English 3201 Essay Portfolio Cover Sheet

Project Description: After studying essays in three categories – Descriptive, Narrative and Persuasive, students will complete jot notes on each type for an essay on an assigned topic. They will then get a peer to edit their work and make notes on each draft. Students will then choose the essay about which they feel would make a strong final essay and complete a final draft, fully edited and developed.

Before passing this in, students will present their essay to small groups for a separate presentation mark.

Descriptive Topic: A Favourite Place Narrative Topic: A Personal Story Persuasive Topic: A topic of student choosing, about which they feel strongly

Portfolio Contains:

3 Sets of Jot Notes 3 Drafts of Essays (Narrative, Descriptive, Persuasive) Complete Peer Editing Sheet Final draft of chosen essay (ONE of the three)

Mark:

Item Mark CommentsDescriptive Jot Notes

/10Descriptive Draft

/10Narrative Jot Notes

/10Narrative Draft

/10Persuasive Jot Notes

/10Persuasive Draft

/10Peer Editing Sheet

/10Final Draft

/30Total

/100

Name: _____________________________________________________________________________

Descriptive Jot Notes Name: ____________________________You are preparing jot notes in preparation for writing a descriptive essay on your ‘Favourite Place’. Remember the methods of developing descriptive essays include:

1. Use of Sensory language/imagery – appealing to the five senses2. Spatial Organization – arranged by your physical position or relationship to what is being described3. Adjectives – words which describe nouns

You are not telling a story but instead describing the place which is your favourite. Do not use words such as nice, great, etc – they really do not say anything about your favourite place. Instead describe in a way that helps your reader understand exactly why you like this location and so that they can picture themselves being there. Compare these two sentences:

- Music came from the car as it drove by. - Full volume Led Zepplin screamed from the old Camaro as it sped by.

The first is very general. The second is more specific and helps the reader understand more about what is being described and picture the situation more clearly. Specifics matter in description!

Please note: These jot notes are the first in a series of jot notes and drafts you will be doing in essays. The second and third sets will come as we look closely at narrative and persuasive essays. Only one of these three essay drafts will become a full draft which will be marked as a completed essay and used as a speech for peer and self evaluation. The other two sets of notes and drafts will have to be passed as well as the completed and edited final draft of your chosen essay.

JOT NOTES: Descriptive – My Favourite Place

1. Where is your favourite place?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why is it your favourite place?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does being in your favourite place make you feel?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Description is organized spatially. Make a list of what you will include and indicate where should appear in order.

Point to include Where it appears in order

Sensory Terms: Make a list of sensory statements you could make about your favourite place:

Sense StatementsSight

Smell

Sound

Taste

Touch

Concrete words are nouns; they describe things you experience through your senses: smoke, mist, a shout. Abstract words name qualities: beauty, justice, truth. Concrete words help us describe things; abstract words help us classify them. Concrete words are specific. List some concrete and some abstract terms and statements you could use in your essay.

Concrete Abstract

Descriptive Draft: My Favourite Place

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Narrative Jot Notes Name: ______________________________________________

You are preparing jot notes in preparation for writing a narrative essay relaying a personal story. Remember the methods of developing narrative essays include:

1. Use of the five ‘w’s – Who, What, When, Where and Why2. Chronological order – relating the events in the order in which they happened3. Inclusion of elements of drama and tension to enhance 4. Use of first person point of view (from the perspective of ‘I’)5. PURPOSE: to relay a personal story or event or explain how something happened

You are telling a story about a topic or explaining how something happened. Your reader is approaching it not to be informed but instead entertained or emotionally engaged. An effective narrative is more than a chronological run through of the things that happen to you in a typical day or at a typical event. The use of drama and tension will help engage the reader and keep them interested in continuing to read your story.

Compare these two sentences:

- The hide a bed resided in the living room- The hide-a-bed in the living room was a 300 pound finger-eating monster opening and closing

snapping at me.

Please note: These jot notes are the second in a series of jot notes and drafts you will be doing in essays. The first and third sets will come as we look closely at descriptive and persuasive essays. Only one of these three essay drafts will become a full draft which will be marked as a completed essay and used as a speech for peer and self-evaluation. The other two sets of notes and drafts will have to be passed as well as the completed and edited final draft of your chosen essay. Writing tips:

Begin with a clear idea of what the main point of your story is; Provide clear descriptive details of character and setting to help the reader visualize the events; Stick with your main story line; Relate the events in the order they happened (chronological order).

JOT NOTES: Narrative – A Personal Story

1. What is the short version of your story?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is your purpose in telling this story?

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Narration is organized chronologically. Make a list of what you will include and indicate where should appear in order.

Point to include Where it appears in order

The Five ‘W’s: Make a list of the five ‘w’s in your story:

W StatementsWho

What

When

Where

Why

Narrative Draft: A Personal Story

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Persuasive Jot Notes Name: __________________________________________

You are preparing jot notes in preparation for writing a persuasive essay on an issue of your choosing. A persuasive essay is an essay used to convince a reader about a particular idea or focus, usually one that you believe in. Your persuasive essay could be based on anything about which you have an opinion. Whether you're arguing against junk food at school or petitioning for a raise from your boss, the persuasive essay is a skill that everyone should know.

Remember the methods of developing persuasive essays include:

1. Choosing a strong, defendable stance for your thesis statement and issue2. Using clear and directed topic sentences to begin each paragraph3. Ensure you use facts to back up your claims – if it’s not common sense or if it is not generally

known, ensure you use facts and research to back it up. 4. Keep your ideas short and to the point. 5. Use a variety of persuasion techniques to hook your readers – repetition, social validation,

agitation6. Challenge your readers to re-evaluate what they feel and adapt to your way of thinking7. Use rhetorical devices to make appeals to emotion, in addition to logic and data and credibility.8. Consider your audience and ensure your points do not insult their current beliefs or present an

argument that is too foreign to their way of thinking.

Please note: These jot notes are the second in a series of jot notes and drafts you will be doing in essays. The first and third sets will come as we look closely at descriptive and persuasive essays. Only one of these three essay drafts will become a full draft which will be marked as a completed essay and used as a speech for peer and self-evaluation. The other two sets of notes and drafts will have to be passed as well as the completed and edited final draft of your chosen essay.

Writing tips:- Decide on your approach: Make your position clear at the beginning and then spend the rest of

the paragraph or essay providing support for your position. - Recognize the other side of the argument, then strike it down. e.g., Sure professional athletes

are skilled and talented, but why should a second rate defenseman earn more than a brain surgeon?

1. My issue is:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. I care about this issue because:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. My position on this topic is this:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My three main arguments for this position are:

Argument Points to support this argument

The main counterpoints for this argument are:

Counterpoint Their Facts My rebuttal

My audience for this essay is ________________________________________________. Points I need to remember about this audience are:

1. _________________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________

3.__________________________________________________________________________________

Persuasive Draft: An issue about which I feel strongly

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Peer Edit Sheet English 3201 Essay Unit Name ___________________

Please include this sheet in your portfolio. As you finish each rough copy, find someone to peer edit it. They can write in pencil any questions they have on your piece (i.e. if a line is unclear the comment will be “unclear”). Also they will fill in the checklists below and initial. This sheet will count as part of your evaluation.

Descriptive essay

Spatial order?

Imagery appealing to the senses?

Use of strong nouns and adjectives/details?

Obvious dominant impression?

Checked by ________ (initials)

Narrative essay

Five w’s?

Clear setting?

Did the story deliver a message?

Checked by ________ (initials)

Expository essay

Clear thesis?

Sound arguments?

Argumentative or persuasive?

Supporting evidence with source mentioned?

Checked by ________ (initials)

Final draft: Chosen Essay

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