Essay writing – A few suggestions

1. Essay writing – A few suggestions Brad Geary

2. Almost everything that I use, I’ve borrowed from someone.

3. Less Interesting Stuff First In general I tell my students that there are 2 types of essays that they need to know how to write. • Academic Essay • Original Composition

4. Academic Essay – AKA - Literary Essay • In order to teach how to write a quality essay response, teach them how to write a WAQ • Step 1 – Access Prior Knowledge – Give a question (Describe the character of Atticus Finch) and let them write – Don’t mark it – Stamp it!!!! • Step 2 – Make fun of their answers without using their names • Step 3 – Throw some snowballs (We’ve all done a great job teaching them! They just forget OR hope that your standards may be lower. • Step 4 – Give them the standards! ( See #1 and#2) Thanks to Dave Bortolussi!

5. Now they get to do it again (AKA -Guided Practice) • Give them a similar question. If the first one was describe the character of Atticus Finch, then this one should be describe the character of Boo Radley. • Double stamps (motivator) – Resources out! • Don’t mark it!!!!! • Peer Edit it – See #3 & #4 • Take Volunteers for bonus points • Who’s not ready to write a WAQ for marks? 20%

6. Writing Day For Marks • 1. Everything is in-class! Confidence! • 2. Resources Out! Calmness • 3. Question – Discuss which characters could symbolize the Mockingbird in the novel. Reminder to address and support both sides of the question! You can use former quotes. • 4. Mark it (only if it meets the Bortolussi standard!) • 5. Pick a “cool guy” and read his to the class.

7. Now They’re Poised To Write An Academic Essay During Your Next Unit • 1. There are no hand-outs. Put a question on the board and tell them that they know exactly how to write an essay response to this. • -WAQ – 3 paragraphs • -Literary Essay – 5 paragraphs • Do a TIE plan and follow WAQ resource for body • Collect at end of class or start of next class • Don’t mark it…..Stamp it!

8. After Guided Practice Comes Peer Edit • Peer Edit – See #6 & #7 * (There was no #5) • Hear volunteers • “Who’s not ready to write for marks?”

9. In-class Literary Essay for Marks • Pick a question which synthesizes two texts (High school – In Grade 10, it is a WAQ). One text is something you did during the unit. One is new. • Resources Out. • Do a “TIE” Plan reminder • Mark it. (Only if it meets the criteria)

10. Second Essay Category – Original Composition • Essayer – To try • Let them pick their own persuasive topic • The middle school teachers do the heavy lifting here (as usual!) And elementary teachers. • See #8 #9 – Thanks to JoscelynMcAulay and Sharon Mulder • High school teachers remind them of their great teachers and build on the foundation • See #10, 11, and 12 • They come back to school with a topic and optional point form notes for practice essay • Announce they can use it for marks later

11. Guided Practice In-Class Essay for Double Stamps • 1. Resources out (including optional point form notes) • 2. Must be finished during time. Essay doesn’t leave the room if they want to use it later. • 3. Don’t mark it! Double stamp it if it meets the criteria

12. Peer Editting Day – Original Composition (Persuasive Essay) • See #13 and #14 • Take some volunteers for bonus points • Anyone not ready to write for marks • Collect all essays before they leave, with peer edit sheet stapled to them

13. In-Class Essay for Marks • 1. Resources Out • 2. Hand-back double stamped rough copy • 3. Collect final copy at the end of the period and mark it

14. The Last Essay That I Do – Original Composition From A Prompt • Suggestions for Original Composition Writing from a Prompt (ie. A Provincial Exam) - Refer to #15 • 1. Predict what everyone else will write and don’t! • 2. Pick an approach which lends itself well to an anecdotal introduction • 3. Play on words • 4. Do the opposite

15. 5. Write from a non-human perspective • 6. Have a twist in the anecdote or conclusion • 7. Make literary references • 8. Do not use the whole prompt as your thesis statement unless you are doing one of the suggestions above • 9. If you’re good, write a narrative essay. Use the prompt as your title

16. “How they say it is so important.” Muriel Morris – January 30th, 2013 • How do we improve how they say it? • 1. Focus on 3 things to improve their style: • A) Using excellent diction • B) Using literary devices • C) Varying sentence structure

17. Drills to Improve Their Style • 1. Alphabet Essays – See #16 • -do one the day before any essay • 2. Changing descriptive paragraphs of famous literature to their opposites – See #17 • 3. Circular Group Writes • “Anxiously, she reached out a trembling hand, and drew back the deep, fragrant foliage to reveal the hidden, aged door.”

18. 4. Individual Writes From Famous Literature *Do these the day before without letting on. a) “The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way towards the lagoon.” b) “A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green.” c) “Brian Robeson stared out the window of the small plane at the endless green northern wilderness below.” • 5. Use the 5 senses – See #18. • a) Switch it up using any of the above

19. Oh, and look at the time!