English 10/19

Expanding on Your Paragraph and Essay Writing Techniques

Introduction

  • Focus on developing thorough and well-structured paragraphs and essays.

    • Emphasize not worrying about time during the writing process, especially when preparing for exams.

    • Intent is to write well before condensing for timed exams.

Key Points to Remember

  • Avoid focusing on the time constraint; prioritize the quality of writing.

  • Develop paragraphs to be well-structured.

  • Post-exam, you can refine and condense essays to fit the time limit.

Paragraph Development Techniques

  • Importance of expanding on ideas within each paragraph.

    • Highlight past feedback concerning the brevity of paragraphs (e.g., just a couple of sentences).

  • Work towards a clearer understanding of craft between now and the exam in May.

  • Reference a specific instructional handout (11 sentences paragraph handout).

  • Ensure a clear thesis statement is provided within the paragraph.

Thesis Statement and Structure

  • Importance of the thesis statement as a foundation for the essay.

    • Commentary is essential alongside evidence in the essays.

  • Avoid summarizing; prioritize analysis.

Essay Analysis

  • Discuss the importance of embedded and direct quotes in analytical writing.

    • Referencing a poem’s irony (e.g., Icarus) is a preliminary step in analysis but needs to go deeper.

  • Analyze rather than summarize content; summarization can indicate a lack of insight.

Example Analysis of Student Work

  • Examine a student essay for strengths and weaknesses.

  • Identify:

    • Missing elements in the introduction, such as background information on the poet.

    • Clear thesis statement but lacking additional context.

    • Presence of three main points for body paragraphs as outlined in the thesis: structure, form, diction, and imagery.

    • Commentary in body paragraphs should build upon claims made in the thesis.

Commentary on Crafting Body Paragraphs

  • Structure of body paragraphs should align with the thesis statement to ensure coherence.

    • Identify how the students developed their body paragraphs sufficiently, ensuring they stay focused on their claims.

    • Include evidence to support each point.

  • Commentary should connect back to the provided evidence, synthesizing understanding.

Embedding Evidence

  • Types of evidence utilized in analytical writing:

    • Embedded Quotes: Integration of quotes into the writer’s own sentence structure to support claims without losing narrative flow.

    • Direct Quotes: Highlight key phrases or sections of text.

    • Paraphrasing: Restating ideas from the text to fit your argument without quoting directly.

    • Summarization: A longer format that encapsulates the overall meaning but should be used sparingly to avoid diluting analysis.

Evaluating Evidence

  • Importance of evaluating the evidence for its contextual relevance in the argument.

  • Claim Evidence Relationship:

    • Every claim needs support through evidence, which acts as a backbone for persuasive essays.

    • The commentary must logically follow from the evidence provided.

Reflection on Writing Skills

  • Regularly practice writing, ensuring proficiency in crafting well-supported arguments.

  • Discuss areas of strength and improvement when considering individual writing performance.

Assigned Tasks and Homework

  • Reflect on previous units (Unit 2), noting key learnings and areas for improvement.

  • Complete evaluations of body paragraphs from past essays using provided worksheets.

  • Focus on the role of struggle in literature, specifically relating to themes of identity and racism in selected novels such as "Invisible Man."

  • Submit assignments on time and ask questions for clarification as needed.