Essays in an Hour Tips and Techniques

Writing an Essay Exam is like…

Unknown ingredients O radio/masterchef-recap-claire-has-a-bawl jva.html

Time Pressure

No Recipe O

Judges O

The 6 P’s O Preparation O Prediction O Prompts O Planning O Production O Proofreading

Preparation: Know Your Stuff and-wonderful-gallery.htm

Preparation O

Prediction: Know the Techniques

Prediction: Know The Thinking Techniques O I’m studying Deborah Tannen’s theory of genderlect, or male/female speech differences. What sorts of essay questions could I get?

Thinking Skills O Explain or define _______________ and give an example. O Compare __________ and ___________ O Contrast ____________ and ___________ O Apply ___________ to a set of data (Use _______ to interpret data) O Evaluate/agree/disagree/weigh the merits of __________________

Thinking Skills 2 O Classify the types of ____________ O Explain the development of _______ O Analyze the causes of _____________ O Analyze the effects of _____________ O Explain the steps in the process of ________ O Trace the history of __________________

So… O Most of the work of writing a successful timed essay comes BEFORE you ever get to the class. O “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax.” Abraham Lincoln

Prompt: Survey the Situation What are you working with, and what do you have to do? 8

Prompt: Analyze the Job O Read the prompt carefully. Find out you have to do and what facts you need to work with. O Explain, define, compare, contrast, analyze, illustrate, classify, apply, evaluate, argue, give reasons, discuss

An Example from History O Analyze various ways in which technological developments contributed to the expansion of state power in the period 1450 to O Analyze the origins and development of slavery in Britain’s North American colonies in the period 1607 to 1776.

An example from Psychology O For each of the pairs below, use an example to show how the first term in each pair affects or is related to the second. Definitions alone without examples will not score. O Serial-position effect.. recall O Functional fixedness.. problem solving O Operational definition.. replication O Double-blind research.. bias O Operant conditioning.. superstition O Reinforcement.. overjustification effect O Myelin sheath.. neural impulse

An example from English O In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.” O Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a whole.

Planning: Know the Endpoint O Take 3-4 minutes to plan: O Answer the question (THESIS): Have a dish in mind O COVER the requirements of the prompt: use the ingredients required O Be realistic: work within the time given O Leave time to re-read: plan for a taste-test and some final seasoning

If you don’t plan… O You get a “knowledge dump”: you are asking the professor to find a meal in your mess! O the-girl-scouts-with-homemade-samoas/

If you don’t plan… O The essay won’t be finished… O

Production: Stick with The Plan O Write your essay, following the outline you made at the beginning. O Develop one point per paragraph O Show the relationships between ideas O Focus on content and specifics. Don’t go for flair or style to cover up a lack of substance. Pretty presentation can’t hide a bad flavor!

Finish Well O kitchen.html

Proofread: The Final Taste Test O Take 3 or 4 minutes at the end of the session to re-read your work. O Don’t make major changes at this point. Focus on editing and clarifying what you have already written. O Check spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Final Advice O Write sample questions O Practice in short bursts O 10 minute paragraphs O Use note-cards strategically O Make sample outlines O Use instructor feedback for improvement