SEWRT 1A Class 10

AGENDA

Vocabulary (10-13)

Concept Essay: Basic Features

Discussion: Ways to begin your concept essay. In-Class Writing:

Focusing your Concept Writing your Thesis Outlining

Discuss these words in your groups:Vocabulary 10-13

The Basic Features of the Concept Essay

A Focused Concept An Appeal to Readers’

Interests A Logical Plan Clear Definitions

Appropriate Writing Strategies Classification Process Narration Comparison and

Contrast Cause and Effect

Careful Use of Sources

Get Back Into Your Groups

Read Aloud “Basic Features: Explaining a Concept” pages 164-65

When you finish, discuss each feature, noting how you will integrate each one into your own essay.

Take notes about your own writing while you discuss.

A Focused Concept

Concepts can be approached from many perspectives (for example, history, definition, known causes or effects), and you cannot realistically explain every aspect of any concept, so you must limit your explanation to reflect both your special interest in the concept and your readers’ likely knowledge and interest.

Make a list of two or three aspects of the concept that could become a focus for your essay, and evaluate what you know about each aspect.

Under each possible focus in your list, make notes about why it interests you, what you know about it already, and what questions you want to answer about it.

Testing Your Choice

Get together with one or two other students to find out what your readers are likely to know about your subject and what might interest them about it.

Presenters:Take turns briefly explaining your concept, describing your intended readers, and identifying the aspect of the concept that you will focus on.

Listeners:Briefly tell the presenter whether the focus sounds appropriate and interesting for the intended readers. Share what you think readers are likely to know about the concept and what information might be especially interesting to them.

Formulating a Working Thesis Statement

Refer to our model essays to see how others handle a thesis for this kind of essay

In his essay on cannibalism, Ngo offers his thesis statement in paragraph six:

Cannibalism can be broken down into two main categories: exocannibalism, the eating of outsiders or foreigners, and endocannibalism, the eating of members of one’s own social group (Shipman 70). Within these categories are several functional types of cannibalism, three of the most common being survival cannibalism, dietary cannibalism, and religious and ritual cannibalism.

Ngo’s concept is cannibalism; his focus is on functional cannibalism.

He has two categories: Endo and Exocannibalism He has three types: Survival, dietary, and

religious/ritual cannibalism In his thesis, he carefully forecasts both how he will

divide the information to create topics and the order in which he will explain each of the topics

O.K., let’s cut out all this nonsense about romantic love. Let’s bring some scientific precision to the party. Let’s put love under a microscope. When rigorous people with Ph.D.'s after their names do that, what they see is not some silly, senseless thing. No, their probe reveals that love rests firmly on the foundations of evolution, biology and chemistry.

Toufexis’s concept is love, and her focus is the scientific explanation of love—specifically the evolution, biology, and chemistry of love. In announcing her focus, she forecasts the order in which she will present information from the three most relevant academic disciplines—anthropology (human evolution), biology, and chemistry. These discipline names become her topics.

Anastasia Toufexis begins her essay with her thesis statement:

The Challenge: Draft your working thesis in ten minutes

As you draft your own tentative thesis statement, take care to make the language clear. Although you may want to revise your thesis statement as you draft your essay, trying to state it now will give your planning and drafting more focus and direction. Keep in mind that the thesis in an explanatory essay, such as a concept essay, merely announces the subject; it never asserts a position that requires an argument to defend it.

Write one or more sentences, stating your focused concept, that could serve as a thesis statement.  Forecast the topics you will use to explain the concept.

Reveals the significance of the subject Provides an essay map Asserts a claim or position that can be

argued

Elements of a Strong Thesis

Your Thesis is a Map to Your EssayOnce you have your working thesis written,

make a Tentative Outline. Introduction

Extended AnecdoteThesis Category 1

Type 1Type 2Type 3

Category 2Type 1Type 2Type 3

Repeat if NecessaryConclusion

HOMEWORK

Read: HG through chapter 22, SMG 148-163 Post #10: Finish and post your in-class writing: Focused concept,

thesis, anecdotes, outline Find three more examples of your concept in HG. Try to find

examples to represent your classifications or categories. Study: Vocab (1-18)