Essay Writing Doesn't Have to Ruin Your Life! An enlightening presentation by your favorite English teacher

Step 1—What's a Paragraph? Yes, it's 3-5 sentences...of what? Mini essay One cohesive topic connecting to main idea. Remember chunk??

Practice Paragraphs Write a paragraph about someone you look up to. Good examples of topic sentences? (should set the tone/give the purpose) Good examples of concrete details? (should back up your topic) Good examples of concluding sentences?(should summarize or offer a final thought)

More Practice Paragraphs Write a paragraph about a typical day at school/your daily routine. Read/constructive feedback with partner.

Step 2—What Am I Writing? Read the prompt carefully to figure out what you should be writing. Narrative: Telling a story; use I pronouns. Argumentative: Take a side and argue it. Expository: Explain with facts—no opinion, no bias! Analysis: Analyze. Interpret, examine, look beyond the surface! Compare/Contrast: Similar/different, SPECIFICALLY.

Step 3—Brainstorm! Write down your thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc. You don't have to start out neat and formal. Distinct topics you can discuss in paragraphs. Practice: brainstorm ideas for writing an argumentative paper about if schools should have dress codes. Practice: write a paragraph about one of your brainstormed ideas.

Step 4—Thesis Statement Should be debatable/up for interpretation Bad: Pollution is bad for the environment. Good: At least 25 percent of the federal budget should be spent on limiting pollution. Should be narrow Bad: Drug use is bad for society. Good: Illegal drug use is bad for society because it encourages gang violence. Should set up claims for the rest of your paper; all paragraphs should refer back to the thesis.

Thesis Practice Write a good thesis statement for these prompts: 1. Is it okay to eat fast food? 2. Should smoking in public be banned? 3. Should cell phones be allowed in schools?

Step 5—Introduction Like a free sample...of your delicious essay! Group Practice: What kind of person would want to be a bull fighter? 1. Hook your reader with an engaging topic sentence. -Start with a quote. -Tell a story. -Give an interesting fact. -Ask a question -Adjust for your purpose (no stories in research, for example)

Introduction, cont. 2. Give details—narrow your focus. -Think funnel! -Direct your paragraph to your thesis. 3. The Thesis -Generally the last sentence of your introduction. Practice Essay: Which makes a better pet: a cat or a dog?

Body Paragraphs Each paragraph should have a focus. Each paragraph should relate back to your THESIS! Transition, Support, Analyze, Wrap-up. (TSAW!)

Transition Helps your writing flow smoothly from one topic to the next. Think of it as a hand-off in a relay race.

Transition FIRST To start with, Initially, To begin, First, In 1989, Originally, NEXT Secondly, Furthermore, Additionally, Soon after, Also, In fact, In addition, Moreover, THEN Thirdly, Not to mention, Next, Afterwards, Also, Later, As soon as, LAST In conclusion, Finally, Lastly,

Support MUST show where your information comes from; otherwise, it’s PLAGIARISM, which can sometimes be considered a CRIME. Exceptions: personal narratives. MUST be able to back up your claims. Example: 30% of married women are unhappy. Okay, how do you know?

Support Always think: HOW DO I KNOW THIS? Did you think of it yourself? Yes: No citation needed No: Citation mandatory!! In-text citations: (AUTHOR PAGE NUMBER) Examples: (Rowling 142)(History 1) (Collins 347)(Biography 2)

Support Examples of textual evidence sentence starters: 1. On page ____, it said… 2. The author wrote… 3. An example is… 4. In the story, it said… 5. I know because… Remember to “quote your source” (Rogers 16).

Support Practice: 1. On your phone, look up a website that provides research based information about cats or dogs. 2. Write three different sentences (not a paragraph) using direct quotes from your research.

Analyze Look for the details, both obvious and hidden. Draw your own conclusions based on your knowledge, experiences, opinions, etc. How you interpret the text—not just what the text says explicitly.

Analyze Ask yourself: 1.What is the point? Why is the author telling this story? 2.Are there symbols (the answer is always yes)? What do common images mean based on the way they behave in the story? 3. What metaphors do I see? Similes? Other literary devices?

Analyze Practice: Songs with deeper meanings New Romantics — Taylor Swift The Only Exception— Paramore

Wrap-Up Should give your paragraph closure. A feeling of finality. Try: As a result… Obviously,… Because of this,…

Body Paragraphs, cont. Practice: Write your first body paragraph for your practice essay. Peer edit with a partner. Practice: Write your second body paragraph for your practice essay. Peer edit with a partner. Practice: Write your third body paragraph for your practice essay. Peer edit with a partner.

Concluding Paragraphs Stress the importance of the thesis. Give your paper a sense of completeness. Leave a final impression on the reader. Why does your paper matter? No new information!!

Concluding Paragraphs Strategies: 1. Echo the introduction. Example: Introduction: From the parking lot, I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing stately against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even higher. From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I entered the gate, Main Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have existed. I was entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the child in adults. Conclusion: I thought I would spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time, leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.

Concluding Paragraphs 2. Challenging the reader. 3. Looking to the future. 4. Posing questions.

Concluding Paragraphs Practice: You just wrote a paper about the issue of homelessness in Atlanta. Your thesis statement was: Homeless people in Atlanta should be given access to services, such as regular food donations, public restrooms, and camping facilities, because it would improve life for all inhabitants of the city. Write a conclusion using one of the strategies from the previous slide.

Concluding Paragraphs Practice: Write the concluding paragraph for your cats vs dogs practice essay.

Finally…EDIT! No paper is ever complete the first time. Edit, re-edit, revise, review, etc. Practice: Switch essays with a partner. Edit/revise/give feedback.

You’re now an essay master!! hopefully