Every paragraph of your essay should have a main idea, point, or goal that you’re trying to get across. The topic sentence will identify that main idea. For you to write good topic sentences, you need to know what your paragraphs are going to be about. An outline will help you do that. You don’t have to write a formal outline using Roman numerals and the like. Even a loose, idea-based outline can help you know what you want to discuss. A thesis statement presents the main idea, goal, or argument of your essay. It may be an analytical thesis, such as “In King Lear, William Shakespeare uses the theme of fate to critique the religious beliefs of his era.” Or, it may be a thesis that attempts to persuade the reader of something, such as “Public funding for education should be expanded.” Topic sentences are like the mini-thesis statements of each paragraph. A topic sentence, unlike a thesis statement, doesn’t have to present an argument. It can present a “preview” of what the paragraph will argue or discuss. If you are new to writing topic sentences, it can help to look at some examples. The Purdue OWL has several pages with sample topic sentences. UNC Chapel Hill has a helpful online handout on paragraph development that includes a “model” paragraph and explains how to develop your own, from topic sentence to conclusion.  For example, a topic sentence could look like this: “In addition, increasing funding for public roads in Jackson County will improve local residents’ quality of life.” The rest of the sentences in this paragraph would relate to the main idea of public roads and how they will help benefit local residents. This is not as successful a topic sentence: “Increased funding for public roads in Jackson County has decreased traffic by 20%.” While this is probably an interesting fact for your argument, it’s too narrow for a topic sentence. The topic sentence has to direct the whole paragraph.
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One-sentence summary -- Write an essay outline. Understand the connection between  thesis statements and topic sentences. Look at some examples.


Hot masses of air that rise cause wildfires to travel uphill, and walking uphill will slow you down anyway. Move in the direction the wind is coming from, and locate this direction by looking to see where smoke is blowing.  Try to look high in the sky for the direction of the smoke’s travel. Look for the direction that leaves and branches are swaying. Once you’ve set your direction of downhill and upwind travel, look for a natural firebreak. (A firebreak is an area that has comparatively less material for the fire to consume, like a rocky area or field of boulders, road, body of water, or patch of large trees that might retain more moisture than other nearby foliage.) Steer clear of open areas with small, dry shrubs or bushes. If you cannot escape to a safer location, look for a trench or gully. If you find such an enclosure, try to quickly dig it out to create a space deep enough for you to fit your body. Crawl in, preferably with your feet facing the direction of the fire, and cover yourself with dirt. Make sure you can breathe as you take cover.  Call emergency services if you haven’t already done so. Let them know your location as precisely as you can. If a wildfire is within close range, surrounding you, or otherwise blocks all means of downhill and upwind escape, and if no safe locations are available, you might have to resort to running through the fire’s leading edge into an area that’s already burned. Prevent getting stuck in a wildfire before hiking or camping by looking up assessing risks like weather conditions, extreme drought, any buildup of dry materials in your hiking or camping area, and the wind’s direction. Check with local park rangers if there is any threat of wildfire in your area.  Don’t build a campfire in dry conditions, especially if your park ranger lets you know there’s a local burn ban. If it’s safe to build a campfire, keep it small, contained, and away from trees or shrubs. Never leave it unattended. Make sure your campfire is completely extinguished before you leave by pouring lot of water over it, stirring the ashes, pouring more water, making sure there’s no hissing sound, and lastly making sure it’s cool to the touch. Grab bare essentials as quickly as possible and leave immediately if you’re under a wildfire evacuation order. If you live in an area threatened by wildfires, contact your local fire department’s non-emergency line or search the internet to find out about any available email or text message alert systems. Call emergency services if you see a nearby wildfire but haven’t received an evacuation order. Don’t assume someone else has reported it.
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One-sentence summary --
Move downhill and upwind. Search for an area without combustible material. Find or dig a trench if escape is not possible. Practice safe hiking and camping practices. Evacuate as soon as you’re ordered to if a wildfire threatens your home.