- The first matter of business to take care of when you are given an essay assignment. - Through T.A.P. – I.V., you are able to see the big picture of what you are trying to do. - T.A.P. – I.V. - T–Topic…what am I going to be talking about (2-3 words) - A–Audience…who am I writing for? - P–Purpose…why am I writing? When finished reading my essay, what will my audience have learned? - I-Information…where am I getting my information from? Research? Short story? Essay? My head? - V-Viewpoint…what point of view am I writing from? 1 st ? 3 rd ?

INTEGRITY. This is such a small word, but it has such an important meaning. If one is a person of integrity, what are his/her three most dominant qualities? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your definition of integrity. T – Characteristics of integrity A – Ms. Kiser P – To explain the three most important qualities in a person with integrity I – My brain V – 3 rd person

Prosperity is better for people than adversity. Or is it? When people are thriving and content, they seldom feel the need to look for ways to improve themselves or their situation. Adversity, on the other hand, forces people to closely examine, and possibly change, their lives. Do people truly benefit from adversity? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your position on this issue. T – Adversity A – Ms. Kiser P – To argue that people benefit from adversity To argue that people don’t benefit from adversity I – My brain V – 3 rd person

People learn in school and in life. What is the most important thing you have ever learned? You may have learned how to do something. Perhaps you learned a valuable lesson about how to get along with people, or maybe you learned something from a mistake you made. Write a letter to your parents in which you explain the most important lesson you have ever learned and why this was such an important lesson. T - The most important lesson I have learned A – My parents P – To explain the most important lesson I have learned and why this lesson was so important I – My brain V – 1 st person

Literary scholars have argued for centuries about who is most responsible for the untimely death of Romeo and Juliet. Now it’s your turn to decide who is ultimately responsible. Write a well-organized persuasive essay that explains who is ultimately responsible for their deaths. T – The death of Romeo and Juliet A – Ms. Kiser P – To persuade and argue that the two families are ultimately responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death I – Romeo and Juliet V – 3 rd person

- Excellent way to start forming ideas - A lot of you have said that coming up with ideas is one of the hardest parts of writing an essay. - Think of brainstorming as a way to solve a problem - In the case of writing, the essay is your problem

You brainstorm all the time…everyday Problem Need to break up with my boyfriend/girlfriend I’m not doing so great in one of my classes I’ve missed my curfew Brainstorming How am I going to do it? How am I going to get my grade up? How am I going to explain this one?

****The concept of writing an essay isn’t any different; sometimes people just get thrown off because it is WRITING!!!!! ProblemBrainstorming Essay Where do I begin????

1 way you can do this in my class 1. Webbing a. Looks like a spider’s web when you are done b. Good one to use when you are assigned a specific topic

Using the following prompt, as a class, we are going to create a web. Why is being a teenager so difficult? (Remember, the 1 st step is to T.A.P. – I.V.)