Essay Writing Workshop

Essay Writing WorkshopMcKee

Workshop Groups D-Block

1) Ryan A, Molly, Ocean, Taylor

2) Will, Ashley, Ryan O

3) Kyle, Mikalya, Jenika

4) Mariana, Goksin, Kiet

5) Mike, Josh, Samantha

6) Brandon C, Aaron, Brandon D, Bryan

7) Garet, Andrew H, Brittany

8) Laura, Megan , Nathan

9)Lann,Quinn, Mack, Chris

10) Andrew J, Christian, Julian, Rylie

Workshop Groups B-Block1) Ryan L, Melissa, Connor

2) Jaten, Katey, Emma C

3) Sakie, Ryan H, Rawand

4) Chris, Rebecca, Erin, Quinton

5) Matt S, Lyndsay, Samantha

6) Kody, Scott W, Claire

7) Blake, Shawn, Nada

8) Liam, Mayadah, Ahmed

9) Ben, Sean, Jenna

10) Emma L, Yasmin, Matt B, Mitchell

11) Hannah, Coral

Keep in your notes....Name: _______

Short story= Theme=

Thesis at the beginning of workshop:

Thesis at the end of the workshop:

Goal for Wednesday:

Thesis Day!!!

•Essay question: How do literary terms help to enforce the theme of a short story?

•A statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved: "can you support your thesis?".

Step One: Sharing Thesis Statements1. What is the thesis trying to prove?

_________________________.2. Is the thesis statement clear?

__________________________. 3. How could you strengthen the thesis

statement? (could, should, would, think, believe) ___________________________.

Step Two: Specifics and Basics

• Which stage are you?

1)If you do not have a thesis then fill in the blanks: The use of ___(literary term) ___ in ___(short story) ___

enforces the theme of __(theme of short story) ____.Checks: Is the literary term complex enough?

2) If you have a working thesis (like the one above) then: Which words in the thesis could be more specific?

Specific:• Example 1= The use of satire in The Lottery Ticket

enforces the theme of material gain costing personal relationships.

• Example 2= The use of satire in The Lottery Ticket enforces the theme of material gain costing personal relationships BY balancing irony and humor.

• Example 3= The use of satire in The Lottery Ticket enforces the theme of material gain costing personal relationships as seen THROUGH Ivan’s tormented downfall.

Step One Again: Sharing Thesis Statements1. What is the thesis trying to prove?

_________________________.2. Is the thesis statement clear?

__________________________. 3. How could you strengthen the thesis

statement? (could, should, would, think, believe) ___________________________.

Step Three: Prove it!•Once you have your thesis you can move onto to proving it with examples

from the story.•3 Reasons:

Step Four: Outline•Once you have your thesis and your

quotations then you can determine the different topics that you are going to deal with in your essay.

Beginning, Middle and End Topic Sentences.

Ask: Do all these quotations relate back to the thesis?

Ingredients for a Good Introduction1 part Lead/ Hook:

Proposing a questionStoryQuoteFact

You want your first few lines to grab the reader, but also ensure that they know which story you are talking about.

Don’t get to flashy with it.

A Bad Lead/ Hook•The Persian Carpet is the most

fascinating story on the face of the earth…..

•In the course of human events….•One time….

Really long quote to start the essay off…not great.

Ingredients for a Good Intro•1 part Good Lead/Hook•1 part THESIS•1 part Road Map to your essay…

▫You have to lead the reader into your ideas and let them know what the stops are going to be along the way.

Ex: Beginning, Middle, End

Step Five: Introduction

▫ ▫ Hook/ Lead▫ Story/ Author

▫ Thesis

▫ Road Map

IntroductionThe capacity for a single lottery ticket to dictate human

happiness is devastating. It is difficult to turn a blind eye from such temptation and society slips from rationality and can’t help but try their luck. Ivan and Masha are perfect examples of the danger such a simple ticket can introduce to a simple life. Through the balanced use of humour and irony in The Lottery Ticket the fragility of human relationships in the face of material gain is highlighted. The story begins with a humorously simple moment in a person’s life: checking the newspaper, but quickly escalates into a fiendish imagining of what the lottery could offer. Finally the irony of the situation blooms and the foolish nature of Ivan and his wife is revealed.MAX: 150 words