Independent Reading- 20 minutes-work on R13-15-Inferences-due 10/24 A-10/25 B-80 percent assessment
Remember, today in class, you are to work on your W4-Performance-Task-Unit 1- in which you have to write an essay comparing and contrasting two stories from Unit 1. This essay must be a minimum of 4 elaborate paragraphs (most of you will want to have at least 5) and have at least 3 points of contrast and comparison. This unit performance task will be worth 100 points and is 80 percent of your grade. It is due 10/20 A and 10/21 B. That is the next class I see you. That is the equivalent of over 3 reading entries, so if you do not complete it, you will not pass this next term. Therefore, all of you who hope to pass, will complete this essay. Why not take the time given to you in class and when you are being taught how to do it, to actually do it. In other words, Do Not Waste Your Class Time today. Since it is due the next class, if you do not do what you are supposed to today, you will feel extremely behind when I see you again. You also will not be able to get much help from me before submitting your essay. Late essays will be penalized 10 points off each class.
Today, you will need to finalize your Venn diagram, write your introduction and write at least one supporting paragraph. If you finish this, before class is over, move on to your other supporting paragraphs. The next class, you will finish your essay and submit.
The Venn Diagram
Take out your W4-Performance Task-Unit 1-Venn diagram Most of you, did not put your own notes here. This will not be enough for you to have just copied what I put on the board. You must put your own comparisons and contrasts. If necessary, look back at the stories or the assignments you chose to compare and contrast (story titles and assignments on board). You can add details about any of the following to your diagram: plot, characters, setting, journey for identity. If you do not add your own notes, it will be hard to generate an essay and you will lose points on your diagram which will be turned in with your essay.
WARNING: DO NOT COPY MS. BATTEN'S HOOK OR THESIS. USE HER EXAMPLES AS A MODEL.
The Introduction
All introductions must start with a hook. This means you have to engage the reader somehow. If you cannot think of a way to do this, why not use a quote from either story which relates to your thesis.
My hook:
"Guided by my heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength--in search of my mother's garden, I found my own," Alice Walker said.
All introductions must end with a thesis statement. Your thesis must state both works or authors and why the comparison/contrast is worth writing or the so what.
My thesis
My thesis: Both Walker and Cisneros discovered their passion for writing [<- the first part is my so what]through struggles, family influences and cultural restrictions.[the last part is the points I will be writing about-which will develop into my supporting paragraphs.
Now look at my hook and thesis. Together, they do not make sense without something connecting them. Most students do not think about this, but they should. I would need to add a lead-in to my thesis which relates the hook to the purpose of my paper. Example intro with connector:
"Guided by my heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength--in search of my mother's garden, I found my own," Alice Walker said in her story,"In Search of Our Mother's Garden." What Walker is really saying is she found her identity or her love for writing by learning from her mother's creativity. Likewise Sandra Cisneros developed a love for writing which she discusses in her story "Straw Into Gold". Both Walker and Cisneros developed their passion for writing through struggles, family influences and cultural restrictions.
Write Your own Introduction paragraph
Support
Use comparison contrast transitions and elaborate each point. This time, pay attention to the writing rules from W3. Any mistakes made present from W3-the 10 tips will result in point deductions for each mistake made. Yes, I'm serious. I don't teach you things for you to ignore them, as some of you did in your first essay.
Make sure you use alternating comparison contrast. This means, you cannot list all the details for one story, then the other. It also means, you can not randomly list the similarities and differences. Instead, you must let your thesis guide your paper. Look back at my thesis. I would have to have a supporting paragraph on struggle, family influences and cultural restrictions. In my paragraph about struggle, I cannot mention anything but how struggles helped both authors develop their identity as a writer,the differences between their struggles and specific story details about their struggles. The reason you want to use alternating style is so that you do not confuse yourself or your reader and you do a good job pointing out how the two stories are similar and different.
When writing your support, you may want to do an outline. This is not necessary, but it could help tremendously. See example on the board for my struggle-supporting paragraph if interested in outlining.
Make sure your supporting topics are mentioned in your thesis, you use appropriate comparison/contrast transitions, you elaborate-using story details and you compare and contrast. You do not need to cite the text. Instead you can use the title of the book or the author's name. For example:
In "Straw Into Gold"......, whereas in "In Search of Our Mother's Garden"
According to Cisneros ........ On the other hand, Walker ......
Now Write your First Supporting Paragraph. The points you can write about in your paper, which should be included in your thesis if you choose them are:
plot, characters, setting, journey for identity, authors, author's style, family influences, culture
You will finish your essay the next class and submit it for a grade. It does not have to be typed. If you were in FCAT testing during this lesson, you were told to refer to this website for details of your assignment to make sure you still turned it in on time.
