how to write an effective essay mrs. esterline 8 th grade language arts plms
TRANSCRIPT
FCAT Scoring Guide U-6U—Unscorable, Invalidated
1—Incomplete, Little to no work
2—Off topic, Incomplete, Full of conventions errors
3—Loosely organized, Little supporting detail, Many errors in conventions
4—Clear beginning, middle, and end with some supporting details and scattered conventions errors
5—Fully organized with detailed support and few errors in conventions
6—Nearly perfect paper with elaborate supporting detail and no conventions errors
1. Ideas
Brainstorm 6-8 interesting topics or themes
Choose a topic that is unique to you
Provide good supporting details to support the topic you select: HELPS, FRIES, or SEXY
Use multiple examples per paragraph to support your main idea
Hold your reader’s attention throughout
2. Organization
Include a clear beginning, middle and end—introduction, body, conclusion
Use transitions to show how ideas connect—for example, additionally, therefore
Choose a form or structure that matches your theme—essay, narrative, letter
Sequence your ideas in a chosen order—chronological order, flashback, predict
3. Voice
Decide who your audience will be
Let your readers see how you feel about the topic
Let your personality shine through your words
Keep them interested with your own unique perspective
4. Word Choice
Choose words that make your meaning clear
Use language that is natural, not forced
Choose verbs that are interesting and exciting
Choose words and phrases that catch the reader’s attention
Make sure to spell upper level vocabulary words correctly and use in the right context
5. Sentence Fluency
Make your writing fun and easy to read aloud
Build sentences that make meaning clear
Show connections between thoughts by using the proper conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) and punctuation (. , ; : ).
Vary sentences in length and structure
Start sentences in a variety of ways
6. ConventionsSpelling—if you do not know how to spell a word, sound it out or choose a similar word that you do know how to spell
Capitalization—always capitalize the first letter of a new sentence and Proper Nouns
Punctuation—Check for end marks to eliminate run-on sentences
Paragraphing—Remember to indent each new paragraph no larger than an inch, or the length of your first two fingers
Grammar and Usage—Check for commonly misused words
Commonly Misused Words
There—Location
The folder is over there.
To—A destination
I walked to my desk.
Who—Subject (he, she, we)
Who made the cake?
Their—Possession
Their folders are green.
Two—Number
I sit at desk two.
Whom—Object (him, her, us)
Whom are you going to invite?
They’re—They are
They’re (They are) going to buy new folders tonight.
Too—Also, in addition to
Mary sits with me too.
Whose—Possession (his, hers, ours)
Whose invitation is this?
Introduction Paragraphs
Every introduction paragraph should contain three main elements:
1. Creative Hook—Something unique that grabs or hooks your reader’s attention
2. Re-Statement of the Prompt—Telling the reader exactly what you will be writing about by including KEY WORDS from the prompt in the introduction
3. Thesis Statement—One or more sentences that gives your reasons for writing
Four Types of Creative Hooks1. Anecdote or Story
2. Quote
3. Question
4. Extraordinary Re-definition
Creative Hooks
1. Anecdote or Story:
Heroes come in many forms, including firemen and police. As I watched a fireman run into my burning apartment building to rescue my beloved cat, Nala, I realized just how heroic firefighters can be.3. Question:
What qualities does a hero possess? Is it bravery, compassion, loyalty? The answer is, yes, yes, and yes! A hero must be all of these things and more.
2. Quote:
An unnamed philosopher once said, “God created heroes to walk unrecognized as saviors among men.” My interpretation of this quote means, that heroes are everywhere and can be anyone.4. Extraordinary Re-definition:
Old ladies, toddlers, clergy, public servants: no matter your age, race, color, creed, or religion, you can be a hero. Heroes come in many forms, and walk among us daily.
Sample Introduction Paragraph
An unnamed philosopher once said, “God created heroes to walk unrecognized as saviors among men.” My interpretation of this quote means, that heroes are everywhere and can be any one. The task of defining a hero can be challenging, since most people have their own definition in mind. My definition of a hero is a savior that can present himself in any form, an activist who upholds human rights, and a compassionate being that puts the safety of others before his own.
Body Paragraphs
Every body paragraph should contain three basic elements:
1. Transition—A smooth change from one idea to the next
2. Supporting Detail(s)—One or more detailed example to support your reason for writing as indicated in the thesis statement
3. Justifier—A transition word plus wrap-up sentence that sums up your body paragraph
Your paper should have one body paragraph for each reason presented in your thesis statement!
Common Transitions and Justifiers
Transitions
• To begin with
• Additionally
• For example
• Furthermore
• In conclusion
• To sum things up
Justifiers
• As you can see
• Hence
• Therefore
• Thus
• As proven
• However
Ideas=Supporting Details=High Score
I-HELPS yourself to a high score!
Do you want FRIES with that?
Hate writing? Think SEXY!
Information
Historical
Entertainment
Literary
Personal anecdote, story or quote
Statistic
Fiction
Research
Investigation
Expert Testimony
Stance
Statement
Explanation
eXample
Your Opinion
Sample Body Paragraph
While it has been established, that a hero can be a savior who can present himself in any form, it is also imperative that a hero be an activist for those he saves. For example, former slave, Fredrick Douglass, became a hero to many African-Americans after the Civil War. Douglass championed that newly freed slaves receive the benefits they were due. By becoming the activist voice of his people, Douglass also became a hero to those he rallied for. As you can see, being a hero also means being an active participant in the lives of those you save.
Conclusion Paragraphs
All conclusion paragraphs should contain three common elements:
1. Closing Transition Word or Phrase—In conclusion, To Conclude, To wrap things up
2. Re-Statement of the Thesis
3. Tie-in to the Hook or Call to Action (Persuasive Only)
The conclusion should mirror the introduction and summarize the key
points of your writing.
Sample Conclusion Paragraph
As proven, a hero can be many different things to many different people, including: a savior, an activist, and a selfless, compassionate human being. While I may, or may not, possess the greatness to walk among the masses as a hero myself, I pray that my savior will one day be walking beside me, in my hour of need.
Writing a Definition Essay
A definition essay is writing that explains, or defines what a topic means
When writing a definition essay, use these strategies of definition:
• Function Strategy—demonstrates how the concept functions or operates in the real world
• Example Strategy—Uses examples, often from texts, to help the reader understand your definition
• Negation Strategy—Explains what something is by showing what it is not; using negation to contrast your definition with others’ definitions
Embedded
Assessment 1:
Writing a Definition
Essay• Write a multi-paragraph (at
least five) essay that defines your concept of heroism
• Use various strategies of definition to explain your unique opinion on the concept
• All papers must follow the six traits of writing
• Examples should include a variety of supporting details (HELPS, FRIES, and SEXY)
• Essays must be neatly hand-written and double-spaced
• Due Friday, Sept. 20—No late credit will be given
• See page 55 of the SpringBoard book for scoring guide