Introduction to your Film Studies Unit Summative Essay WHAT IS AN ESSAY? Introduction to your Film Studies Unit Summative Essay

AN ESSAY IS . . . A piece of non-fiction writing meant to formulate a point of view or argument in relation to the title or question that is sent Is a way to present that argument in such a way that is clear and persuasive to a reader A stage in the writing PROCESS that forces you to look closely at what you have learnt and tests your understanding of the topic An excellent way to provide proof that you understand a subject and have something to say about it

REVIEWING HOW TO WRITE A FORMAL ESSAY In the next few slides we will look at the specific components of each part of the formal essay The basic structure is: Introduction (first paragraph) Body paragraphs (1, 2, and 3) Conclusion (fifth, and final, paragraph)

PART ONE: INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

INTRODUCTION (first paragraph) HOOK: a statement designed to introduce your topic in a general way and grab the reader’s attention. Sometimes a quotation, a question, or even just a general comment will do the trick.

INTRODUCTION (first paragraph) 2. BRIDGE: Links your Hook to your Thesis, and provides the name of the author(s) and titles you are writing about, if you have not done so elsewhere in the introduction.

INTRODUCTION (first paragraph) 3. THESIS: tells the reader what you will prove and how you intend to prove it. Thesis Statement: Step 1: Ask “What am I trying to prove?” and brainstorm ideas Step 2: Choose your best idea Step 3: Ask “How will I prove this?” and brainstorm ideas. Step 4: Choose your three best ideas and put them together in a sentence. Each of these three ideas will become the topic of a Body Paragraph.

POSSIBLE THESIS FORMULA Note: You can use the following format for any thesis statement: By examining … [insert your answer to “How?”], it will be proven that … [insert your answer to “What?”]

PART TWO: BODY PARAGRAPHS (1, 2, 3)

BODY PARAGRAPHS (1, 2, 3) Each body paragraph must begin with a topic sentence and end with a concluding statement. Each body paragraph must connect with one of the ideas introduced in the Thesis Statement Step 1: Find details from the text that back up your point in your first body paragraph. You should have three details to back up your main point of each paragraph. Use quotations as proofs. Step 2: For each proof, provide a sentence or two of analysis and explanation. Step 3: Write a topic sentence and a concluding sentence for each body paragraph. These sentences are called Transition Sentences because they make the transition between one paragraph and the next smooth. They must remind the reader of the thesis and indicate that the body paragraphs are connected to each other.

PART THREE: CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

CONCLUSION (fifth paragraph) The Concluding Paragraph should sum up your arguments and restate your thesis using different wording. Try to find a really poetic way of expressing yourself (e.g. use symbols and metaphors). Be creative! Sometimes going back to what you wrote in your Introduction can be useful. Try to end with a comment that is more general to explain the significance of your observations.

NOTES ON LANGUAGE Remember that you are writing a formal essay, so your language should be formal. Don’t use the following, unless it is in a quotation: First person pronouns (I, me, my, we, our, ours) Second person pronouns (you, your) Contractions (don’t, won’t, can’t,…) Slang or common expressions (colloquialisms) e.g. He’s a goof ‘cause he can’t think outside the box. Abbreviations/short forms (intro., Oct., ...) Internet shorthand (u, b4, …) Do not reference the essay itself (e.g. This essay proves . . .) The entire essay must be written in present tense (e.g. Thor is shocked when he realizes that his father is still alive)

MLA FORMAT It is important that you locate the MLA handout that was provided to you in September. If you have lost your copy there is a digital copy for download at: msepatterson.weebly.com The entire essay must be double spaced (including your heading) Top right hand corner (header): your last name and page escalating page number (e.g. Smith 1) Top left hand corner (one space down from header, called heading): Student Smith Ms. English-Teacher ENG 4CI-02 11 December 2015 Centred title (one space down from heading): NOT italicised, bolded, placed in quotation marks or underlined unless the title includes the name of a text/ film.

MLA FORMAT: WORKS CITED PAGE The last page of your essay will be your Works Cited page This page is designed for the writer (you) to record all of the sources that you have accessed during the writing process A failure to include a Works Cited page and include parenthetical citations throughout your essay is academic dishonesty Academic dishonestly or plagiarism will result in you having to complete the assignment over again from the very beginning When you finish writing your essay, press enter until you create a new page in the same word document The page should include your header (with the proper page sequence), the title Works Cited (no bold, italics or underline) and your source entry (title of the film or novel you’re discussing as well as any other sources you accessed during the writing process) If your source entry exceeds one line, adjust the second line to be indented.

YOUR GOAL Compose a formal, five paragraph essay proving how one of the four films (The Dark Knight, The Shawshank Redemption, City Lights, or Blackfish) OR your literature circle novel embodies the course theme of CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES. Step 1: BRAINSTORM before you begin any writing Step 2: Once you have selected either a novel or film you must begin filling in the essay outline either on Google Drive or on a hard copy Step 3: Transfer your outline to a Word document (rough copy) to be edited at least once Step 4: Make any changes after the editing process and complete a final draft to be submitted before the Christmas break