Content Standards: Communication G4S1.a.1, G4S1.b.1-2 ESSAY MINI-LESSON Content Standards: Communication G4S1.a.1, G4S1.b.1-2

ESSAY MINI-LESSON Students will learn what is required of them to pass the GED essay. They will learn how to plan and organize an essay and look over a sample essay. They will discuss different types of essays, and learn transitional words to use when writing an essay. They will also view the scoring guide that is used by the essay graders.

FACTS ABOUT THE GED ESSAY: THE GED ESSAY IS PART OF THE LANGUAGE ARTS WRITING TEST. PART 1 IS 50 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (75 MINUTES). PART 2 IS THE ESSAY (45 MINUTES). If you complete the essay in less than 45 minutes, you will have extra time to complete the multiple choice section. The essay is about an issue or a subject of general interest. The essay topic will require you to present your opinion or explain your views about the assigned topic. You have 45 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay. You will be given scratch paper on which you may jot notes, outline, and first draft. The answer booklet has 2 pages of lined paper on which you will write your final essay.

FACTS ABOUT THE GED ESSAY: (cont’d) Two trained readers will score your essay on the basis of the following features: well-focused main points, clear organization, specific development of your ideas, and control of sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, word choice, and spelling. Each reader will score your essay on a 4-point scale, and the scores will be averaged to find your final score. If you earn a final score of less than 2 on the essay, you must retake both parts I and II of the Language Arts, Writing Test. Also, you must write only on the assigned topic; if you don’t, your essay will not receive a score. Remember, all writers make mistakes. But good writers take the time to go over what they have written and correct mistakes. Your writing will show your best skills if you take the time to plan what you want to say and review it to make any needed corrections.

STEPS TO TAKE WHEN WRITING A GED ESSAY Read the question carefully until you are sure that you know what the question asks. Decide what your answer will be. Use your scratch paper to jot down notes, ideas, a basic outline, or any other tools that might help you plan and organization and content of your essay. Check your notes/ideas. Scratch out anything that is off topic. To be on topic, everything must answer, explain, or support your answer to the essay Now organize your notes and ideas. Your essay should state your response and then explain why you answered the way you did. If you can, organize your writing into a five-paragraph plan.

STEPS Cont’d. Once you like the look of your plan, expand it into an actual essay. Expand it by using complete sentences and by adding complete explanations that include specific details and examples. Be sure that all the details and examples you provide in your essay are directly relevant to your response to the essay topic. In other words, stay on topic! Once you have finished your essay, check for errors and make corrections by crossing out with a single line and writing the correction above the line.

Check for the following: Is the entire essay on topic? Did you write in complete sentences? Every sentence should have a subject and verb. Make sure your essay is about a page to two pages in length. Although there is not a mandatory length, too short or way to long is not a good thing. Check for errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and everything else you have studied in class.

THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY First paragraph (Introduction): This introductory paragraph must include your ANSWER to the question. It’s a great idea to include the essay topic/question in your answer. For example, if the essay question asks you if you prefer to live in the city or the country, you could start your essay by writing the following: If I had to choose between living in the city or the country, I would choose the country………..Now add three supporting ideas. Again, just list them briefly. This paragraph does not have to be too lengthy. Three to four sentences would be fine. Second paragraph (body): This paragraph is all about the first supporting detail that you mentioned in paragraph one. It should be, at least 4-5 sentences in length.

THE FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY (cont’d) Third paragraph (body): This paragraph is all about the second supporting detail that you mentioned in paragraph one. Again, it should be, at least, 4-5 sentences in length. Fourth paragraph (body): This paragraph is all about the third supporting detail that you mentioned in paragraph one. Try to write 4-5 sentences. Fifth paragraph (conclusion): Your concluding paragraph will be very similar to your introductory paragraph. Include your answer to the question and your 3 supporting ideas. This paragraph can be very short.

ESSAY EXAMPLE Looking for an easy way to figure out the structure of an effective essay? Take a look at this. Essay Topic: Tell about a hobby that you have and why it is important to you. Use your personal observations, experience, and knowledge to support your essay.

  Blue = topic sentence Pink = 1st subtopic Green = 2nd subtopic Purple = 3rd subtopic Orange = conclusion Black = supporting details I started collecting teddy bears when I was a little girl. My grandfather bought my first bear for me. Each one reminds me of a different part of my life. I have passed my collection on to my daughter. Collecting teddy bears has really brought out a lot of joy to my life. My grandfather started my teddy bear collection. He had just returned from Italy with a big red box for me. Inside was a beautiful Mohair bear with a pink bow around its neck. Since that day, I've added many bears to my collection.

  Blue = topic sentence Pink = 1st subtopic Green = 2nd subtopic Purple = 3rd subtopic Orange = conclusion Black = supporting details Each time I look at one, it reminds me of different times in my life. I remember a time that my dad spent forty dollars at the fair trying to win me a bear worth about two dollars. Every Christmas there was always a teddy bear sitting under the tree. Collecting bears has also helped to collect memories. I have passed my teddy bear collection on to my daughter. I've also added a few since she was born. I hope they bring her the same happiness they've brought me. When she gets older, collecting could be something we can share. My grandfather had no idea what he started when he brought that first bear home. Anytime I'm feeling down, I can just pick up a bear and I can be reminded of a happier time. I hope that someday my daughter will pass them on to her own daughter as I have passed them to her.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ESSAY QUESTIONS AND HOW TO ANSWER THEM WHY: explain with 3 reasons HOW: explain 3 ways how something can be done WHY and HOW: Make sure you include both reasons why and ways it can be done. You may want to just include 2 longer paragraphs in the body of this essay. That would make this one a 4 paragraph essay (introduction, why paragraph, how paragraph, conclusion).

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: You are comparing and contrasting two things COMPARE AND CONTRAST: You are comparing and contrasting two things. Again, this is better to answer in 4 paragraphs (introduction, paragraph explaining the similarities, paragraph explaining the differences, conclusion). CAUSES: Explain three things that might cause something to happen. EFFECT: Explain three results of something that has happened. LIST AND GIVE EXAMPLES: Provide three items in your explanation. Then in the body of the essay list again the three items, and give several examples of each of these items.

TRANSITIONS Transitions are signals that help readers follow the direction of the writer’s thoughts. They are like signposts on the road that guide travelers. Here are examples of some common transitional words or phrases, grouped according to the kid of signal they give to the readers. ADDITION SIGNALS: first of all, for one thing, second, the third reason, also, next, another, and, in addition, moreover, furthermore, finally, last of all TIME SIGNALS: first, then, next, after, as before, while, meanwhile, now, during, finally SPACE SIGNALS: next to, across, on the opposite side, to the left, to the right, in front, in back, above, below, behind, nearby

TRANSITIONS (Cont’d) CHANGE OF DIRECTION SIGNALS: but, however, yet, in contrast, otherwise, still, on the contrary, on the other hand ILLUSTRATION SIGNALS: for example, for instance, specifically, as an illustration, once, such as CONCLUSION SIGNALS: therefore, consequently, thus, then, as a result, in summary, to conclude, last of all, finally

Scoring guide 1 2 3 4 Inadequate Marginal Adequate Effective Reader has difficulty identifying or following the writer’s ideas. Reader occasionally has difficulty understanding or following the writer's ideas Reader understands the writer's ideas Reader understands and easily follows the writer's expression of ideas Response to the Question Attempts to address the question but with little or no success in establishing a focus Addresses the question, though the focus of the essay may shift Uses the question to establish a main idea Presents a clearly focused main idea that addresses the question

1 2 3 4 Inadequate Marginal Adequate Effective Organization Fails to organize ideas Shows some evidence of an organizational plan Uses an identifiable organizational plan Establishes a clear and logical organization Development and Details Demonstrates little or no development; usually lacks details or examples or presents irrelevant information Has some development but lacks specific details; may be limited to a listing, repetitions, or generalizations Has focused but occasionally uneven development; incorporates some specific detail Achieves coherent development with specific and relevant details and examples

1 2 3 4 Inadequate Marginal Adequate Effective Conventions of EAE Exhibits minimal or no control of sentence structure and the conventions of Edited American English (EAE) Demonstrates inconsistent control of sentence structure and the conventions of EAE Generally controls sentence structure and the conventions of EAE Consistently controls sentence structure and the conventions of EAE Word Choice Exhibits weak and/or inappropriate words Exhibits a narrow range of word choice, often including inappropriate selections Exhibits appropriate word choice Exhibits varied and precise word choice

ADDITIONAL ESSAY TOPICS IN CLASSROOM BOOKS G-6: pages 305-306, H-1 pages 363-364, H-2 page 123