Field Journal Writing Organizer

Prompt

Write a journal entry to reflect on Wednesday’s 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
Wednesday’s 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
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________