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Transcript of >>0 >>1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >> The Perfect Essay >>0 >>1 >> 2 >> 3 >> 4 >> 8.
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The IntroductionIntro- Latin root – “within” and ducere, meaning “to lead or bring” –an
introduction brings the reader into a subject.
• 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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Thesis Statement• Central focus for essay• Argumentative• Responds to prompt-answers a
question (worth answering)• Not a list or formula• Goes beyond classroom discussion• Think universal ideas• Example: Ms. Chufo proves to be
unfit as a teacher and should be fired; she calls into question the district’s parameters for hiring employees.
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Body Paragraphs• Logical steps in a complete argument• Solid topic sentence that “drives” the
paragraph• Smooth transitions, when necessary• Concrete details are compelling• Evidence (quotation/evidence) set up
correctly• Profound and insightful analysis of
evidence
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C-SEE or Evidential Block
• C = Claim
• S = Set-Up
• E = Evidence
• E = Explanation
• The building blocks to your essay.
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C = Claim• Topic sentence for the paragraph• NOT summary or quotation• Proves / supports your Thesis Statement• Can be more than one sentence• Remember thesis: Ms. Chufo proves to be unfit as a
teacher and should be fired; she calls into question the district’s parameters for hiring.
• Example: Ms. Chufo is inconsistent in classroom rules.
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S = Set-up• Gives the context for your quotation / evidence• Can be more than one sentence• Must be punctuated properly• “,” after dialogue set-up• “:” after independent clause set-up• Ex. Ms. Chufo is inconsistent in her classroom
rules when she tells one student, “[she] may use the restroom, but Larry may not” (45).
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E = Evidence
• MUST NOT be merely summary– “Ms. Chufo does a lot crazy things in the
classroom.”
• MUST relate to your thesis statement and/or claim
• MUST have page or line reference
• Ex.: “[she] may use the restroom, but Larry, that idiot, may not” (45).
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E = Evidence
• What types of evidence can you have?– Quotations from the text. – Concrete details from the text– Data from the text.– Examples from other sources.– Other writers commentary on the text.
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E = Evidence
• What if you can’t say much about your evidence?
• How much of the quotation do you need?– The part that you would like to comment on.– The section that feels weighty-that you can
say the most about.
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E = Explanation• $$$• You do the work of explaining how the quotation
PROVES your claim• Should be 1:5 ratio with quotation• Ex.: Over the course of one week, Ms. Chufo allowed Melissa to use
the restroom five times, but did not allow Larry to leave once. Her preferential treatment has left many students to describe her as “unfair,” “biased,” and “unpredictable.” Even her choice of words to the students are inappropriate. Calling Larry an “idiot” is unprofessional as well. She does not only show this pattern of erratic decision making and poor language with student privileges, but also when she assigns homework.
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Example of Evidential Block• C: Ms. Chufo is mentally unstable.• S: After class yesterday,• E: Ms. Chufo was sitting in the corner, rocking
back and forth and drooling all over herself.• E: For the average adult, sitting in a corner and
drooling on oneself indicates that all is not well mentally and emotionally. Usually, we refer people with these symptoms to psychiatric care. We do not put them in charge of American teenagers.
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Example of Evidential Block• C: Ms. Chufo dominates as a center in lacrosse.• S: I talked to one of my friends this morning who tried to
play defense against her, and she said,• E: “Ms. Chufo scored 20 goals off me yesterday.”• E: Anyone who can score 20 goals in one game is
pretty good. My friend has always been recognized as a great defender, so if anyone scores off her, they’re doing pretty well. Furthermore, we can agree that any player who can fake her defender and score that many points would. . . . [etc.]
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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 father’s 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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Example of Evidential Block• C: The narrator of Green Eggs and Ham changes for
the better.• S: At the conclusion of the epic, the narrator exclaims,• E: “I do so like / green eggs and ham! / Thank you!
Thank you, / Sam-I-am!” (62).• E: The narrator’s gratitude reflects his inner emotional
growth. He has discovered that trying new things might be better than sticking to his old, uninspired ways. Though he has been resistant to Sam-I-am throughout most of the text, here, at the end, he relents to Sam-I-am’s indefatigable pressure to stretch his boundaries. After a person extends himself, he often feels better about himself, even though it might have been difficult and uncomfortable initially.
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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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For the Perfect Essay, you need…
• Skill
• Practice
• Forward-looking perspective• Thinking, planning, and practicing
• Sentence variety
• Vocabulary growth
• Philosophical and academic maturity