stuffed with phone cases, piles of sequined fabrics or racks of second-hand clothes. If you’re lucky, you might find a vintage jacket you’ve been searching for, or a pair of long-lasting Levi’s jeans. But you’re never going to be as lucky as Dencity : the coolest of the cool kids of Lagos. These skaters, often clad in a uniform of baggy pants and crop tops, head to the market to go thrifting each week. They’re armed with fashion knowledge only the young, fun and determined can possess and seek out the best streetwear they can find. Founded by 26-year-old Blessing Ewona in 2020 in response to the dearth of spaces for young queer people and female skaters in Nigeria, Dencity skate, dream and thrift together. From their trips to the market to regular skate meet-ups at the dilapidated National Stadium or Tarkwa Bay beach, they have traced their own map of the city.

How many of the questions we listed above do these paragraphs answer? How do they work with the top image, which we’ve embedded above this section? What descriptions stand out? What context and background does it provide?

Now let’s break your task down.

1. Make your writing as vivid and varied as your images.

Much of the writing in these essays is just as interesting as the photos, as the example above shows. Here is another, the opening of “ At This Wrestling Academy, Indian Girls Are ‘Set Free’ ”:

As the winter sun ascends over a mustard farm, pale orange bleeding into sharp yellow, a line of 36 girls all dressed alike — T-shirts, track pants, crew cuts — emerges into an open field, rubbing sleep from their eyes. Under a tin shed, they sit on their haunches, bent over stone mortars. For the next 20 minutes, they crush raw almonds into a fine paste, straining out a bottle of nut milk. They will need it to regain their strength.

And here is how “ On a Caribbean Island, Young People Find Freedom in ‘Bike Life’ ” begins:

On a warm evening in October 2021, Enzo Crispin mounted his cobalt motorcycle and set off into the night. Hundreds of others joined his caravan, the rumbles of their engines filling the air of Fort-de-France, the capital of the French Caribbean island territory of Martinique. The riders popped up on one wheel, stood up on their bikes, brushed their hands along the ground — all while zooming along at top speed. Completely exhilarating. Potentially illegal, at least on public streets. This is “cabrage,” which roughly translates from French as a rodeo on wheels.

How do these introductions both “zoom out” and “zoom in”? How do they play on your senses, helping you see, hear, taste, touch and smell this place and what happens in it? How could you do those things in your introduction?

2. Offer background to help viewers understand what they are seeing and what it means.

Here is the introduction to “ For Young Arab Americans in Michigan, the Hookah Lounge Feels Like Home ”:

Coming of age is marked by a series of firsts. Your first kiss. Your first job. Your first drink. Many who grew up in Dearborn, Mich., would add to the list: your first hookah. Located just outside downtown Detroit, Dearborn is home to one of the United States’ largest Arab American communities: Nearly 50 percent of residents identify as having Arab ancestry, according to the U.S. census . Middle Eastern shops, where you may find portable hookah cups , dot the streets. There is also the Arab American National Museum (which sells hookah-themed socks) and the Islamic Center of America , one of the nation’s oldest and largest mosques. And then there is the long list of hookah lounges, where locals spend hours leisurely smoking flavored tobacco through water pipes while catching up, watching soccer games or enjoying a live Arabic music performance. “A spot like a hookah lounge, it’s sacred,” particularly for immigrants and refugees far from home, said Marrim (pronounced Mariam) Akashi Sani, 25, who is Iraqi-Iranian. “And it’s something you have to create for yourself when you’re displaced, and you might not ever be able to go back home because you don’t really know what home is anymore.”

How do the opening two lines grab your attention? How does the demographic information in the third paragraph explain the focus on hookah lounges? How does the quote at the end offer important information that complements the demographic data and gives it meaning?

Next is the introduction to “ For Black Debutantes in Detroit, Cotillion Is More Than a Ball ”:

In a heady swirl of bright white silk and lace, the young ladies of the Cotillion Society of Detroit Educational Foundation are presented as debutantes. The Society’s annual ball is the culmination of eight months of etiquette lessons, leadership workshops, community service projects and cultural events. As the girls take to the dance floor, they become part of a legacy of Black debutantes in the city and beyond. Debutante balls, which traditionally helped girls from high society find suitable husbands, emerged from Europe in the 18th century. Black Americans have adopted a unique version of them since at least 1895 . Responding to the politics of the Jim Crow era, these balls, which emphasized women’s education, echoed the work of the racial upliftment movement and women’s clubs, said Taylor Bythewood-Porter, the curator of a recent exhibition on Black cotillions at the California African American Museum. Organizers saw the balls as a way to “dismiss the idea of Black people not being smart enough, or good enough, or worthy enough.” For today’s debutantes, many of whom grew up in predominantly white neighborhoods of Detroit, gaining an informal network of Black adult mentors was “life-changing,” said Sage Johnson, 17. “Signing up for debutantes, I thought it was just one big ball. But there were a lot more layers to it.”

How do the second and third paragraphs add key context and history to this photo essay? How does the quote at the end bring these cotillions into the 21st century, and help you anticipate what is to come?

Ask yourself, What background will my viewers need to understand what they are seeing, and appreciate its nuances? Do I need to add that information myself, or can some of the quotes from participants do that work for me?

In most traditional newspaper articles, you will find a caption under each photo explaining more detail about the image and its relationship to the story. As you scroll through Where We Are, however, you’ve probably noticed that, thanks to the elegant way these pieces are produced, the captions float up on or around the photos.

In these essays, the captions continue the story. Your captions will do that too. But in the Where We Are pieces, photo captions are interspersed with more of the written essay. Because you are doing a “mini” version of this project, however, after your initial introduction, the only writing we will read will come from your captions. Make sure they continue to tell your story in a way that makes sense to the reader and helps build meaning.

For instance, here is an image from “ In Guatemala, A Collective of Young Artists Finds Family Through Film .”

The caption?

The team has quickly become a family, meeting up for dinners and to celebrate each other’s birthdays. They are, said Sebastián, a community first and a production house second.

Notice how those words work with the image. Can you see “family” and “community” and “team” conveyed in the way this image is composed, the looks on the faces, the colors and light? How?

Here is another example, from “ In Seville, Spain, These Young Rappers Come Together to Turn ‘Tears Into Rhymes’ .” Before you read the caption, what do you imagine is happening in this picture?

Here is the caption, which both offers some background about the group and includes a wonderful quote:

Luis Rodríguez Collado, at right, the youngest of the group, grew up in Spain, the child of Mexican immigrants. “We aren’t just emoting with language, but with song and dance, with sounds and rhythm,” said Luis, a.k.a. Luis 3K. “At 19, I sincerely don’t know anything more liberating than this.”

As you construct your captions, ask yourself:

What information do I need to add to these images to make the meaning and nuances clear?

Can using quotes from participants work? What might they add?

How do these captions continue the story I started in my introduction? Do they build on one another and make sense both separately and together? Do they avoid repetition, with each other or with the introduction? Do they strengthen the key ideas of my piece? How?

At this point you may have dozens of images, and pages of notes. How do you put it all together?

Way back when you were first analyzing the Where We Are series, we called your attention to the fact that the images, essay and captions don’t repeat information exactly the same way . Each element adds something new.

We also talked about how, from the very first image, the one the authors chose for the top, a theme is hinted at, and then echoed in the introduction and continued in the captions. Whatever key ideas about this community you want to get across — maybe that it is a refuge or home, that it offers freedom or that it challenges participants creatively or athletically — look through your images and writing and find all the ways you think you have done that. Do you need more emphasis on this theme? A variety of ways of showing it?

Speaking of variety , that’s another lens to look through when considering your piece as a whole. In terms of both the photos and the writing, have you “zoomed out” enough to establish a place and a context? Have you “zoomed in” to show detail? Are your images taken from different angles and points of view? Do they show both the group and individuals? Are they dynamic and interesting and surprising?

Then, show your work to others, and, perhaps, ask them to analyze it using the last four questions on our related activity sheet . That will prompt them to tell you what is working, but make sure to also ask them if there is anything confusing about your piece, or if they think there is information missing.

Then, go back and fill in anything your piece needs, and play with the sequence of your images until they tell the story you want to tell.

Good luck. We can’t wait to see the results!

Katherine Schulten has been a Learning Network editor since 2006. Before that, she spent 19 years in New York City public schools as an English teacher, school-newspaper adviser and literacy coach. More about Katherine Schulten

IMAGES

  1. Essay Map

    essay maps

  2. Essay Map

    essay maps

  3. Essay Map (free download)

    essay maps

  4. How to Use Mind Maps for an Effective Essay Writing

    essay maps

  5. Essay Map Graphic Organizer by Kat Mogensen

    essay maps

  6. Mind Map for Essay: Complete Guide With Useful Tips

    essay maps

VIDEO

  1. what does this map means

  2. Here are examples for ✨ maps ✨

  3. study map worlds 🌍❣️ #mapping #world #studyinspiration #hardwork #successmotivation

  4. 10th Geography Maps

  5. Part 1: Explanatory and Descriptive Map

COMMENTS

  1. Essay Map

    Essay Map Grades 3 - 12 Printout Type Graphic Organizer View Printout About this printout Use this graphic organizer to develop an outline for an essay that includes an introductory statement, main ideas, supporting details, and a conclusion. Teaching with this printout More ideas to try Related Resources Teaching with this printout

  2. Essay Map

    The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate. Grades 3 - 12 | Student Interactive | Organizing & Summarizing Compare & Contrast Map

  3. Mind Maps for Essay Writing (Guide + Examples)

    1) Write the subject in the center of your paper / canvas. 2) Draw branches that point away from the center. Each branch symbolizes one thought or idea related to the subject. Use meaningful keywords to write these ideas onto the branches. 3) From each branch more ideas can branch off.

  4. The Writing Center

    An outline is a map of your essay. It shows what information each section or paragraph will contain, and in what order. Most outlines use numbers and/or bullet points to arrange information and convey points. Why create an outline?

  5. PDF The Thesis Statement and the Essay Map

    The Essay Map: What It Does • The essay map lists the ideas or points the writer will use to support the thesis. An essay map for the thesis in our example might look like this:

  6. ReadWriteThink Interactives

    Cube Creator. Diamante Poems. Drama Map. Essay Map. Flip a Chip. Fractured Fairytale. Graphic Map. Haiku Poem Interactive. K-W-L Creator.

  7. Essay Mapping Tool

    Essay Mapping Tool Instructions Effective writing at university is a process: Analyse the task → Gather content → Plan → Draft → Edit This tool may help you to bridge from planning to drafting by helping you arrange your sentences in a logical order. It also provides tips for each component of an essay - the introduction, body, and conclusion.

  8. ReadWriteThink Interactives

    Flip a Chip. Fractured Fairytale. Graphic Map. Haiku Poem Interactive. Hero's Journey. Hints on Print. K-W-L Creator. Letter Generator. Line Break Explorer.

  9. PDF Mapping What Works in Writing

    1 Recommendation #1: Explicitly Teach Appropriate Writing Strategies Using a Model-Practice-Reflect Instructional Cycle Thinking Maps makes the writing process visible for students. Teachers can use the Maps to explain and model the writing process for students.

  10. Essay maps

    Aim to brainstorm and outline their ideas. Essaylib is a short literary composition on the tradition of your topic, or interpretative. For preparing to be improved? Essaytyper types your essay. Xample: maps page on the question. Research papers on google maps If you are some space, such as well. Your essay.

  11. What Is An Essay Map (Handout)

    An essay map tells the readerwhat specific points or mainideas will be explored in anby stating these ideas in the thesis statement itself. In the following example,let's say that my topic isclimate change--morespecifically, the need for greater regulations in order to protect people and animals from harm.

  12. IELTS Map

    There are 5 steps to writing a high-scoring IELTS map essay: 1) Analyse the question 2) Identify the main features 3) Write an introduction 4) Write an overview 5) Write the details paragraphs I must emphasise the importance of steps 1 and 2. It is essential that you complete this planning stage properly before you start writing.

  13. Essay Map

    Essay Map is a free online tool that helps students plan and organize their essays. Students can create an outline that includes an introduction, main ideas, supporting details, and a conclusion. Essay Map also provides tips and examples for each section of the essay. Essay Map is a great way to improve writing skills and prepare for academic assignments.

  14. IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

    This section presents a list of common IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Map questions. If you want to prepare for the IELTS Writing Test, these questions are a must study. Question 1. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

  15. Read Write Think Essay Map

    Each type of essay map has its own advantages and disadvantages. Analytical essay maps are great for analyzing and criticizing texts, while chronological essay maps help students organize their thoughts by placing events in a specific order. Thematic essay maps allow students to explore a topic in more depth, but they can also be difficult to use because they require students to think about ...

  16. How to Describe Maps for IELTS Writing Task 1

    In that regard, it is quite different from task 2. Maps are used in IELTS because they require you to describe the physical layout of a location in addition to showing changes over time. Normally, you will be given two maps of the same area and you will be asked to explain what changes have occurred. It is really important to know this because ...

  17. Essay on Maps

    Essay on Maps! Essay on Maps and Scales:. The earth is spherical. As such, it is represented by three dimensional model called globe. Even though, globe is very useful to maintain the true shape, area, direction, distances and locations, it cannot be made large enough to include all the details of surface features like— continents, oceans, mountains, deserts, roads, railways etc.

  18. EssayMaps

    EssayMaps takes the results and produces perfectly formatted outlines and essays in Word format for printing or uploading. To demonstrate the connection between outlines, paragraphs and essays, EssayMaps preserves the sentences that your wrote for, say, a paragraph, and inputs that text into the appropriate spot for the essay. ...

  19. IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

    Sample Map Essay 1 The map represents the city of Leeds including two areas, which were suggested as a potential place to build a new shopping mall. The sites are named S1 and S2. Overall, both of the areas are situated within close proximity of the city centre, although S1 is located in the north of the city centre and S2 is in the south.

  20. Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers

    Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers shut down the Gulf Stream, we would see extreme climate change within decades, study shows

  21. MAPS ESSAY EXAMPLES

    IELTS Writing Task 1 - Maps Example Essay 3. IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic map essay example that is a band score 8. The question is: The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket. Take a look at the sample answer. Read More >>.

  22. Creating Photo Essays About Community: A Guide to Our Where We Are

    Here are some steps you can take to do this too. 1. Ground your piece in a specific physical space. Keep in mind that our contest allows you to submit only eight photos, so the more specific you ...