02.09.2011WRITER’S WORKSHOP

English II CP | Mr. Smith

Warm-up

Choose one of the following to answer:A. What people, events, or other forces have caused

you to become who you are today? In other words, what has caused you to become “you”?

B. What effect do you hope to have on the world? In what way(s), big or small, do you want to change the people or places around you?

[ Mini-lesson ]

Cause/Effect essay

What is it?

A cause and effect essay examines the causes and/or effects of a given issue or event

One of the formats used on the NC Writing Test

Helpful definitions

Cause – a force of some kind that makes something happen or creates a change

Effect – The consequence or result of a cause

Practice

With your neighbor, come up with possible causes and effects for each item listed below. You make a failing grade on a quiz The NBHS Bears win the state football championship Mr. Smith walks down the stairs with too many books

in his arms Aliens land a UFO in your backyard You pass English with an ‘A’ and make a ‘4’ on the

writing test

Topics to choose from

The effects of cell phones on society The effects of Facebook on society The effects of a coach or teammate (or teacher or

classmate) on your life The effects of teen pregnancy on society (or on the

mother) The effects of high school dropouts on society (or on

the dropout) The effects of discrimination (racial, sexual, or

religious)

How do I start?

Prewriting Brainstorm as many effects as you can come up with

for your topic Choose your three strongest effects Use mapping to generate as many concrete details as

you can that relate to each effect you identified Drafting

Remember to start with a hook Make sure you have B/M/E Discuss each effect and its details in a logical order

Protected Writing Time

Agenda

Definition essay (Prewriting, Drafting) Effect essay (Prewriting) NO TALKING Check in with Mr. Smith at each stage

Homework

For tonight:

Read Example Essay C and answer the questions

Essay reading questions

What is the author’s thesis about the effects of cell phones?

What effect does each body paragraph focus on? Find at least one concrete detail and one sentence

of commentary in each paragraph. Do you agree or disagree with the author’s opinion

about the effects of cell phones? Why or why not? If you could change one thing about this essay,

what would it be and why?