1. Interpreting and Applying the Meaning and Message of a Noted Quotation
Explanatory Writing “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Thomas Edison
Interpreting and Applying the Meaning and Message of a Noted Quotation

2. Paragraph #1 - Introduction
*State the quote with the author’s name (if available).
* Explain the quote in your own words.
* Explain the author’s message.
* If figurative language is used, identify it and explain its meaning as well.
The words of inventor Thomas Edison, “ Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”, carries a powerful message about intelligence, creativity, and hard work. He is telling the reader that all great accomplishments… Using metaphor to compare inspiration to… and perspiration to…

3. Paragraph #2 – The Personal Connection
* Use the quote to make a connection to your life (you, family, friends).
* Explain how the quote is reflected in your every day life.
Edison’s words connect directly to my personal life in the classroom and on the playing field. For example…
In my family I see my mom and dad live this quote in their careers every day by…

4. Paragraph #3 – The Worldly Connection
* Apply the quote to examples from the world.
* Famous people, events, characters in literature, etc.
Examples of the value of hard work and success can be seen in the world around us, past and present. Edison’s message is clearly delivered through the achievements of people like Marie Curie, Milton Hershey, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, and of course the inventor himself.

5. Paragraph #4 – The Conclusion
* Restate the author’s message.
* Consider and explain how you, your family, your friends, the community, and the world could benefit from or be influenced by the quote’s message.
Personally and in the world around me, Thomas Edison’s words about achieving great accomplishments through hard work, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”, continue to be a powerful truth. By applying these words in our daily lives, everyone could truly benefit…

6. Some quotes “to live by”…
“ Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they’re opened.” Sir James Dewar
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” Mark Twain
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.” Charles Dickens
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“A life is not important except in the impact it has on our lives.” Jackie Robinson
“Rough diamonds may be mistaken for rough pebbles.” Thomas Browne

7. Some quotes “to live by”…cont’d.
“I don’t know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned with what his grandson will be.” Abraham Lincoln
“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” Anonymous
“ It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends.” J.K. Rowling
“It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” Vince Lombardi
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao-tzu
“How far in life you go depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because some day in life you will have been all of these.” George Washington Carver