l16+17 class essay

Term 3 Learning Goal

• To find evidence that best supports an argument.

• To use supporting evidence to construct a complete essay comprising an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Command Terms and Essay Prompt Unpacking

Understanding Command Terms

• To what extent:

  • Requires a clear contention that addresses the core idea behind the question.

  • Demands a response evaluated against the degree to which an element of the text holds true.

• Discuss:

  • Requires writing about multiple possible viewpoints surrounding the prompt.

  • Strong essays maintain a clear overall viewpoint that guides the entire discussion.

• Do you agree:

  • Requires taking a explicit stance/contention in response to the topic statement while systematically analyzing the prompt's premises.

Unpacking the Prompt Process

• Sample Prompt: Hopeless Kingdom shows that change is a part of growing-up. Do you agree?

• Time Allocation: 10 minutes to brainstorm and unpack.

• Key Terms Identified in Prompt:

  • Change

  • Part

  • Growing-up

• Guiding Question Frames for Unpacking:

  • Who / what / how / why / which?

  • Does / did / doesn't / didn't?

  • Is / are / isn't / aren't?

• Core Questions Asked of the Prompt:

  1. What changes or types of changes do the characters experience?

  2. How do these changes make the characters grow or mature?

  3. Does growing up always involve change?

Essay Planning: Stance and Arguments

Model Contention

• Hopeless Kingdom portrays that both controlled and unavoidable changes are a crucial part of growing up, as people are forced to adapt to new circumstances, take on greater responsibilities, and develop greater independence.

Outline of Supporting Arguments

• Argument 1: Change forces people to become more independent.

  • Elaboration: Moving to a new country and navigating an unfamiliar environment requires individuals to rely less on others.

• Argument 2: With change comes greater responsibilities.

  • Elaboration: As family dynamics shift, difficult or unavoidable circumstances force specific family members to take on roles and responsibilities they did not previously have.

• Argument 3: While all changes may not be positive, they build one's resilience.

  • Elaboration: Despite facing numerous challenges, the family copes, adapts, keeps moving forward, and works harder to defy the odds.

Introduction Section Guidelines and Examples

Introduction Structural Elements

1. Text Context / Brief Introduction: Provide a brief introduction to the text adapted specifically to the context of the prompt (include relevant information only).

2. Define Terms: Clarify and define key terms from the original essay topic.

3. Contention: State a clear, explicit contention that directly answers the essay prompt.

4. Signposting / Argument Outline: Outline the three main supporting arguments in sequence.

Sample Introduction Analysis

• Sample Prompt: “We come here, and what am I?” To what extent is Hopeless Kingdom a portrayal of the barriers migrants face to full participation in their new communities?

• Sample Text: Kgshak Akec’s 2022 novel Hopeless Kingdom follows a Sudanese-Australian family’s efforts to find belonging in new and at times unwelcoming environments. Through the eyes of a mother and her daughter, the story provides insight into the difficulties faced by both parents and children as they move first to Cairo, then to Sydney, before finally settling in Geelong. Akec depicts the migrant experience as being primarily defined by struggle, demonstrating that challenges can be overcome but are quickly replaced with new ones. The novel explores the obstacles migrants face upon arriving in their new home, such as language barriers and racial prejudice, and how supports available in their new communities often only partially or temporarily resolve their problems. Finally, Akec delivers a powerful portrayal of how the initial, practical challenges of settling in a new country evolve into deeper issues of identity and family dynamics.

Practice Sentence Starter for Introduction

• Hopeless Kingdom authored by Kgshak Akec follows the journey of…

Evidence Selection and Textual References

Selecting Evidence Rules

• Select at least TWO pieces of evidence per body paragraph to support the topic sentence.

• Evidence Categories: Direct quotes, literary techniques (e.g., imagery), structural features (e.g., punctuation), and historical/social context.

• Text Reference Points for Key Themes:

  • Theme of Growing-up: Pages 210–214 and Pages 244–246.

  • Theme of Change: Pages 115–118.

Key Quotations and Textual Evidence

Body Paragraph Construction

Body Paragraph Structural Formula

• Topic Sentence: States the argument answering the prompt. Must be generalized—do not include character names or specific plot events in this sentence.

• Evidence / Example: Quote, key event/plot detail, or textual feature that proves the argument.

• Explanation: Unpack and explain the evidence, explicitly connecting it to the key themes in the prompt.

• Analysis: Analyze the author's intent and what message the author conveys to the reader through this evidence.

• Second Evidence & Explanation/Analysis (EE): Each body paragraph requires two distinct EE (Evidence + Explanation/Analysis) sets.

• Linking Sentence: Relate the discussion back to the specific idea in the topic sentence and to the overall contention.

Sentence Starters for Body Paragraphs

• Topic Sentence Starters:

  • Akec implies…

  • Hopeless Kingdom suggests…

  • Akec demonstrates how…

  • Hopeless Kingdom critiques how…

  • Hopeless Kingdom illustrates…

  • Akec highlights…

• Evidence Starters:

  • This is displayed when…

  • In the chapter when…

  • This is solidified when…

  • Through the use of the…

• Explanation and Analysis Starters:

  • From this, Akec highlights how…

  • Due to this, Hopeless Kingdom suggests…

  • This proves that…

  • This furthers the idea that…

  • Akec condemns / challenges / endorses the idea of…

• Linking Sentence Starters:

  • Overall, Akec showcases how…

  • Through the idea of… Akec…

Conclusion Construction

Rules for Writing a Conclusion

1. Resolve the Prompt: Address all main ideas in the prompt and fulfill the requirements of the command term.

2. Restate Contention: Rephrase the contention using synonyms derived during the unpacking stage.

3. Summarize Arguments: Restate the key arguments using fresh terminology to prevent verbatim repetition.

4. No New Information: Do not introduce new text evidence, quotes, or entirely new claims in the conclusion.

Effective Concluding Transition Words and Phrases

• In the final analysis

• Ultimately

• In the end

• Fundamentally

• In essence

• At their core

Practice Sentence Starter for Conclusion

• In conclusion, Kgshak Akec’s novel Hopeless Kingdom…

Essay Evaluation Criteria (Goal Review)

• Contention: Clear, direct, and consistently maintained throughout the essay.

• Arguments (Topic Sentences): Conceptual, generalized statements without plot spoiler details.

• Grammar and Structure: Adherence to structural models for introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions.

• Evidence, Text Features, and Context: Integration of direct quotes, textual/literary techniques, and contextual knowledge across all body paragraphs.