Pride and Prejudice

American History IHIUS 221

Preliminary MattersTechnologyNo cell phonesComputers permitted... But dont abuse it!

Sleep? No. Snacks? Yes.

Syllabus...Why Study History?Knowing and understanding the past: where we came from, mistakes to avoid, successes to model

Pictures of Ecclesiastes

Pictures of Church history

Improving your writing skills

Improving your critical thinking skills

Learning to read with muscle

Writing TipsAn essay is your attempt to explain and justify your position on an issue or your answer to a question.

Dissect the essay prompt

Dissect the Essay PromptEssay Prompt: Explore the theme of self-improvement in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Provide several examples consistently reiterated by Franklin in the text.

Dissect the Essay PromptExplore the theme of self-improvement in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

Provide several examples consistently reiterated by Franklin in the text.

Dissect the Essay PromptEssay Prompt:

Explore the theme of self-improvement in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

Provide several examples consistently reiterated by Franklin in the text.

Writing TipsDissect the essay prompt

Research and take notes

Research and Take NotesSaving money to purchase booksLearning how to swimWriting articles for his brothers newspaperMaking efforts to master virtues like frugality, order, and justiceStarting an intellectual club to discuss politics and philosophyDiscovering the value of a vegetarian dietSaw the societal benefits of lending assistance to people in needUnderstanding the health benefits of drinking water instead of alcohol in the workplaceEstablishing libraries for public useWriting TipsDissect the essay prompt

Research and take notes

Draw up an outlineOutlining TipsPinpoint 3-5 major points in your notes.

Organize your notes under each point

Organize your major points so that there is a coherent flow from one to the next.

Your major points will become your paragraphs. You should not include more than one major point per paragraph.Outlining TipsSaving money to purchase booksLearning how to swimWriting articles for his brothers newspaperMaking efforts to master virtues like frugality, order, and justiceStarting an intellectual club to discuss politics and philosophyDiscovering the value of a vegetarian dietSaw the societal benefits of lending assistance to people in needUnderstanding the health benefits of drinking water instead of alcohol in the workplaceEstablishing libraries for public useOutlining TipsPhysical Self-ImprovementLearning how to swimDiscovering the value of a vegetarian dietUnderstanding the health benefits of drinking water instead of alcohol in the workplace

Mental Self-ImprovementSaving money to purchase booksWriting articles for his brothers newspaperStarting an intellectual club to discuss politics and philosophyEstablishing libraries for public use

Moral Self-ImprovementMaking efforts to master virtues like frugality, order, and justiceSaw the societal benefits of lending assistance to people in need

Writing TipsDissect the essay prompt

Research and take notes

Draw up an outline

Construct a thesis sentenceThe ThesisThe thesis should be...

One sentence placed at the end of your first paragraph.

A summary of the specific arguments you will make in the rest of your paper.

A condensed but precise list of the major points that will answer all the questions in the essay prompt.The ThesisIn his Autobiography, Franklin uplifts the importance of physical, mental, and moral self-improvement by providing examples from his own experiences growing up in colonial America.Writing TipsDissect the essay prompt

Research and take notes

Draw up an outline

Construct a thesis sentence

Construct your introductionThe IntroductionThree Major Purposes:

Hook the reader with one or two interesting sentences that introduce the overall topic that your paper addresses.

Spend two or three sentences setting up the problem you are trying to solve in the essay. In most cases, this means describing the questions in the essay prompt that you are going to answer.

Include your thesis statement, which should be the final sentence in the first paragraph.Writing TipsDissect the essay prompt

Research and take notes

Draw up an outline

Construct a thesis sentence

Construct your introduction

Construct your body paragraphsBody ParagraphsFive Key Objectives:

Begin each paragraph with strong topic sentences.

Keep your paragraphs unified.

Try to end your paragraphs with smooth transitions.

Not too long... But not too short.

Each paragraph should point back to your thesis.Principles for QuotesAlways introduce your quotes.

Avoid beginning paragraphs with quotes.

Offer some commentary on a quote after you insert it.

Refrain from including quotes longer than one or two sentences, and those sentences should not extend beyond two or three lines.

Quotes should not make up more than 10% of the paper.Writing TipsDissect the essay prompt

Research and take notes

Draw up an outline

Construct a thesis sentence

Construct your introduction

Construct your body paragraphs

Construct your conclusionThe ConclusionFour Tips:

The first sentence in the last paragraph should be a restatement of your thesis sentence.

After the first sentence, you should not introduce any new material.

You might include a sentence or two to summarize the major ideas that your body paragraphs explored.

The conclusion should end in your own words, not a quote.