Reminders Revising and editing homework is due Friday, March 24th! This is a formative grade! Interested in some last minute EOC tutorials this week to work on either MC reading questions or the essay? Here’s the schedule: Thursday = essay practice The next book we read is going to be Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. You need to have this book by Monday, April 3rd.

STAAR Prompt Practice Is it better to work by yourself or in a group? In Pat Frank’s Alas, Babylon, Dan Gunn was living on his own after the nuclear attack until his clinic was broken into and his co-worker was killed over medication and supplies. After that, Dan moved into Randy Bragg’s house for his own protection. It’s better to work with a group because there is safety in numbers. The dangers of excessive pride. In Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game,” Zaroff’s arrogance causes him to let Rainsford go on the first night of the hunt. Zaroff sees him in the tree hiding, and yet he walks away, which ultimately results in Rainsford defeating Zaroff at his own game. Overconfidence can often lead a person to poor decision-making.

From Worst to Best!!! Select your worst essay from the past year (or one that you really feel like you could really improve on!) Look back at where you went wrong. Did you have the T.E.A.L. structure in each paragraph? How strong were your examples? What could you do to improve? Rewrite your essay on the provided paper. I expect to see BIG changes between the two!

Strategies for a 4 Introductions and Conclusions Tie-ins Effective thesis statements Varied Sentence Structure Diction Punctuation Sentence types Purposeful and Unique Examples Unique personal view Engaging and thoughtful connections

Introductions and Conclusions The Tie-in/ Similarity Using purposeful diction that ties the intro and conclusion together Using a metaphor to introduce the topic and then bring similar diction up again in the conclusion Be careful with the length! Don’t add several sentences to your intro just for the metaphor. Also, don’t be overly cheesy with your comparisons!

Introductions and Conclusions Thesis Options Clear and straightforward The power of a true friendship lies in supporting each other through life’s challenges and loving each other unconditionally. Purposeful use of semicolon and transition word/phrase When individuals share a genuine friendship, they support each other through thick and thin; in addition, friends who love each other without judgment or bias share a deeper connection.

Introductions and Conclusions Connect - Explain how your two examples are connected Connect your examples together to link your two body paragraphs Conclude - Why this is an important subject to you, society, or literature? Connect your lessons from your two body paragraphs together

Unique Sentence Structure Use of a semicolon ; plus a transition word or phrase Creates a more complex sentence pattern Connects the two clause ideas Use of all caps Emphasizes point being made Adds to sense of urgency Use of a dash  Indicates a pause Places emphasis on what follows Use of intentional fragments Emphasizes individual words Use of ellipsis … Changes the rhythm of the sentence Use of unique sentence structure (long compound or complex sentences followed by short choppy sentences)

Example + Analysis + Lesson Examples Thoughtful & engaging Unique experiences or view of the world (personal example) Connect ideas in an interesting way (relate two body paragraph examples) Analysis How is your example showcasing your reason / characteristic? Why is your example important at all? Without that characteristic, how would the individuals in the example be affected? Lesson What thematic idea can we take from your example? What can society learn from your example?

From Worst to Best!!! Select your worst essay from the past year (or one that you really feel like you could really improve on!) Look back at where you went wrong. Did you have the T.E.A.L. structure in each paragraph? How strong were your examples? What could you do to improve? Rewrite your essay on the provided paper. I expect to see BIG changes between the two!