1. WRITING

2. MLA HEADING/FORMAT **Everything should be double spaced
that means to skip one line between
everything!!!
Last name number of page
Your name
Teacher’s name
class name
Date month year (NO commas!)
Center title- DO NOT UNDERLINE!!!

3. TITLES:
When creating a title, be CREATIVE. If we are writing an essay on Scout’s characteristics, please, do NOT put your title as Scout’s Characteristics.
If we are doing a compare/contrast paper, do not put _________ vs. _________
Never, ever underline or put quotation marks around your title, only thing you need to do with your title is make sure that the correct words are capitalized.

4. Introduction paragraph breakdown:
Hook
Connect to your hook and introduce the story, article, novel, etc. that you have read.
Give a short summary of the literary work.
Thesis statement.

5. 1. HOOK Ask the reader a question. Use a catchy phrase or quote.
The hook should be the FIRST sentence of EVERY essay.
Your hook should do one of the following things:
Ask the reader a question.
Use a catchy phrase or quote.
Make an exclamatory sentence.
Use a lead in sentence that entices the reader to read on.
***REMEMBER: YOUR HOOK SHOULD NEVER, EVER MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT YOU’VE READ. AT THIS POINT, YOU HAVE NOT INTRODUCED WHAT YOU HAVE READ, SO YOU CANNOT MENTION IT!!!!!!

6. 2. INTRODUCE THE LITERARY WORK (INTRODUCE WHAT YOU READ)
In the second sentence of your essay, you need to introduce the literary work that you have read.
Remember when you put the title of the work, “BIG” literary works are underline when written and italicized when typed, “small” literary works are in quotation marks.
Do NOT EVER PUT “In class we read…” Trust me, I know what you have read because I have assigned it! You need to treat your paper as if you are trying to teach me something about what you have read!

7. Titles

8. 3. Give a brief summary of what you’ve read.
Give the main/important points of what you have read– make sure that it relates to the prompt for your essay.
Do not go into too much detail--- do not mention anything specific that you will be going into detail about in your body paragraphs.

9. 4. THESIS STATEMENT
Your thesis statement should ALWAYS be the LAST sentence in your opening paragraph.
The thesis statement will answer your prompt– it is one sentence that tells what your ENTIRE paper will be about (so it will be telling me the things that you will be discussing in your body paragraphs)
Since thesis statements are SO important… let’s practice!!
*****THESIS STATEMENTS HAVE TO BE A STATEMENT, IT CANNOT BE A QUESTION!!!!!

10. IT’S TIME TO SPOT A THESIS!
ON EACH OF THE FOLLOWING SLIDES,
READ THE WRITING PROMPT AND THE TWO SAMPLE STATEMENTS.
CLICK ON THE ONE THAT IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR A THESIS.

11. 1. EARLY ON IN LIFE, PEOPLE DEVELOP AN ADMIRATION FOR HEROES
1. EARLY ON IN LIFE, PEOPLE DEVELOP AN ADMIRATION FOR HEROES. IN A WELL-DEVELOPED ESSAY, DISCUSS A PERSON YOU ADMIRE AND WHY YOU CHOSE THIS PERSON.
Option A
One person I admire is Babe Ruth, who played baseball from 1914 until 1935.
Option B
One person I admire is Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time.

12. INCORRECT
Option A
One person I admire is Babe Ruth, who played baseball from 1914 until 1935.
Although this does address the writing prompt, this is a factual statement. A thesis statement should be something you can argue for or against.

13. CORRECT! GREAT JOB! Option B
One person I admire is Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player of all time.
This statement addresses the prompt, and presents and opinion that can be argued.

14. 2. …DISCUSS THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF WORLD WAR II ON THE UNITED STATES.
Option A
World War II was a costly war that had a major impact on the economy of the United States
Option B
World War II not only affected the economy of the United States, but also altered the role of the American government and the American people forever.

15. INCORRECT
Option A
World War II was a costly war that had a major impact on the economy of the United States
Although this is meets all the criteria for a thesis statement, it only addresses part of the writing prompt. Remember, the statement tells the reader what to expect. With this as a thesis, one would only expect to read about the economic effects.

16. CORRECT AGAIN!!!!
Option B
World War II not only affected the economy of the United States, but also altered the role of the American government and the American people forever.
This is correct because it addresses the social, economic and political effects as stated in the prompt. Notice that the words people (social) and government (political) were used in this statement. This makes the sentence more original and shows the reader that you know what “social” and “political” refer to.

17. 3. … DESCRIBE THREE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF LATIN AMERICA AND THEIR IMPORTANCE TO THE REGION.
Option A
The Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and Yucatan Peninsula are the three most significant physical features in Latin America.
Option B
Three physical features found in Latin America are the Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and the Yucatan Peninsula.

18. CORRECT! YOU ARE GETTING THIS!
Option A
The Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and Yucatan Peninsula are the three most significant physical features in Latin America.
This statement gives an argument, it presents the three physical features asked for in the prompt, and makes reference to the importance (significance)

19. ALMOST! BUT NOT QUITE. Option B
Three physical features found in Latin America are the Andes Mountains, the Amazon River and the Yucatan Peninsula, which are all vital to the region.
This is a topic sentence. The reason it is not a good thesis is because it does not present an argument or address the whole prompt. It is a factual statement. To make it a strong thesis, you must add to it.

20. 4. DISCUSS THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE AND THE VEGETATION ON SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. BE SURE TO DISCUSS THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO CLIMATE, AND THE IMPACT HUMAN ACTIVITY HAS ON THE VEGETATION.
Option A
Human activity is altering the the vegetation of Sub-Saharan Africa and causing desertification, which will have devastating effects on the people of the region.
Option B
Even though the climate and vegetation of Sub-Saharan Africa varies as a result of latitude and human activity, they are still the two most important factors in determining the quality of life.

21. THIS ONE IS TRICKY! Option A
Human activity is altering the the vegetation of Sub-Saharan Africa and causing desertification, which will have devastating effects on the people of the region.
This one would be perfect for a thesis, there is only one thing wrong with it. It does not address all of the writing prompt. It only addresses the vegetation, but not the climate or the factors for climate.

22. CORRECT! YOU ARE ON A ROLL!
Option B
Even though the climate and vegetation of Sub-Saharan Africa varies as a result of latitude and human activity, they are still the two most important factors in determining the quality of life.
This statement gives an argument, and address all aspects of the writing prompt (topic, effect, factors). Notice how you do not have to go into detail, just give the reader a hint of what you will write about.

23. EXAMPLE OF AN INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH:
(Hook) By using symbolism within a story, authors can take an ordinary object and transform it in to a deep and significant meaning. (introduction of story) In William Golding’s novel, The Lord of the Flies, a group of British school boys become stranded on an island, they learn how to fend for themselves by creating their own way of life through trials and tribulations. (connection between hook and intro to literary work) Golding uses typical objects found on a deserted island and turns them into the most important items in the novel. (thesis) Three important symbols used by Golding in Lord of the Flies are the conch, Piggy’s glasses, and the fire.

24. Body paragraph breakdown:
**Depending on what type of essay you are writing (response to literature, argumentative, compare/contrast, etc.) will depend on what your body paragraph will look like. However, keep these things in mind, body paragraphs should always have:
Main idea/topic sentence (what your body paragraph will be about)
Details and evidence from the text
When using evidence from the text, be sure to correctly use in-text citations
sum up points main in paragraph, help to transition into next paragraph.

25. EXAMPLE BODY PARAGRAPH
From the beginning, all the way to the end of the novel, readers can see the importance of the conch shell. Almost as soon as Ralph and Piggy swim to the island from the plane crash, they find the conch shell and it becomes the most important thing on the island. Piggy and Ralph realize that they can use it as a sense of authority within this large group of boys. If anyone is to speak in an assembly, they must have the conch in order to do so. Throughout the novel, however, as important as the conch is to the leader, Ralph, it becomes less and less important to Jack and his tribe. At the end, Jack’s tribe kills Piggy, and in the process, shatters the conch. Jack yells out to Ralph, “There isn’t a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone…” (Golding 181). Without the utilizing the power of the conch, the boys’ civilization is spiraling down to mass chaos.

26. IN-TEXT CITATIONS
If the essay provides a signal word or phrase—usually the author’s last name—the citation does not need to also include that information.
Example:
Humans have been described by Kenneth Burke as “symbol using animals” (3).
If the essay does not provide a signal word or phrase/mention the author, then the citation needs to also include that information.
Humans have been described as “symbol-using animals” (Burke 3).

27. Conclusion paragraph breakdown:
Connect back to your opening paragraph
Restate your thesis and any important main points made
End with something to make your reader think

28. EXAMPLE CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
Three common items found on the island kept the boys organized. The conch, Piggy’s glasses, and the fire were things that kept them as civilized as possible until their rescue. After these things were destroyed, or had lost significance, the boy’s well being seemed to diminish as their savagery side escalated. In this novel, symbolism turned three ordinary objects into life-altering tools.