Tips on Writing the first Major Writing STEP 1: Determine what - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Tips on Writing the first Major Writing STEP 1: Determine what type of paper you are writing

Is your paper: Analytical - paper breaks down an issue or idea into parts, evaluates the issue, and presents a break down to the audience Expository - paper explains something Argumentative - paper justifies a claim with specific evidence (opinion-based)

STEP 2: Determine Main Points & Collect Supporting Evidence

Helpful Strategies • Re-read • Close read/“talk-to-the-text” • Take notes • Create categories • Find cause/effect relationships • Seek out facts • Define new vocabulary • Charts, diagrams, maps • Draft & revise

About Providing Excellent Evidence • character names • places/setting • specific occurrences • textual evidence • facts • proves engagement and understanding • supports thesis, not opinion

Let’s take a look at the Assignment for Major Writing #1 What evidence could we collect at this time?

STEP 3: Write the Thesis Statement

Thesis Statements do ... • address the point of your paper • appear at the END of the first paragraph • state something a little strange • creates an argument that builds from one point to the next, giving the paper direction

Never Never Thesis Statements Ever Do Ever Do do NOT... • appear as the first sentence of the paper • start with “In this paper, I will talk about/address...” NEVER EVER EVER

Three-Tiered Thesis • provides three reasons to support your position • each reason corresponds to each of the three body paragraphs • includes author’s name and title of book/text

CP Examples: In the memoir The Pact, Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt draw from their life experiences connected to ________, ________, and ________ to reveal how power is used and abused. Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt reveal how power is used and abused through their life experiences connected to ________, ________, and ________ in The Pact.

Honors Examples: In Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe establishes connections through ________, ________, and ________ to reveal how power is used and abused. Achebe reveals how power is used and abused through experiences connected to ________, ________, and ________ in Things Fall Apart.

When all else fails... Try the Magical Thesis Statement (MTS): By looking at ________________, we can see _________________, which most readers do not see; this is important because __________________.

DO NOW: • Formulate a rough draft statement for your Thesis Statement for Major Writing #1

STEP 4: Collect Textual Evidence Why Use Textual Evidence in Your Paper?

Textual Evidence Requirement: • At least 3 pieces of textual evidence (actual words from the text) to support your opinion of your main points • Each must include: a statement of fact + the page #

Example: CP Fact 1- The men faced many struggles, including instances of racial profiling where the police abused their power. Evidence- As Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt write, “On this night, racial profiling—the crime of driving while black—was just a truth shared among black men” (200-201). OR As stated in The Pact, “On this night, racial profiling—the crime of driving while black— was just a truth shared among black men” (Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt 200-201).

Honors Example: Fact- Achebe utilizes symbolic folklore of the Igbo to foreshadow the coming of colonialism. Ekwefi tells the story of how the tortoise was deceived by the birds and... Evidence- As Achebe writes, “The birds gathered round to eat what was left . . . but before they left each took back the feather he had lent to Tortoise” (99). OR As stated in Things Fall Apart, “The birds gathered round to eat what was left . . . but before they left each took back the feather he had lent to Tortoise” (Achebe 99).

STEP 5: Create an Outline Use the “Masters” Plan to help you create an outline.

REMEMBER to... USE A GRABBER SENTENCE ...and TRANSITION WORDS (see handout on transition words)

Transition Words • Maintain the flow of thought They can be placed: • at the beginning of a sentence • at the end of a sentence • within the sentence

When Organizing Paragraphs... • Topic sentences to begin each new paragraph • Textual evidence to support your statements • Last body paragraph contains your strongest point

Topic Sentences: • usually begin with a transition word • are the first sentence of each body paragraph • introduce the topic of the paragraph in a clear, concise way (“mini thesis”) • reveal details and main ideas of the paragraph