How do I plan the structure of an essay?

An essay needs an introduction, around 3 or 4 paragraphs of content, and a conclusion. Each paragraph should be making a different point or talking about a different factor in your answer, and the conclusion should bring them all together and sum up the whole thing. It can help to treat your introduction almost like an essay plan: tell the reader what question you're answering, and briefly list the things you're going to talk about in each paragraph. To make sure you're demonstrating critical thinking and the ability to evaluate different points of view, you should plan to mention counterarguments for your point in each paragraph. However, your essay as a whole should be arguing for a single side of the question. It doesn't matter if you agree with it - just pick a side you think you can argue for.