World Literature

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

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Today’s Targets

• Analyzing and understanding the prompt• Developing clear thesis statements to target

the prompt• Developing clear topic sentences that make

valid arguments and connect to thesis• Selecting strong, relevant evidence

Rationale Behind Today’s Lesson

• After reviewing prewrites, there were many issues. Result: I need to do some reteaching to help you better understand the expectations, standards, and structures for the essay.

Revisiting the prompt

• Consider:– Who is the audience? Jury– What is the purpose?• Defense: To persuade the jury that Mary Maloney

should not be found guilty based on insanity.• Prosecution: To persuade the jury that Mary Maloney

should be convicted of murdering her husband.

Revisiting the prompt

• Look at the wording on your prewrite form.• Rephrase it in to a question then answer the

question to start your thesis.– Should Mary Maloney be convicted of the murder

of her husband?• Prosecutions side argument/answer:

• Defense side argument/answer:

Note for Defense

• Insane does not mean the same as not-guilty.• Guilty by reason of insanity means the person

admits to the act but claims to not be mentally capable of being held fully responsible. This does not mean release back in to society.

Developing Valid Arguments

• Are your reasons (topic sentence points) facts or arguments?– If they are facts, you need to scrap these reasons

and come up with arguments.– If they are arguments, you need to think about if

you there is evidence to support it.

Fact or Argument?

• Mary Maloney is mentally unstable before the murder.

• Mary Maloney is six months pregnant.• Mary Maloney killed her husband.• Mary Maloney brutally murdered her husband.• Mary Maloney lied to the police.• Mary Maloney’s lies to the police show that she

was fully capable of thinking clearly.

Valid Topic Sentences?Which is the strongest?

• Mary Maloney was in a state of shock.• Mary Maloney was in a state of shock when

she killed her husband.• Mary Maloney cannot be considered mentally

competent because she was in a state of shock when she killed her husband.

Valid Evidence

• Short quotes (cited of course)• Specific paraphrases

HOMEWORK

• Revise your prewrite to make sure that you have the following:– A strong thesis that shows your position on the

issue and your supporting reasons– Topic sentences that make an argument and

connect back to the reasons in your thesis.– Specific supporting evidence. Use some quotes.