In general I tell my students that there are 2 types of essays that they need to know how to write

Download 7.78 Kb.

In general I tell my students that there are 2 types of essays that they need to know how to write.

In general I tell my students that there are 2 types of essays that they need to know how to write.
Academic Essay
Original Composition

In order to teach how to write a quality essay response, teach them how to write a WAQ
Step 1 – Access Prior Knowledge – Give a question (Describe the character of Atticus Finch) and let them write – Don’t mark it – Stamp it!!!!
Step 2 – Make fun of their answers without using their names
Step 3 – Throw some snowballs (We’ve all done a great job teaching them! They just forget OR hope that your standards may be lower.
Step 4 – Give them the standards! ( See #1 and#2) Thanks to Dave Bortolussi!

Give them a similar question. If the first one was describe the character of Atticus Finch, then this one should be describe the character of Boo Radley.
Double stamps (motivator) – Resources out!
Don’t mark it!!!!!
Peer Edit it – See #3 & #4
Take Volunteers for bonus points
Who’s not ready to write a WAQ for marks? 20%

1. Everything is in-class! Confidence!
2. Resources Out! Calmness
3. Question – Discuss which characters could symbolize the Mockingbird in the novel. Reminder to address and support both sides of the question! You can use former quotes.
4. Mark it (only if it meets the Bortolussi standard!)
5. Pick a “cool guy” and read his to the class.

1. There are no hand-outs. Put a question on the board and tell them that they know exactly how to write an essay response to this.

Pick a question which synthesizes two texts (High school – In Grade 10, it is a WAQ). One text is something you did during the unit. One is new.
Resources Out.
Do a “TIE” Plan reminder
Mark it. (Only if it meets the criteria)

Essayer – To try
Let them pick their own persuasive topic
The middle school teachers do the heavy lifting here (as usual!) And elementary teachers.
See #8 #9 – Thanks to Joscelyn McAulay and Sharon Mulder
High school teachers remind them of their great teachers and build on the foundation
See #10, 11, and 12
They come back to school with a topic and optional point form notes for practice essay
Announce they can use it for marks later

1. Resources out (including optional point form notes)
2. Must be finished during time. Essay doesn’t leave the room if they want to use it later.
3. Don’t mark it! Double stamp it if it meets the criteria

Suggestions for Original Composition Writing from a Prompt (ie. A Provincial Exam) - Refer to #15
1. Predict what everyone else will write and don’t!
2. Pick an approach which lends itself well to an anecdotal introduction
3. Play on words
4. Do the opposite

5. Write from a non-human perspective
6. Have a twist in the anecdote or conclusion
7. Make literary references
8. Do not use the whole prompt as your thesis statement unless you are doing one of the suggestions above
9. If you’re good, write a narrative essay. Use the prompt as your title

2. Changing descriptive paragraphs of famous literature to their opposites – See #17
3. Circular Group Writes

“Anxiously, she reached out a trembling hand, and drew back the deep, fragrant foliage to reveal the hidden, aged door.”

4. Individual Writes From Famous Literature
*Do these the day before without letting on.
a) “The boy with fair hair lowered himself down the last few feet of rock and began to pick his way towards the lagoon.”
b) “A few miles south of Soledad, the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green.”
c) “Brian Robeson stared out the window of the small plane at the endless green northern wilderness below.”

Download 7.78 Kb.

Share with your friends: