Essay on Education

English 10

• Review persuasive/argumentative essay structure.

Persuasive/Argumentative Paper

• The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic, collect, generate, and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.

Structure:Introduction• A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that

occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.• Clear and logical transitions between the introduction,

body, and conclusion.Body Paragraphs• Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical,

or anecdotal).Conclusion• A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis,

but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.

Essay Questions:

• What does my education mean to me and society? What’s working? What’s not?

Thesis

• Remember a thesis answers the prompt by having a clear subject and an opinion.

• What does my education mean to me and society? What’s working? What’s not?

(Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.)

Thesis Example

• High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

The paper that follows should:• present an argument and give evidence to support

the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

• What does my education mean to me and society? What’s working? What’s not?

Subject: My education Opinion: Education

Topic Sentences• Every paragraph should include a topic sentence that

identifies the main idea of the paragraph. A topic sentence also states the point the writer wishes to make about that subject.

High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

1. Although college is important, students should first participate in community service projects that will help them develop.

2. Taking a year off after high school will allow students to mature.

3. Students also need a sense of global awareness, which can be achieved through travel and exploration.

• Using the article, speech, movie, essay, and book excerpt, discuss what your education means to you.

• How do your ideas of education differ from societal norms? How are they related?

• What is working? • What is not?

Introduction

You should answer these questions by doing the following:• Set the context – provide general information about the main

idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the claims you make and support.– This can be accomplished by beginning your story with

1.) Attention Grabber 2.)Anecdote 3.) Summary Info• State why the main idea is important – tell the reader why

s/he should care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and convincing essay people will want to read and act upon.

• State your thesis/claim – compose a sentence or two stating the position you will support with logos (sound reasoning: induction, deduction), pathos (balanced emotional appeal), and ethos (author credibility).

Evidence• You will need to use evidence within your body paragraphsForms of evidence:

– Facts and Figures– Experiences you or someone you know went through.– Quotes taken from research

• Don’t begin or end a supporting paragraph with a quotation. Articulate your own point in your own words in the first sentence or two of the paragraph; then provide the quote as a way of supporting your point. After the quote, provide an explanation of the quote.

• Keep quotes brief.• All secondary material-whether quoted or paraphrased-needs to be

accurately attributed.

Conclusion

• This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis. Leave the reader with something to think about.

Body Paragaphs

• Each of your paragraphs is going to help develop your thesis.

• Transition between your points.

Evidence

• You will need to use evidence within your body paragraphs– Forms of evidence:– Facts and Figures.– Experiences you or someone you know went

through.Quotes taken from research

• Don’t begin or end a supporting paragraph with a quotation.

In-Text Citations:• MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This

means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:

• Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).

• Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).

• Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).

Conclusion

• This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis. Leave the reader with something to think about.

First Page of Paper

• Double space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks; write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.

• Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number.

General Guidelines

• Text should be Double-spaced • The font should be in Times New Roman. • The font size should be 12 pt.• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. • Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin.

MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

• Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

• Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary, providing emphasis.

• If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page.

HW: Due Thursday

• A strong thesis• 3 Topic Sentences