Stars: Dreams & Aspirations Brainstorm goals for your future: What are your goals for this class? What are your goals for your freshmen year? What do you want to do when you graduate high school? What type of career do you see for yourself? What other dreams do you have? Choose one goal for your essay

Mountains: Obstacles of life Brainstorm three to five obstacles in the way of your goal: lack of personal qualities (self-confidence, motivation, etc.) family and friend intervention economic hardships academic struggles

Path: How do I get there? Think back to one of your goals. What are specific tangible things that you will need to do to accomplish this goal? What are some intangible things about yourself that you can improve upon to help you reach your goal? What personal qualities do you want to strengthen within yourself or obtain?

Self confidence. Courage. Focus Kind Risk-taking. Commitment. Creative Self confidence Courage Focus Kind Risk-taking Commitment Creative Self-motivation Optimism Patient Challenge Opportunistic Honesty Flexibility Respectful Empathetic Toughness Time Management Self Disciplined Organized Acceptance Empowered Proactive Resourceful Reflective Team player Communication Enthusiasm Asking for help Persistent

Content of body paragraphs Paragraphs should start with a strong topic sentence that introduces the subject of the paragraph Paragraph one – write about your star – your goal in life Paragraph two – write about the mountains – the obstacles that might stand in your way Paragraph three – write about the path – what tactics will you use to get over the obstacles and what personal characteristics will you need to reach your goals

Paragraph expectations 5-8 sentences per paragraph Include strong topic sentences Write complete sentences. Avoid fragments and run-ons. Use descriptive words and specific examples Proofread and spell check for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors

Goal Essay Formatting Three paragraphs long Typed in 12 pt Times New Roman Double space the whole essay One inch margins Indent the first line of each paragraph Center the title Header at the top left – all double spaced Student Name Teacher’s Name English 9 Due Date

Due Dates Rough draft due on Friday, Aug. 22th at the beginning of class Self edit on Friday, August 22th at the end of the period Final copy due on Tuesday, August 26th Presentations of puppets and essay on Tuesday, August 26th