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The Science of Essay Writing. I’m good at volleyball…. I averaged 0 blocks a game. I averaged 1 assists a a game. I had a hitting a hitting average of .650. I averaged 20 kills a game. Believe Me?. Do YOU know what the following are? Block Hitting average Kill
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I’m good at volleyball… • I averaged 0 blocks a game. • I averaged 1 assists a a game. • I had a hitting a hitting average of .650. • I averaged 20 kills a game.
Believe Me? • Do YOU know what the following are? • Block • Hitting average • Kill • If not, do these statistics PROVE ANYTHING?
In Academic Writing • We must build context for our thoughts. • You can’t just say I’m good at baseball because I have a batting average of .300. • You must explain what a batting average is FIRST. What is a good one. How “big of a deal” it is… • THEN you state what you can do • THEN you PROVE how what you did fits your definition.
In reality…. • We DON’T write about ourselves in academic writing. • We write IN RESPONSE to texts we have read.
But… • The PATTERN is the same… • We must first EXPLAIN the ANCHOR text or element and our interpretation of it. • THEN we compare back to it.
Examples • Describe London’s use of foreshadowing in “To Build a Fire.” • What is the anchor text or element that we must define FIRST?
Explain the usage of similes in the poem “The Road Not Taken” • Here?
Huh? • We must DEFINE our terms FIRST in our essays. • We must make our points in RELATIONSHIP to the ANCHOR text.
Practice… • Identify what you must define FIRST before showing examples from the text….. • What is the anchor term or text in each prompt?
Interpret the social causes of immigrants coming to America.
RESPONSES • According to the 6th Amendment, the trial was constitutional. • Your next sentence should be about what?
Jack London does use foreshadowing in the short story “To Build a Fire.” • Your next sentence should be….
Summary • When you have “terms” or “jargon” in your academic writing, you MUST define it. • What you make interpretations in literature, you must connect them to the “anchor” text.
Transition to Reality • Would Betty Friedan AGREE or DISAGREE with the messages of current pop songs? • What is your anchor text? • What text must you always define FIRST, then compare TO?