Process Essay Writing

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Process Essay Writing

• Staring into the Abyss
• We are all apprentices in a craft where no one
  ever becomes the master - Ernest Hemingway

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Essay Writing Overview

1. Types of Essays
2. Why We Write
3. Methods of Instruction
4. Basic Elements of Successful Essays
5. Grading, grading, and more grading?

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Types of Essays

• California Assessment Program
• Autobiographical
• Observation
• Interpretation
• Evaluation
• Reflection
• Controversial Issue
• Source California Department of Education

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Types of Essays (cont.)

• Traditional College Rhetorical Modes
• Narrative- What happened and when?
• Definition- What is it?
• Division/Classification- What kind is it? What
  are its parts?
• Process Analysis- How did it happen?
• Cause and Effect- Why did it happen?
• Argumentation/Persuasion- Why should I want to
  do or think that?
• Comparison/Contrast- What is it (not) like?
• Example/Illustration- For example?

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Why We Write- Student Reasons

• Writing is hard, but hard is rewarding
• Writing helps you sort things out
• Writing helps to persuade others
• Writing helps you get into and through college
• Writing helps you in the real world

• The girl had the making of a poet in her who,
  being told to be sure of her meaning before she
  spoke, said, How can I know what I think until I
  see what I say?- Graham Wallas, The Art of
  Thought

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Why We Write- Teacher Reasons

• Writing helps to make better readers
• Reading and writing are intertwined and
  inseparable language tools- Nagin
• Writing helps to make better thinkers
• Analytic writing leads to deeper reasoning about
  less information- Langer and Applebee

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Methods of Instruction

• C-SEE
• C-SEE, I told you so
• Jane Schaffer Method
• Chunks BT-CD-CM-CS
• We shape our dwellings and afterwards our
  dwellings shape us- Winston Churchill

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Methods of Instruction-C-SEE or Evidential Block

• C Claim
• S Set-Up
• E Evidence
• E Explanation

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Methods of Instruction-C-SEE C Claim

• Topic sentence for the paragraph
• NOT summary or quotation
• Proves / supports your Thesis Statement
• Can be more than one sentence
• Ex. Jack represents the id.

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Methods of Instruction-C-SEE S Set-up

• Gives the context for your quotation / evidence
• Can be more than one sentence
• Must be punctuated properly
• , after dialogic set-up
• after independent clause set-up
• Ex. When the boys are arguing about the fire
  going unattended, Jack demonstrates his views
  through violence

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Methods of Instruction-C-SEE E Evidence

• MUST NOT be merely summary
• Ralph sat down.
• MUST relate to your thesis statement and/or claim
• MUST have page or line reference
• Ex. Jack smacked Piggys head (71).

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Methods of Instruction-C-SEE E Explanation

• You do the work of explaining how the quotation
  PROVES your claim
• Should be 13 to 15 ratio with quotation
• Ex. Jacks actions demonstrate that he is
  becoming more violent, giving in to his anger, a
  classic representation of the id. His animalistic
  impulses appear to dominate and overcome his
  higher nature. In this situation, Piggy
  represents the super-ego, the voice of reason and
  order.

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Methods of Instruction-Example of Evidential
Block

• C Mr. Kortman dominates on the basketball court.
• S I talked to one of my friends this morning
  who tried to play defense against him, and he
  said,
• E Mr. Kortman scored 43 points off me
  yesterday, draining threes, slamming on my head,
  and faking me out of not only my shoes but my
  socks, too!
• E Anyone who can score 43 points in one game is
  pretty good. My friend has always been
  recognized as a great defender, so if anyone
  scores off him, theyre doing pretty well.
  Furthermore, we can agree that any player who can
  fake his defender out of his socks and his shoes
  clearly dominates. etc.
• Examples courtesy of Kevin Leal

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Methods of Instruction-Example of Evidential
Block

• C Simba matures physically, but, more
  importantly, he has grown emotionally over the
  course of the story.
• S At the end of the story,
• E Simba confronts Scar and the evil hyenas.
• E Though it is significant that Simba confronts
  his enemies physically, it is more important that
  he no longer runs from his problems but faces up
  to his mistakes of the past. He admits to the
  truth of his fathers death, accepting
  responsibility in a new and healthy manner.
  Furthermore, he demonstrates his inherently
  heroic nature by confronting the enemies of his
  civilization in a way others have been unable to.

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Methods of Instruction-Jane Schaffer Method

• Schaffer preferred to break the writing process
  down into discrete chunks
• This method is most effective when applied to
  literary analysis or response essays
• Any given body paragraph would contain 2-3 chunks

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Methods of Instruction-Schaffer Body Paragraph

• BT - Body Thesis (or TS - topic sentence)
• Chunk 1
• Lead CD (concrete detail evidence from the
  text, usually in the form of a direct quotation)
• CM commentary (students opinion)
• CM commentary (students opinion)
• CM commentary (students opinion)
• Chunk 2
• Transition Lead CD (2nd piece of evidence)
• CM
• CM
• CM
• CS (concluding sentence)

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Methods of Instruction-Schaffer Benefits

• Easy to make Shaping Sheets
• Repeatable format that students can master
• Makes assignment expectations clear (i.e. 2 Body
  Paragraphs, 2 Chunks apiece)
• Clear what CM should answer
• How does the concrete detail prove your body
  thesis?
• To what extent does it provide proof?

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Methods of Instruction-Schaffer Example

• As we begin our journey, through the Odyssey by
  Homer, we are shown throughout that Odysseus is
  an effective leader because he is clever.
  Odysseus and his men stop on an island and meet
  the Cyclopes where Odysseus fools a Cyclops by
  proclaiming, my name is Nohbody mother,
  father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbody
  (906 l. 274-275). This shows that Odysseus is an
  effective leader because he uses a clever trick
  to trick the Cyclopes when he calls for help.
  This is because an effective leader should be
  able to get his followers out of a tough
  situation. However there is more trickery on
  Odysseus part when he clears the great hall of
  weapons so that the suitors would not be able to
  attack him wildly they turned around and
  scanned the walls the long room for arms but not
  a shield, not an ashen spear was there for a man
  to take and throw (956 l.255-258). This shows
  Odysseus as an effective leader because he gains
  the element of surprise which is one of the most
  important things. This is because he is clever
  and knows how think before the enemy in case any
  other problems occur. Overall The Odyssey shows
  the main character Odysseus as a clever and
  effective character.

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Basic Elements of Successful Essays-
Turning ? This into This ?
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Basic Elements of Successful Essays- Introduction

• Presents the subject of the essay
• Responds to the prompt
• Proceeds from general to specific
• 3-6 sentences
• Ends in thesis statement
• Strong, academic diction

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Basic Elements of Successful Essays- Thesis
Statement

• Central focus for essay
• Argumentative
• Responds to prompt
• Not a list or formula
• Goes beyond classroom discussion

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Basic Elements of Successful Essays- Body
Paragraphs

• Logical steps in a complete argument
• Solid topic sentence
• Smooth transitions, when necessary
• Concrete details (quotation/evidence) set up
  correctly
• Profound and insightful analysis of evidence

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Basic Elements of Successful Essays- Conclusion

• 3-6 sentences, reversing the funnel of the
  introduction.
• Specific to general
• Profound insights
• Rewording of the thesis
• Hardest paragraph to write
• Least important

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Basic Elements of Successful Essays- The Perfect
Essay

• Skill
• Practice
• Forward-looking perspective?
• thinking, planning, and practicing
• Remember P.O.W.E.R.
• Sentence variety
• Vocabulary growth
• Philosophical and academic maturity

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Questions

• Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you
  get the right ones in the right order, you can
  nudge the world a little- Tom Stoppard