Writing the Essay

Common Core Writing Standards Common Core Writing Standards Tests students’ ability to write based on: Tests students’ ability to write based on: FOCUS FOCUS ORGANIZATION AND FLOW ORGANIZATION AND FLOW ORGANIZATION AND FLOW ORGANIZATION AND FLOW ELABORATION AND SUPPORT ELABORATION AND SUPPORT ELABORATION AND SUPPORT ELABORATION AND SUPPORT STYLE STYLE STYLE GRAMMAR AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE GRAMMAR AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE GRAMMAR AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE GRAMMAR AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE Remember your audience Remember your audienceaudience Write in correct format Write in correct formatformat

YOUR ESSAY… THE BASIC ESSAY HAS THREE PARTS:  INTRODUCTION  BODY  CONCLUSION

THE INTRODUCTION… PURPOSE OF THE INTRODUCTION:  CATCH THE READER’S ATTENTION  GIVE BACKGROUND ON THE SUBJECT  HOUSE THE THESIS INTRODUCTION SHOULD HAVE 3-4 SENTENCES

!!!THESIS STATEMENT!!! MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE IN PAPER! A GOOD THESIS HAS THREE PARTS: TOPIC~~~ARGUMENT~~~ROADMAP

TOPIC = what you’re talking about ARGUMENT = why you’re talking about it ROADMAP = how you’re going to talk about it TOPIC + ARGUMENT + ROADMAP = THESIS

EXAMPLE OF A THESIS STATEMENT While a motorcycle may seem like a cool way to get around, there are many negative effects to driving a motorcycle including facing hazardous weather conditions, facing risk serious injury and death, and having helmet hair.

THE CONCLUSION… Purpose of the Conclusion:  Wraps up the paper  Restates the main idea (thesis)  Leaves the reader with some “food for thought” Conclusion should have 3-4 sentences

THE BODY… CONSISTS OF 3 PARAGRAPHS 3 DIFFERENT IDEAS ALL BODY PARAGRAPHS SUPPORT THESIS FOLLOW THE ROADMAP 8 specific SENTENCES IN EACH!

Topic Sentence Concrete Detail #1Concrete Detail #2 Concluding Sentence Commentary

TS: TOPIC SENTENCE Introduces subject of paragraph All other sentences support the TS A sentence that supports the thesis Back

CD #1: CONCRETE DETAIL A FACT THAT SUPPORTS THE TOPIC SENTENCE ONE PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT PROVES THE TOPIC SENTENCE TO BE TRUE Back

COM: COMMENTARY TWO sentences that explain the connection between the CONCRETE DETAIL and the TOPIC SENTENCE ELABORATION that shows the CD is true Answers HOW or WHY Back

CD #2: CONCRETE DETAIL # 2 Another, completely different FACT that proves the TOPIC SENTENCE is true Yet another REASON or PIECE OF EVIDENCE Back

COM: COMMENTARY Another two sentences SUPPORTING, ELABORATING, EXPLAINING concrete detail #2 Answers HOW or WHY the CD supports the TS Back

CS: CONCLUDING SENTENCE Wraps up the entire paragraph Restates the concrete details Transitions into next paragraph Back

FOCUS Establish the specific topic Stay on that topic for the entire paper  Make sure every detail relates directly to the topic that you’re writing about Do not stray from original subject Back

ORGANIZATION Logical progression of ideas Establish connections between ideas with transitions Unified and complete Types of organization:  Chronological: time, beginning to end  Order of importance: least to greatest Back

ELABORATION AND SUPPORT Extension and development of the topic Relatedness: the support and elaboration must relate to the topic in a clear way Sufficiency: specific, developed details that amply explain your topic Good elaboration and support means:  Don’t repeat yourself  Don’t leave details underdeveloped Back

GRAMMAR Sentence formation: writing complete sentences with variety Usage: writing sentences with correct agreement, tense, and case Mechanics: writing using correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling Back

STYLE Style is like your fashion sense; it’s the way you put together your essay Style in writing comes from:  word choice (vocabulary) Precise and purposeful  sentence fluency (the way sentences are put together) Back

AUDIENCE Audience: those who read your essay Make your writing audience appropriate!  You will write differently to your friends than you would to your teachers or principal or parents or even your congressman (or woman). Back

FORMATs You may be asked to write in one of these formats:  Essay  Speech  Article Back