Final MCAS ESSAY Review

1. Final MCAS ESSAY Review Remember our Class Intention: 100% of students in Humanities 10 will pass the ELA portion of the MCAS!

2. A few final questions to think about: 1. In literature as in life, people often struggle to know the truth. Choose a work of literature that you have read in or out of school in which a character struggles to know the truth. In a well-developed composition identify the character who struggles to know the truth, describe his or her struggle, and explain how this struggle is importatnt to the work of literature.

3. 2. In literature as in life, teacher-student relationships are an essential way in which wisdom is passed down through generations. Using a work of literature you have read in or out of school, write a well-developed Composition in which you identify a teacher-student relationship and explain how it allows wisdom to be passed down through generations.

4. 3. Many works of literature involve a significant relationship between two individuals. Choose a work of literature you have read in or out of school in which there is a significant relationship between two individuals. In a well-developed composition identify the two characters, explain why their relationship is significant, and describe how this relationship is important to the work of literature.

5. OUR MANDATORY WRITING PROCESS SESSION 1: 1. Write Thesis 2. Check Thesis -Make sure it answers all parts of the question and is grammatically perfect. 3. Write 3 Supporting Idea Statements 4. Check 3 Supporting Idea Statements -Make sure they explicitly relate back to the thesis and prove part of the thesis. 5. Outline (Including notes on details, and a draft of the lead.) 6. Draft 7. Revise 8. Edit

6. Writing Process Continued Session 2: 7. REVISE AGAIN!! 8. EDIT AGAIN!! 9. Final Draft 10. Final Read Over/Minor Edits 11. Celebrate!

7. 5 Basic Paragraphs: Introduction Supporting Idea 1 Supporting Idea 2 Supporting Idea 3 (For some students—Counter Argument Paragraph goes here…you know who you are.) Conclusion REVIEWING THE BASIC STRUCTURE

8. The Introduction Paragraph • LEAD: Restate (or repeat) the top part of the question. (1 Sentence) • Provide a general SUMMARY of the book which give important background information and glides into the thesis. (2-4 sentences) • Thesis • Preview of the Supporting Idea Statements • (Optional)-Preview of the Final Conclusion Reflections.

9. Notes on the Introduction Paragraph • Don’t be afraid to just fully restate, word for word, the top part of the question in your lead…it would be MUCH better to do this than to have grammar mistakes in the first sentence. Unless you are very confident in your lead, just restate the phrasing used in the question and then enter into your summary. • Make SURE your Thesis answers all parts of the question. • Be sure your Thesis is not a run-on…it would be better to have a two sentence thesis than a run-on thesis. • Check to be sure your Preview of the Supporting Idea Statements isn’t repetitive

10. The Supporting Idea Paragraphs • Supporting Idea Statement -Proves part of the thesis. -Explicitly relates back to the thesis 2. Evidence -Use at least two distinct details from the text to prove your supporting Idea Statement. Make sure you clearly explain how the details prove your supporting Idea Statement. 3. Clincher -Summarizes the central points from the paragraph.

11. Notes on Supporting Idea Paragraphs -Make it very clear that you are introducing an example by using transition phrases: For your first piece of evidence some possible transition phrases: For example For instance Indeed In particular, First of all, The event in which **** illustrates this idea well. ** demonstrates this when ** This idea is illuminated by Achebe (author) when ** Achebe (author) portrays ** when ** For your second piece of evidence some possible transition phrases: Further, Furthermore, In addition Moreover Equally important is the moment when ** Another example of ** occurs when **

12. (more) Notes on Supporting Idea Paragraphs ***If you use a quotation remember to introduce it with a comma and end it with a period... (Hamlet said, “To be or not to be—that is the question.”) • Your clinchers can begin with the following phrases: Thus, So, And so, Therefore, In summary, It is clear then that, In other words,

13. The Conclusion • Restate the thesis (In conclusion, …) • Review the 3 Supporting Ideas • Add Final Reflections which build thoughtfully on some aspect of the thesis. (approximately 3 sentences) Note: Make sure that your final sentences are very simple, straightforward, and clear.

14. Additional Notes: • RELENTLESSLY REVISE AND EDIT!!!!! • Remember to underline the title of the book. • Remember the apostrophe is August Wilson’s…or Shakespeare’s or Chinua Achebe’s • Watch for: • their, there, and they’re • ‘s for possession … Hamlet’s rapier. • Spelling of author and characters • RUN-ON’s • Fragments—make sure you are writing in complete sentences. • Commas after transitional phrases: In conclusion, For example, For instance, • Awkward Sentences • Use the dictionaries if you are unclear about spelling

15. Final Notes: • Take your time. • Take personal breaks as needed but don’t let yourself space out for long periods at a time…use the power of your brain while it is fresh. • If you get a hard question, don’t panic. Read it again and again and try to make sense of it. Trust your own ability to do a strong job. Look up words you don’t understand. Take your time. • If you are getting very frustrated or anxious or antsy, try your hardest to relax and remember the skills you have. Don’t let the test beat you.

16. And most importantly, remember this: Each and every one of you know how to do this. You have grown tremendously as writers this year. Each and every one of you can and will succeed on this exam. Many of you will achieve advanced scores. We have been practicing as a team for 7 months. Have faith, have confidence... together, we can do it. I am very proud of you.