2. Essay writing & Writing about film Brought to you by Mr. Miller

3. Essay writing & Writing about film The Prompt What if you receive a prompt like: “A sense of belonging comes from having connections with people and places.’ *Describe the ways in which a text you have studied conveys this idea.” *Compare how the texts you have studied convey this idea.

4. Essay writing & Writing about film Don’t Panic! STEP 1: Read the prompt carefully. -What are the key words of the prompt? -Pay attention to the action words (verbs) of the prompt; these give you the task you have to complete.

5. Essay writing & Writing about film “A sense of belonging comes from having connections with people and places.’ *Describe the ways in which a text you have studied conveys this idea.” Thesis #1: Every person belongs to a place and to the people connected with that place. In Rabbit-Proof Fence that person is Molly, and the place is her home—the desert outback at Jigalong, Australia. #2 Rabbit-Proof Fence shows the necessity of belonging to one’s biological family and one’s native land through the story of Molly, a 14 year old Australian Aboriginee who escapes a Western settlement and travels 1500 miles to return to her home and family.

6. Essay writing & Writing about film “A sense of belonging comes from having connections with people and places.’ *Describe the extent to which a text you have studied conveys this idea.” *Compare how the texts you have studied convey this idea.

7. Essay writing & Writing about film What about an opening paragraph? A sense of belonging to both one’s land and one’s family is worth fighting for—even if that fight is a 1500 mile journey across Western Australia. The film Rabbit- Proof Fence conveys the importance of belonging through the story of Molly, a 14 year old Australian Aboriginee who is taken away from her family to be westernized, but escapes and begins a long journey back home. Rabbit- Proof Fence uses symbolism, cinematography, dramatic action and character development to convey Molly’s strong connection to the family and home she is taken away from. Molly’s journey—the central event of the narrative—demonstrates how belonging is tied to the people and places of one’s birth

8. Essay writing & Writing about film GUIDED PRACTICE Prompt #1 Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places. Refer to the text Rabbit-Proof Fence in your response. Using the ten minutes in class, come up with a THESIS, and an opening paragraph. *BEFORE leaving class, email your thesis to yourself, print it out and BRING it to class Wed.

9. Essay writing & Writing about film #2 Rabbit-Proof Fence shows the necessity of belonging to one’s biological family and one’s native land through the story of Molly, a 14 year old Australian Aboriginee who escapes a Western settlement and travels 1500 miles to return to her mother and her home at Jigalong. #3 Rabbit-Proof Fence uses symbolic cinematography, dramatic action sequences and character development to convey Molly’s sense of belonging to the family and home she is taken away from.

10. Essay writing & Writing about film “Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places. Refer to the text Rabbit-Proof Fence in your response.” Questions for your thesis statement -Does it fully answer the question? (A full answer may require more than one sentence, depending on the question.) -Does it present a what and a how? -Does it mention the film and an idea present in the film. -Does it connect belonging and not belonging to places from Rabbit-Proof Fence?

11. Essay writing & Writing about film “Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places. Refer to the text Rabbit-Proof Fence in your response.” Mr. Miller’s attempt: A person’s culture and identity are strongly tied to their place of origin; a place of connection and belonging. Being taken to a place where one does not belong can strengthen this connection. The film Rabbit-Proof Fence illustrates this paradox through the journey of Molly, a young Aboriginee whose rejection of a place she is taken to—a settlement bent on erasing her culture and identity—compels her to escape and walk across Australia to return home.

12. Essay writing & Writing about film “Explore how perceptions of belonging and not belonging can be influenced by connections to places. Refer to the text Rabbit-Proof Fence in your response.” Homework Assignment for Monday -Expand your thesis statement; rework it if needed. -Build an opening paragraph around your thesis statement, (lead sentence, introduce the text and the story, thesis). -Make a bullet-point essay outline, (Break your thesis into paragraphs and then ideas within those paragraphs). -Your outline should include analysis and EVIDENCE from Rabbit Proof Fence that supports your point.