Essay Workshop

Chapter 17: Essay basics and Development

What is an essay?

An essay is a group of related paragraphs that focuses on one key idea called a thesis.

Example: How online dating has affected society

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is a complete sentence in the essay’s introduction that relates the essay topic and what the essay is going to say about the topic, and also gives clues to how the essay will unfold.

Example thesis statement

About three years ago my 2002 Chevy minivan made a clunking noise, which I attributed to the shocks being destroyed. I decided to take the car to the dealership from which I had purchased it brand new. Technicians took my car (minivan) for test drive; they came to the conclusion that absolutely nothing was wrong with my car. The shocks were perfect—nothing wrong with them! As soon as I left, the car made the same noise. I turned the car around and drove right back to the dealership. I was very upset. I asked to speak to the technician who had incorrectly diagnosed the condition. When I asked him on what he based his diagnosis, he said he heard no noises. “Let’s go for a test drive,” I suggested. About five seconds into the drive, he heard “the noise.” Then, they finally fixed the problem. I had had enough of dealership technicians. At that point, I decided I would rather do the maintenance myself from now on. Once I worked on the car by myself, I realized that self-maintenance is better because it provides an excuse to utilize the garage, allows the family to save money, and gives the self-mechanic the peace of mind that it has been done right.

excuse to utilize the garage

Thesis Statement: In the past, single adults have had to rely on bar hopping, blind dates by well-meaning friends and relatives, single’s clubs, and personal ads to build relationships. Today, online dating has given single adults a social networking alternative that has its advantages and disadvantages.

First…Find a broad topic…

Effects of Technology on Modern Life

Second…brainstorm ideas…

Effects of Technology on Modern Life1. Facebook2. MySpace3. Email4. Chat rooms5. Google.com6. Mapquest7. Online dating 8. Online shopping…9. Sports stats…scores10. Buying entertainment tickets.

Group your ideas into categories…

1. Facebook2. Ticketsnow.com3. Email4. Chat rooms5. Google.com for

answers6. Mapquest7. Online dating 8. Online

shopping…9. E Harmony.com10. Sports scores

Communicating:

Socializing:

Dating:

Creating your thesis statement…

The Internet has become an excellent means of communicating, socializing, and meeting potential dates.

Creating an alternative thesis statement…

Alternate Grouping of your ideas …

1. Face book2. Ticketsnow.com3. Email4. Chat rooms5. Google.com for

answers6. Mapquest7. Online dating 8. Online

shopping…9. E Harmony.com10. Sports stats/scores

Communicating:

Gathering Information:

Shopping:

New Thesis Statement

For those people who are not willing or able to go out in public, the Internet has become and excellent means of gathering information, communicating, and even shopping.

Step 2: Designing a Good Thesis Statement

Topic + Main Idea

Q: What caused the horror and hysteria of the Salem witch trials?

An Essay From an Essay Question

Answer the essay question in a general way…

Q: What caused the horror and hysteria of the Salem witch trials?

A: The Salem hysteria and horror of the Salem witch trials were caused by two things: the fear of going against the strict Puritan Code and human weaknesses.

Thesis Statements from a Given General Topic

Topic + Main Idea About Topic

Native American Literature

Very Spiritual

Open-ended essays

Keep running list of possible essay topics of interest to you.

Once you have a specific topic…

Brainstorm related ideas.

Group ideas into 3-5 categories, depending on required length of essay.

Step 3: Planning an Essay

2. Create an outline of major points. (P. 475)

• Decide on three-five main things you want to say to support your thesis statement.

1. Create your thesis statement

•List 2-3 examples or reasons to support each of these main pts.

Basic Essay Outline

I. Introduction-Pull the reader into your topic

II. Body-Thoroughly cover your main points in individual paragraphs

III. Conclusion-bring your ideas to a closure

Practice Creating Outlines

1. Brainstorm for Interesting Topics

2. Choose a general topic of interest to you.

3. Decide what you would like to say about this topic

4. Write a thesis statement.

5. Create an Outline for next classSTOPPED

Chapter 14: Methods of Organization

Turn to pages 367. Review all methods.

The method YOU choose should suit your purpose in writing

Purposes:

•To tell a story or relate an event•To argue a point.•To create an impression of something•To compare/contrast ideas or things•To explain a process•To give examples of an idea you presented•To show the causes and effects of an event

Using narration…

Introduction: For over five years, I had gone the traditional dating route: bars, friends of friends, friends of relatives, relatives of relatives, even my children’s teachers. Nothing worked. I was ready to give up, until my friend Sue suggested going online. I was the last of all my single friends to try an online dating service to find “my soul mate,” as they so often referred to those unfortunate single men who were as unsuccessful in the dating market as I. For three weeks I went online and looked at all the online services available: eharmony. com, match.com, etc. I finally chose eharmony, mainly because the name seemed almost…religious. Well, online dating service experiences were far from religious experiences.

Body Outline: Using narration

•First experience: Harry-turned out be a poet of morbid, frightening poetry about his coworkers in body bags.•Second experience: Joe-On Geraldo Rivera show in Chicago. He had paid a gypsy to put a hex on his alimony check to his wife.•Third experience: Jack-Supposedly “loaded,” showed me his check stub, dabbled in the stock market. His credit cards maxed out at $20,000 –each! Wanted me to “cash in” on his latest “hot tip.”•Last experience: Don- VP of a local boat manufacturing company, said he was “50”, actually “60.” Whined constantly about his wife “taking” him in the divorce. Looking for a “young” thing with a good income.

Using comparison/contrast…

Introduction: Growing up in my family of four children was a challenge, mainly because our mother died very unexpectedly at the young age of thirty-five. She had should no signs of illness, at least not to us. But she had kidney disease, which had escalated during her last two pregnancies. After she died, we had a hard time. We weren’t poor, we weren’t abused, we weren’t neglected. But we were left alone a lot because every day our father had to drive over forty miles to and from Madison. Normally that isn’t so much of a problem, since the youngest was nine and the oldest 15. However, the problem in my family had more to do with our different personalities and the conflicts that arose because of them.

Body Outline: Comparison/Contrast

1. Howie-age 9 (mild-mannered, outdoors person, rarely around, baby of the family)

2. Cheri-age 11 (temper, aggressive, smart, high-achiever, argumentative)

3. Tom –age 15 (temper, aggressive, smart, high-achiever, argumentative)

4. Donna-age 16 (mothering-type, takes control, mild-mannered, responsible, plays referee.)

Stop!

Step 4: Creating Introductions

•Catch the reader’s attention

•Set the tone (humorous, serious, critical, persuasive…)

•Present the thesis statement

Purposes of Introductions

Introduction Techniques

•Address the reader, but do not say “you”•Simply begin with thesis statement and summarize major points.

•Begin with startling fact

•Begin with interesting anecdote, quote or example

•Begin with a question

•Take a stand on an issue

•Begin with humorous statement

Writing Introductions-Independent Practice.

Create a full introduction to your essay outline assigned for today. Choose the one that best fits your tone and your ideas. Add it to your outline.

Step 5. Developing Outline from an Essay Question/Full Intro

I Introduction: Write out your complete introductory paragraph which includes your thesis statement underlined. Make sure it answers the essay question generally.II Body: A-C should be your three main points. 1-3 should be the three ideas for each paragraph. III. Conclusion-Write one wrap-up sentence

If you had to move to a different town in two weeks, what would you miss most about living here? Why?

ASSIGNED ESSAY QUESTION :

STOP HERE: DAY 2

Reviewing Introductions

Introduction Techniques. P. 31-32

•Address the reader•Simply begin with thesis statement and summarize major points.

•Begin with startling fact

•Begin with interesting anecdote, quote or example

•Begin with a question

•Take a stand on an issue

•Begin with humorous statement

Step 6. Writing Conclusions…

Bringing your essay to an interesting ending.Create a clear sense of closure for your reader.

Don’t leave your reader hanging!

Types of Conclusions

Refer back to the introduction: See p. 31 (Nancy Lopez…)/34

Offer a solution/make a recommendation

Restate your thesis: See p. 32/34/summarize main pts.

Pose a dramatic question or challenge your reader. Create reader involvement

Make it personal. (an experience?) Bring it home. Create a sense of this is how it affects(ed) me, and then the readers will “bring it home” for themselves.

Look to the future. How will it affect society, etc., in the future?

Practicing Conclusions

1. Do Exercise #7 p. 35-36

2. Discuss your assigned outline with a partner. Discuss possible conclusion techniques that would work best.

3. Write a strong conclusion for your outlined essay assigned for today.

4. Explain why you think this would make a good conclusion. Hand in adjusted assigned outline

Step 7. Create an Outline from a Personal Topic.

What do you see for your future?

I. Introduction: Use one of our techniques. Underline your thesis statement

II. Body

A- Point 1(Details 1,2,3)

B- Point 2 (Details 1,2,3)

C-Most important point (Details 1,2,3)

III. Conclusion: Use one of the techniques discussed today. Write out full conclusion.

Using Models

•Topic: What do you see for your future?

•Read model of a first draft p. 37

•Answer “Thinking About Model” SQ’s p. 38.

•Outline your essay

Stop Here Day 3

Coherence: Ordering of Ideas

An essay in which all paragraphs are sensibly arranged and clearly connect has coherence.

Step 7: Essay Paragraph Arrangements

•Order of Importance

•Chronological Order

•Spatial Order

•Problem-Solution

•Comparison-Contrast

Order of Importance

Point 1:Evidence

Point 2:Evidence

*Point 3: Evidence

Conclusion: Your thesis statement must be true!

Your Introduction: thesis statement

Topic: The Perfect Senior Year

•Choose a technique for your introduction. You do not need to write the intro.

•Create an outline of three elements of a perfect senior year (order of importance)

•Choose an interesting conclusion technique

•Write the three paragraphs of the Body.

Step 8:Writing strong paragraphs: Unity and Coherence

p. 15-19 of your English Workshop textbook, improving unity and coherence within your individual paragraphs

Example: Paragraph A.

When I think of my senior year, the first thing I think of is freedom! To me, freedom means honors pass. Finally, I will be treated like an adult, or at least like a pre-college student. I am really looking forward to being able to leave school when I do not have a class to run those important errands that I now have squeeze into my busy after-school schedule. It also means I am no longer confined to a study hall. With honors pass I can go into the library whenever I want, use the computers, and even go into the cafeteria if I have a severe case of the munchies. If I need a little “pumping up” for volleyball, all I need to do is check in with my coach and go up to the weight room for a few extra reps with the bar bells. Now that’s freedom!

Creating Essay Coherence-Transitional Devices

Words

Phrases

Sentences

Transitional Expressions: Words and Phrases that make a transition, or shift, from one idea to another, within a paragraph or from paragraph to paragraph. .

Transitional Relationships

Comparing Ideas: anotherContrasting Ideas: however

Cause and Effect: therefore

Showing Time: from that point on

Showing place(ment): behind

Showing Importance: more importantly

See page 19 in English Workshop text for more examples

*Direct Reference Transitional Devices.

*Referring to a person, place, thing in the previous sentence or paragraph.1. Pronoun-antecedent: John…he

2. Repeating a key word used earlier: Homecoming was a great experience. This experience was hard to beat. However, …

3. Using a word or phrase that means the same thing as one used earlier: I can’t wait for my turn to be free. This freedom…

Practicing Transitional Expressions

P. 20, English Workshop text

Direct Reference Transitions

Practicing Transitions: Topic

What three things would you like to accomplish or experience before the end of your lifetime? Explain why you feel so strongly about this and how this might happen. Create a strong voice with a lot of passion for the topic. Give specific experiences and people in your life that have influenced you in these goals. Make a brief outline of your three main points to get you started..

Word-process your three paragraphs of the body. Use a variety of natural transitions. Use transitional words and direct reference transitions. Highlight your transitions with the computer’s highlighter.

Step 9: Writing the Essay

Assignment: Create a complete essay from one of the outlines you did for class in this unit.

Format: Use the Basic Essay Format we have been developing in this unit.

Order of Importance

Point 1:Evidence

Point 2:Evidence

*Point 3: Evidence

Conclusion: Your thesis statement must be true!

Your Introduction: thesis statement

Evaluation: You will be evaluated on the following criteria

1. Thursday: First draft saved and printed

2. Monday: Self- assessment and revision.

Final draft due end of hour.