Learning to write an effective essay is difficult at any age. Obviously, one of the best ways to learn is by doing. Students get better at writing essays by writing essays.
There is a book that can help as well. Writing an Essay, by Brendan Hennessy, is a good resource book on writing essays. This can either be used to teach teens who are first learning to write a serious essay, or it can be used by adults of any age who want to improve their essay writing abilities.
Writing an Essay is very accessible. It is divided into logical chapters, and include plenty of examples. There are also summaries and other focus passages that make it easier for students to pick out and learn the key points.
The only drawback to this book is that the tasks are sometimes awkward, and they will be off-putting for teens. Otherwise, my experience with this book is really positive. It can be used beginning around year 9. Encourage students to make the book their own by highlighting in it, writing answers in the margins, etc. I have worked through the book, chapter by chapter, with a student before, and their essay writing steadily and noticeably improved. I did set different tasks for many of the chapters, but otherwise just followed Hennessy's structure.
Overall I would definitely recommend Writing an Essay, especially for older teens and adults.
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