 Cause and Effect The Process of Writing

Review and Today’s Objective  Yesterday, we watched two commercials to practice identifying an argument that uses the cause and effect mode to achieve a purpose.  Today, we will practice writing a short argument in response to a quick write task.  In this process, you will develop a thesis statement and develop evidence that supports your thesis.

Recall and Apply  Remember yesterday’s lesson with two simple commercials?  Let’s develop thesis statements.  Step 1: Think about the purpose of the commercials  Commercial #1: Calgon  Thesis: Calgon takes you away from all of the hassles from your day.  Commercial #2: Directv  Thesis: Subscribe to Directv or else the life you know and love will be ruined. Review Open vs. Closed Thesis Statements

Rationale for Simplicity  Notice that the arguments presented in the commercials were simple.  Remember, the company buys limited advertising time to sell a product.  The argument will no doubt need to be short and succinct (def: to the point).

Modes Project: The Last Essay!  Cause and Effect Essay: Due Tuesday, January 21 st  Remember, this is a 500 word essay.  Make sure you have an argument that fills this space. In other words, don’t have too simplistic of an argument, yet do not try to tackle an argument that is too large for a 500 word essay.  Goldilocks has the process down.  Find the argument that feels just right.

Narrowing Down a Thesis  Make sure your subject is manageable. Make your argument just right.  Consider your purpose. What are you trying to do? You are explaining why something happened (causes) or what if something happens (effects).  Know when to go further when explaining a connection.  Be clear and accurate.  Do all of the above to draft a thesis statement that expresses the main point of any cause and effect essay.

Various Cause and Effect Thesis Frames  CAUSE will lead to EFFECT.  Since CAUSE, the result is EFFECT.  As a result of CAUSE, EFFECT.  EFFECT resulted from CAUSE.

Evidence: Focus on Causal Relationship  Focus on the causal relationship (def: relationship between one event and another) to gather evidence.  Review chronological order of events  Know your task – For a 500 word essay, do not explain too many causes or effects.  Be careful of creating logical fallacies (unless the entire essay is satirical in nature).

Writing Task:  According recent peer-reviewed journals and federal studies, “Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in a year.” What motivates children and teens to run away from home? Using two examples, explain why children and teens run away. Be as specific as possible with your examples.

Brainstorming Part 1: Brainstorming Causes Part 2: Developing a Thesis Part 3: Outlining Your Evidence  Know when to go further when explaining a connection.  Be clear and accurate.  Focus on supporting/making the connection to the thesis statement. This is called showing the causal relationship.  Why does Cause #1 lead to a child or teen runaway?  Why does Cause #2 lead to a child or teen runaway? Part 4: Begin Writing

Group Discussion 1. Get into groups and take turns reading your writing aloud to the group. 2. Which of the following categories represent the causes of the group? Discuss the causes in your group and make sure everyone’s causes are discussed and categorized.  Family Dynamics  Peer/Social  School/Education  Mental Health  Economics/Money  Alcohol/Drug Use  Abuse

Class Presentation/Discussion  After our group shared and discussed our examples, our causes can be organized into the following categories: _______________, _______________, _______________.  The student whose explained one causal relationship most eloquently was _(student name)__.  Children and teens run away because __(cause)____. I developed my causal relationship by stating ________(evidence)___________.

Closed vs. Open Thesis Examples  Closed Thesis:  The Harry Potter series has become legendary children’s books and enduring literary classics because of its three dimensional characters, exciting plot, and complex themes.  Lists specific points  Limits the points of your argument  Good for short or time-restrained essays to stay focused  Makes a general statement that will disencumber the argument  Allows for freedom to explore argument  Good for longer essays, research essays  Open Thesis:  The popularity of the Harry Potter series demonstrates that simplicity triumphs complexity when it comes to the taste of the readers, both the young and old.