NARRATIVES AND ESSAY 1 English 21

What is a paragraph? A paragraph is a group of sentences that work together for a common purpose. All of the sentences in a paragraph are about the same general topic. Each sentence works with the others in order to achieve the purpose of the paragraph. Paragraphs contain a topic sentence and two different types of support: primary support and secondary support. Each new paragraph is indented. Use the “tab” key on your computer to indent paragraphs.

What is a topic sentence? Your topic sentence introduces the main idea of your paragraph. A topic sentence has two parts: a topic an a controlling idea. Your topic is what the paragraph is about. Your controlling idea is the opinion or idea about the topic that the paragraph will explain.

Example Topic Sentences Let’s say that you were assigned to write a paragraph about the topic “Cell phones”. There are many different ideas or opinions about cell phones that you could explore, so it’s important to pick just one. You might write… Cell phones that can connect to the internet have changed the way people shop. Cell phones and texting should be banned during class time.

Supporting Your Topic Sentence When you have decided what your topic and your controlling idea will be, it is time to support your topic sentence. Primary support points are the major ideas that support your topic sentence. (They are usually general rather than specific.) Secondary support points are specific examples and details that back up your primary support.

Example Paragraph Outline Topic Sentence: Cell phones that can connect to the internet have changed the way people shop. Primary support 1: Able to check reviews online. Secondary support: Checked reviews for digital camera at Best Buy. Secondary support: Check reviews of new authors at amazon.com before buying at a bookstore Primary support 2: Able to compare prices at other stores while shopping. Compared prices on the new season of Burn Notice the first day it was out. Compared prices for new flash drive when I lost my old one. Primary support 3: Able to use coupons without ever printing them out. Used a 40% off coupon scanned off of my iPhone at World Market last week. Used an emailed coupon at a candle store last month.

Completed Paragraph Cell phones that can connect to the internet have changed the way people shop. First of all, customers can immediately check reviews online before making a decision. When I was shopping for a digital camera at Best Buy, I used an iPhone to see which brand had the most positive reviews. Also, when I buy a book by a new author at the bookstore, I sometimes check reviews of his or her books at amazon.com first. Second, customers can compare prices at other stores while they are out shopping. When the new Marvel movie came out, I compared prices online and was surprised to find that Target had a better price than some online discount stores. I also compared prices using a cell phone when I lost my flash drive and had to buy a new one. Finally, customers are able to use in-store coupons without ever printing them out, which saves a lot of money, paper, and ink. Last week, I used a 40% off coupon scanned off of my iPhone at Borders, and last month, I used a coupon that had been emailed to me at a candle store. In these ways, cell phones are making it easier for customers to find the best deals and make informed decisions.

Practice Time: Write a paragraph about a type of technology that has changed (or is currently changing) the way you or other people do something. Be sure to include both primary supports (examples) and secondary supports (details about those examples). Your tone about the change can be positive or negative or neutral. It’s up to you. Let’s quickly brainstorm some topic possibilities as a class—but don’t feel limited to what we come up with! If you think of something else, go with it!

Reading Actively and Critically: What does it mean to read actively? Pay attention Take notes Look up unfamiliar words Reading Critically What does it mean to read critically? Think carefully about the ideas presented in what you are reading Ask questions Relate the ideas to your own experience or knowledge Come to class with questions to ask and opinions to share

Discussing the The Readings: Two Online Readings (download from the class blog):  “The Struggle to be an All-American Girl” “The Places in my Life”

Pass Out Essay 1 Prompt Read the prompt carefully and think about it over the weekend. Highlight things you need to remember, and take notes of any ideas you have. Keep this prompt with your class materials, and we will discuss and brainstorm more in the coming days.

The Basic Steps in Writing an Essay Step 1: Know what is required of you. Read and re-read your prompt until you understand fully what is being asked of you. If you don’t understand, ask your professor to clarify EARLY ON. If you ask the day before the essay is due, IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE. Know the minimum requirements and take them seriously. These include: page length or word count, format, works cited/research required. ALL DUE DATES.

Step 2: Brainstorm and Freewrite Write down everything you know (or think you might know) about the topic. Then, write down questions you have about the topic. Then, write down your ideas about how to make the prompt/topic personal to you. Freewrite Do idea bubbles Lists/Outlines

Step 3: Write a Rough Draft Don’t leave your writing until the last minute. Even if your teacher does not require you to turn in a rough draft like I do, it is always a good idea to write a rough draft. Here is the truth about writing assignments: no matter what, you will write a rough draft. The question is: will you be turning that draft as your final product, or will you have time to make it better?

Formatting in Academic Writing Use an accepted font. If you don’t know what fonts your teacher accepts, Times New Roman is almost always a safe choice Font size: Unless your professor says otherwise, always use size 12. Spacing: Always double space, unless you are told otherwise. Remove automatic formatting that adds extra spaces between paragraphs (each time you hit “enter”) [Show how to change] Margins: Always 1 inch on all sides, unless otherwise specified. [Show how to check margins]

Don’t Forget! Basic Things to Do or Include Type and print all of your essay assignments Always include assignment information (heading) on the left hand side! Your Name: Firstname Lastname Class: English 21 Professor: Lawson (last name only is ok) Assignment and Draft: Essay 1 Final Draft Date: Day/Month/Year Month/Day/Year (Day) Month Spelled (Year) * Open Format Example and show video

Narratives and Narration p. 337-341 Narration is one of the most common types of writing because it does two things. It tells an interesting, intriguing story It makes a point or discusses the significance of the story to the author or the audience. A narrative essay is usually told chronologically which means that events are in time sequence order Narrative essays use a variety of methods to get the readers to feel like they are THERE, experiencing the events of the story.

Narrative Writing is… a story or account of events, experiences, etc, whether true or fictitious. Narratives convey action and detail. Narratives are a detailed account, not a brief sketch. Makes the reader feel like he or she is THERE in the scene, experiencing along with the author. Contains conflict/tension

Narration and Reflection: The Perfect Pair Reflection is where the author takes a step back from the narrative parts of their essay to think about their significance. what they meant for his or her life how they might connect to other experiences or subjects how they relate to the outside world. The “Camera Lens” metaphor—Zoom In, Zoom Out

Practice Identifying Narratives Look at “Paragraph 1” on p.338. Now, read “Paragraph 2” right below it. Why is Paragraph 2 a narrative when Paragraph 1 is not? Read Together: “A Brother’s Murder” on p. 331 Is this a narrative? Does it have a beginning, a middle, and an end? How do you think an author of a narrative should decide when to stop? What was the point of the essay? Why did he tell this story? To put it another way, what was the author’s purpose? What is the best/most interesting part of this essay? Why?

How to Make Your Readers Feel Like They are “There” Use descriptive writing. (See p. 341-343 + Exercises) Use sensory details that appeal to the five senses. Smell, Sight, Hearing, Taste, and Touch Ask “the reporter’s questions” Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How Constantly ask yourself, “What would someone who wasn’t there need to know?” Think about the attitude or feeling you want to get across in each part of your narrative and choose words and pieces of description that support that feeling.

Essay Development: Using Specific Details Wherever possible in your essay, use specific details instead of general ones. Use examples to explain and illustrate. Refer to people who are important to the narrative by their names whenever possible. Refer to specific numbers, times, and places. Add facts and explanation to statements that might mean different things to different readers. Remember, you are drawing from your experience. Make it unique to you.

Examples of Specific Details Not specific at all: “I eat some things some people I know consider weird.” “Things” is a very vague word. The same thing goes for “stuff” and “some.” Try to avoid these words in your essay. How could this sentence be improved?

Improved Sentence: Original Sentence: “I eat some things some people consider weird.” Improved: “I eat Sushi, Indian food, or Thai food at least once or twice a month, and some of my older relatives find this strange because it’s not what they are used to. My dad’s parents are both from the Midwest where the staples of a good dinner are steak and corn on the cob, and they are confused by the fact that their granddaughter loves raw fish, spicy curry, and slippery clear noodles.

Importance of Transitions However you choose to arrange the details and events in your essay, you will need transitions to guide your reader from one idea to the next. Transitions tell your reader how each new section or detail connects with what came before. Transitions help your readers to understand the order of events. See lists of common transitions for different purposes on page 450.

Due Next Class:  Let’s look at the Schedule Check It Out: FreeRice.com