Writing 201!
Essay Strategy! Prerequisite: None
Course Description
This micro-course will demonstrate how, with the write strategy, the essay can basically write itself. Students will review the I-B-C structure of an essay, what makes a perfect thesis, and how the Rule of Abraham Lincoln can be applied to any essay question.!
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The Essay
The Essay – Intro! ! PREPARING AHEAD OF TIME: THE RULE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN! ! The Essay topics are EXTREMELY general:! ! “Do people have to be highly competitive
in order to succeed?”!
→!
Was Abraham Lincoln highly competitive?! YES!!
“Does adversity lead to self-discovery?”!
→!
Did Abraham Lincoln face adversity? ! YES!!
“What motivates people to change?”! !
→!
Was Abraham Lincoln motivated to change?! YES!!
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The Essay
The Strategy! ! Before you write anything, you must spend 2-3 minutes preparing.! ! Read the Assignment Question! This is the question you MUST address in your essay. If it is a yes/no question, make sure you CLEARLY take one side or the other that you will defend with SPECIFIC examples.! ! Read the Quotation! Use the quotation to help you put the Question into context, but don’t worry too much about what it says.! !
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The Essay Write an I-B-C! This is your brief outline. It need only make sense to you. ! ! Introduction: Jot down a phrase or two about how you plan to respond to the question. This is your THESIS.! ! Body: This is the meat of your essay. Jot down one or two examples (from history, literature, current events, etc.) that clearly support your thesis, plus a few notes about HOW they support your thesis.! ! Conclusion: A BRIEF wrap-up. Jot down a phrase that ties everything together. ! ! Write Your Essay! Let your I-B-C notes be your guide. Follow traditional essay structure.!
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Essay Structure
Intro! ! ü A HOOK (quote, story, rhetorical question, definition of key term, etc.)! ü A THESIS statement! ü Brief summary of EXAMPLES that will be used in the body!
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Essay Structure
Body! ü A clear TOPIC SENTENCE to begin each paragraph ü SUPPORTING EXAMPLES (literature, history, science, technology, current events, etc.) – What was the situation BEFORE the event? – What happened DURING the event? – What was the situation AFTER the event? ü A CLOSING SENTENCE which explains HOW the example supports the thesis ü SEPARATE PARAGRAPHS for different examples
***If you’re tight on time and have to choose between finishing your body paragraphs and writing a conclusion, finish your body paragraphs.***! Writing 201
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Essay Structure
Conclusion! ! ü A SUMMARY of your THESIS statement! ü A CLOSING THOUGHT relating your argument to everyday life, the future, etc.! ! ! ! ! The most important things about the essay are CLARITY and SPECIFICITY. !
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The Two-part Thesis
The Two-part Thesis! ! 1. What you are arguing! ! • Reword the question as a statement! ! ! 2. Why you are arguing it! ! • Give examples as a reason: “… as can be seen with Abe Lincoln and MLK.”! • Give a general summary of your logic: “because heroism is about demonstrating courage in the face of opposition.”!
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Practice Review Write a thesis for the following essay question, keeping in mind what evidence you will use to prove it:! ! Is it better to be original or to conform? !
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Practice Review Write an I-B-C for the following essay, including what hook you would use, transition sentences between paragraphs, and which conclusion you would use:
! Is it necessary to sacrifice to be a good person?!
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Practice Review Write a thesis and examples to prove it for the following essay questions:! ! Is our world strengthened by the wealth of information we have access to? ! ! Can peer pressure ever lead to good decisions? !
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Practice Review Write an I-B-C outline for the following essay questions: ! ! How important is knowledge about one’s self? ! ! Which is better: city life or country life? !
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