Essay Writing

Freshmen Fall 2012

Theme

A central, unifying or dominant idea – What was the main idea or message behind the

story?

Essay

a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.

Prewrite

• The process of getting your thoughts down on paper before you write.

• This step helps you organize your thoughts.

Thesis

• A general sentence with a subject and an opinion.

• This sentence is a guide to what you are going to say.

• This is the sentence that you are trying to prove.

• It includes the story title and the author.

Assignment

• For The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian choose one of the following themes

1. Love conquers all2. Friendship3. Hatred4. Family is the most important thing5. Remembering culture is important6. Education is important

• Create a prewrite • Draft a thesis statement

BODY PARAGRAPHS10/26/12

Body Paragraphs

• The part of an essay that explains and develops a main idea (or thesis).

• Body paragraphs come after the introduction and before the conclusion. The body is usually the longest part of an essay, and each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence.

Topic Sentence

sentence that captures the meaning of the entire paragraph or group of sentences. It tells what the passage is mainly about.

Evidence

• Facts, quotes that support your topic sentence

• Include author and page number (Alexie, pg 24).

• Copied remember to use quotation marks (“ “).

Commentary

• How the evidence develops the thesis or topic sentence.

Concluding Sentence

• the last sentence of a paragraph(s), it summarizes everything that you just wrote about and it is somewhat like your Topic Sentence.

Assignment – due Monday

• Write for each of your 3 strands of your web– Topic sentence– Evidence– At least 2 commentaries for each piece of

evidence– Concluding sentence

Example• TS – Holding on to one’s hopes and dreams effects future

decisions.• Evidence #1 – “But we reservation Indians don’t get to realise

our dreams. We don’t get those chances or choices. We’re just poor. That’s all we are.” (Alexie, pg 13).

• Commentary #1 – Junior was feeling defeated. He felt like his hopes and dreams did not matter to anyone simply because he was Indian.

• Commentary #2 – Remembering our hopes and dreams helps to guide us in the decisions that shape who we are and who we will become.

• Evidence #2, 2 commentaries• CS – Hopes and dreams impact what happens in the future.

INTRO AND CONCLUDING PARAGRAPHS

10/29/12

Introductory Paragraph (section)

• The opening paragraph in an essay.

• The primary purpose of an introductory paragraph is to attract the reader's attention and identify the topic and purpose of the essay.

• A thesis statement typically appears at the end of an introductory paragraph.

Attention Getter

• A statement or question that invites the reader to continue reading your essay.

Concluding Paragraph (section)

• The paragraph(s) that bring an essay to a satisfying and logical end.

• Rewords the thesis statement

• Leaves the reader thinking about the topic in a new way.

Introductory Paragraph example

Hopes and dreams make us stronger! Ever wonder what a world without hope would be like? Hopes and dreams help to create a positive outlook on life. They help to keep us focused on the future and what truly matters in life and effect who we will become in the future. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, Junior demonstrates the importance of having and holding on to hopes and dreams for the future.

Concluding Paragraph Example

• When all was said and done, Junior, by holding on to his hopes and dreams, became a better person. He discovered who we was and how his dreams would impact the person he would become in the future. By holding on to our hopes and dreams, we will become the person that we want and deserve to be. Hopes and dreams play an important role in creating the world around us. By staying focused on dreams; anything is possible.