essay writing - ms. gazzellone's...
TRANSCRIPT
Essay Writing“Don’t write because you want to say something, write because you
have something to say” ~ F.Scott Fitzgerald
Lesson One:Types of W rit ing
Why Write??
The essay’s primary function is the clear communication of
thoughts, ideas, or information.
People write essays to:
* express new ideas or points of view
* teach or explain
* raise awareness of social issues / injust ices
* persuade or entertain readers
Four Types of Writing
Expository
Narrat ive
Argumentative
Persuasive
Expository
Describes or explains a topic (“how to”)
Example: an essay entit led “The Care and Maintenance f a
Bicycle” would be classified as expository
Narrative
Uses a single well-told story as the basis for
drawing conclusion or making a statement
of opinion (recounting)
Example: “My Most Excit ing Bicycle Adventure”
Argumentative
Presents a reasoned series or arguments in
support of a posit ion
Example: “Cars or Scooters: W hich is More Efficient?”
Persuasive
Combines reasoned arguments with the
emotion required to persuade the reader to
take act ion
Example: “Save the Ozone: Leave Your Cars at H ome!”
Activity One
Types of Writing: Practice
You are now going to write examples of each of the types of
writ ing. H ere are your topics:
1) Expository- how to build a snowman
2) Narrat ive- on the way to school today ...
3) Argumentative- wifi in schools?
4) Persuasive- curfew extension
Lesson Two:The Art of Persuasion
I n groups of 5, answer the following questions:
W hat are the main arguments/demands for each crayon?
Are they effect ive in their argument? W hy? W hy not?
W hat different persuasive techniques does each crayon
use?
Persuasive SpeechYou are going to write a 2 min. persuasive speech. You
are going to present these to the class. H ere are the
details …
1) Topics must be light-hearted (nothing too heavy
please)
2) Chose a topic that you are interested in (it helps to
think of a pet peeve ie. wearing sandals and socks in
public)
3) Must not go over 2 mins in length
Formal Presentations
Things all presentat ions should have …
* a dist inct beginning, middle, & end
* gain the audience’s attention
* generate discussion and get the class involved
* props are a good way to “hook” the audience
* make eye-contact during speech (do not just read
from your paper)
* speak in a clear and concise tone
Lesson Three:Essays
Essay Structure
Once you have the formula of essay writ ing down, they are
easy to write :)
Essays consist of the following:
* I ntroduction
* Body
* Conclusion
Introduction
Purpose: to gain the reader’s attention, let reader know the topic of discussion,
and “hook” the reader (think of the introduction as a question mark??)
I ntroduction consists of:
* H ook- starts the essay off and “hooks” the reader into wanting to read on (ie.
quote, definit ion, bold statement)
* Thesis- let ’s the reader know what your argument is (3 main points /
arguments)
** NOTE: if your intro. is weak, the rest of your essay will follow suit **
Body
Purpose: to go into detail and discuss each point / argument (think of the
body paragraphs as an explanation mark!!)
Body consists of:
* Points- MUST relate direct ly to your thesis
* Support- quotes, examples that PROVE your points
* Significance- explain the significance of each quote as related to your
thesis
** NOTE: each point in your thesis gets it’s OW N paragraph**
Conclusion
Purpose: to wrap things up, to bring your ideas to a close (think
of the conclusion as the period ... at the end of a sentence)
Conclusion consists of:
* re-iterat ing main ideas and points
* a closing statement that leaves the readers feeling satisfied in
the reading- don’t just leave them hanging
Activity Two
Essay Personification
I n groups of three, you are going to personify the different parts of an essay. You
are going to write a paragraph for each part explaining, in first person, the
following parts:
* H ook
* Thesis
* Body
* Conclusion
Formal vs. Informal
Characteristic Informal Essay Formal Essay
Viewpoint* usually in first person* directly addresses the
reader
* usually in 3rd person* does not address the reader
Subject Content
ContentFrequently drawn from life
or everyday eventsMore commonly drawn from historical events & literature
ToneMore personal and
subjective (ironic, amusing, angry, thoughtful, serious)
Removed from subject, more objective (emotions in check)
StructureLoosely structured, thesis may appear any where in
essay
Rigid structure, development of one CLEAR argument, thesis in intro. paragraph
How to Read an Essay
I dentify the topic: t it le is often the first predictor of the topic
and may provide clues about the thesis
Determine viewpoint: what is the writer’s stance on the topic?
Ask yourself if you agree
Support: what support ing argument(s) does the writer use?
Underline: underline key points / arguments
Likes: consider what you like about the writ ing style and why
(is it effect ive?)
Lesson Three:Citat ion
Citation
Other’s ideas, quotes, & theories must ALW AYS be
properly cited. W e need to be respectful of the ideas of
others and make sure we are not taking the credit for ideas
that are not our own.
Also, plagiarism is a huge issue and, if not properly
informed, can lead to failing marks and even expulsion
from school.
Works Cited
Appears at the end of your essay on a separate page.
1) A book with one author
Last Name, First Name, Tit le of Book. Place of Publicat ion: Publisher, Year of
Publicat ion.
2) A magazine or newspaper art icle
Author’s Last Name, “Tit le of Art icle.” Tit le of Periodical Day M onth Year: Pages
3) W ebsite
Name of Site.Date of Posting or last revision. Name of I nst itut ion/Organization. Date
you accessed the site. <full url>
4) Online art icle
Last Name, First Name. “Tit le of Art icle.” Tit le of Online Publicat ion.
Date of publicat ion. Date of access. <url>.
Citation Within an Essay
I t is a MUST that you properly cite all quotes, ideas,
theories that you use within your essay.
Citat ions appear direct ly following your quote or
paraphrase and take the following format:
1) Lines from a play: act.scene.lines (I .ii.1-25)
2) Quote from a book: Author Last Name. Pg #
(Fitzgerald. 100)
To block quote or to not block
quote?
A block quote MUST be done when the quote you insert is
longer than two lines in your essay. Block quotes are
introduced by a “:” and quotation marks are not necessary.
This is proven when Macbeth says:
Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, Till thou applaud the deed.
Come, seeing night, Scarf up the tender eye of pit iful day, And with thy bloody and invisible hand,
cancel and tear to pieces that great bond
(I V.ii. 35-39) This is significant because blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Lesson Four:Putt ing it to Practice
EssaySeeing as how we learned all about essays, you are now going
to write one. Choose from the following list of topics and
write an informal argumentative essay. Your essay MUST
have the following:
* clear intro, thesis, body, and conclusion
* stay on topic
* have topic sentences
* have at least 3 quotes to prove your thesis
Topics
1) Should beauty pageants be banned?
2) W hat pressures do high school students face?
3) Should parents need a license to have a child?
4) The internet is it good or evil?
5) Should promposals be banned?
6) Does technology isolate us?
7) Do boys and girls have different expectat ions on them?
8) Pick your own topic (must be approved)