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Argument Essay Review

REFLECTION SHEET: WRITE YOUR SCORES HERE AS WE REVIEW THE VLT, IDENTIFY WHAT YOU DID CORRECTLY AND WHAT YOU NEED TO REMEMBER TO DO NEXT TIME! WRITE YOUR SCORES HERE

VLT CHECKLIST: TAKE TIME TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON YOUR VLT CHECKLIST AND STAPLE IT TO THE FRONT OF YOUR ESSAY!

REVISITING ESSAY STRUCTURE

Essay Structure 9/5/17

Please copy this into your notebooks just as you see it here .

Now please add the numbers next to each section in your chart. Those numbers reflect the # of sentences I’d like you writing for each part . The hook may be another sentence. There are some adjustments we can make to the BODY (we’ll discuss) but nothing else.

Introduction Hook: Pulls your reader in; engages the reader. Your first impression so-to-speak. Bridge: Transitions from the hook to the thesis; works to build-up to the thesis/claim; is some background info. Thesis/Claim: Ends your intro; sets up what the entire paper will be about.

Hooks There are SO many ways to start an essay, and these are just a few: The over-used question A quote An anecdote Statement/Declaration/Specific Fact Simile or Metaphor Definition Suspense Humor (if it applies to your topic)

Thesis Statement/Claim Your thesis statement/claim not only tells your reader what your paper will be about, but also often hints at what type of writing you’re doing. Will this be an argument piece or an informative piece? You decide! Snap Chat has taken the social media world by storm, and there are a few reasons for this mobile app’s success.  Schools should not resort to having its students wear uniforms. Teachers should give students an opportunity to choose the type of assignments they feel are most appropriate to their learning. The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey left parts of Texas in near ruins. While both a 2-year and a 4-year college provide higher education, they are different in the opportunities they provide students. As of late 2016, there were 31 states where the death penalty was legal, but capital punishment should be illegal in all states.

Model Introduction When you hear the words “solitary confinement” what do you think? Loneliness? Isolation? A feeling of being trapped? Darkness? Well, that’s exactly what it is for those inmates who receive this form of punishment. They are placed in a 12 by 8 foot space for 23 hours a day and allowed no interaction with anyone for that time. While this is a form of punishment, it is unconstitutional, does more harm than good, and it’s costly. Therefore, it should be abolished in all U.S. prisons.

Body Paragraphs Topic Sentence: Your point that works to prove the thesis Bridge: This piggy-backs off the topic sentence while also works to set up/ease into the evidence. Evidence: Works to prove the topic sentence. Can be facts, statistics, examples, textual evidence, etc. Elaboration: Further explains your evidence and ties it together. Why did you put it there? What does it prove? How does it support the topic sentence/thesis? Conclusion: This returns to your ideas presented and wraps up the paragraph for you.

~ Performance Assessment workbook ~ Notebook

Citing Evidence When you use evidence from the text (direct quotes or paraphrasing) you MUST cite that information CORRECTLY. You can name your author (use FULL name the first time you mention him/her then last name only thereafter (preferred method) You can mention the title of the article (preferred if there is NOT an author). You should NOT be using paragraph, page, or line numbers. You should NOT be saying “source 2” or “the first source.” Incorporate into your writing if possible; put in parentheses if it’s not.

Model Body Paragraphs For starters, solitary confinement is unconstitutional. Even though those in prison have committed crimes they are being punished for, they are still human beings. They are deserving of the same rights as everyone else. Solitary confinement encloses these inmates as if they were animals, and they are not treated with the same respect as others. As if keeping them isolated wasn’t enough, “prison officials can deny food, exercise, bedding or showers,” according to “The Cost of Solitary Confinement.” They are forced to go hungry while they lay on dirty sheets in their own filth. That’s not punishment. It’s unnecessary cruelty. The inmates are deprived of essential rights as human beings, and should not be allowed to continue.

Conclusion This wraps up your entire essay. It RETURNS to the ideas presented in your introduction, but should NOT RESTATE things word for word. You can RETURN to the ideas from your body paragraphs also, but don’t restate in the same words (you will sound repetitive). Can also include a final thought for your reader, something powerful. Just as a hook is the first impression your final one leaves a lasting one.

Model Conclusion In the end, solitary confinement doesn’t make any sense. Inmates are in prison for a reason. They have already received their punishment and are doing their time. There is no reason for the U.S. prison system to spend more money on solitary confinement. It’s also doing more psychological damage to those forced into this 12 by 8 space of loneliness, isolation, and darkness. It’s time that the prison system remembers that these are human beings and puts an end to this form of punishment.