1. The “Fast-Food” Essay (Ideas from http://www.sparknotes.com)

2.  A great ACT essay and a great essay are NOT the same thing. Great essays take hours, even days to write.  In 30 minutes you will not write an essay that will change the world.  Fast food is not just fast, it’s consistent.  You need to learn how to write a top-notch essay every time.  To make it happen consider the 3 key things that all fast food chains know:  Your customers  Your ingredients  How to put the ingredients together

3.  Two trained raters will score your essay on a scale of 1-6  The 2 grades are then added; final scores range from 2-12  Raters are instructed to look for student’s ability to do the following:  To take a side and articulate that opinion on the issue  To maintain a clear focus  To explain your position with good evidence and solid reasoning  To organize ideas logically  To communicate clearly  Here’s how the raters separate the good from the bad: ScoreCharacteristics: 4-6 Writer shows clear understanding of purpose and fully develops ideas Claims are supported with specific examples A clear focus maintained Writer demonstrates competent use of language (e.g., word choice, sent. structure) Although there may be some errors, they don’t interfere with rater’s understanding of essay 1-3 Writer does not clearly articulate position on issue Development of ideas are general or repetitious Focus is not maintained in every paragraph Incorrect word choice/ weak or awkward sentence structures Errors distracting and interfere with rater’s understanding.

4.  DO LIST: 1. Write only on the given topic 2. Take a clear position 3. Write persuasively to convince rater 4. Include examples to support position 5. Write with correct grammar and spelling 6. Write as clearly as possible 7. Write specifically with concrete examples 8. Write 4-5 paragraphs 9. Write as neatly as possible in PRINT  DON’T LIST: 1. Write on a topic that relates vaguely to the one given 2. Take a wishy-washy position or argue 2 sides 3. Write creatively just to show off 4. Include examples not related to position 5. Forget to proof for grammar mistakes or misspelled words 6. Use poor sentence structure (e.g., overly long sentences) 7. Be vague 8. Put more importance on length than quality 9. Write in cursive

5.  To write a “tasty” essay, you have got use these ingredients: 1. Position: strong and clear opinion expressed in intro (a.k.a.—thesis) 2. Examples: relevant, well-developed, specific reasons that support position 3. Organization: highly recommend Jane Schaeffer 4. Command of Language: sentence construction, word choice, grammar

6.  ACT essay topics will address issues that pertain to high school students; most are about education (e.g., dress code, block scheduling)  Employ 2 strategies in stating your position: 1. Rephrase the prompt in your own words 2. Choose a side (yea or nay)  Example: ACT PROMPT: Many successful adults recall a time in their life when they were considered a failure at one pursuit or another. Some of these people feel strongly that their previous failures taught them valuable lessons and led to their later successes. Others maintain that they went on to achieve success for entirely different reasons. In your opinion, can failure lead to success? Or is failure simply its own experience? STUDENT’S POSITION: (thesis) “Failure can lead to success by teaching important lessons that help us avoid repeating mistakes in the future.”

7.  Strong examples…  Go into detail  Get specific  Note: chose examples that you know a lot about, (duh!) so that you can give specific, descriptive details!  Use a broad range of examples from different areas:  History  Current events  Personal life  Politics  Again, stick to what you know.  Don’t make stuff up  Rely on “common knowledge” when you have to.

8.  A good “fast-food” essay is like the double or triple-decker burger:  Use 2-3 body paragraphs.  (Three body paragraphs are better, but if you run out of time it is better to drop the 3 rd body paragraph instead of conclusion.)  Intro: (4+ sentences)  Grab reader’s attention  States your position/ thesis  Body Paragraphs: (4-5 sentences long)  Topic Sentence  Concrete Detail  2+ Commentary  CD (optional)  2+ CM (optional)  Concluding Sentence (optional)  Conclusion: (4+ sentences)  Recap argument  Possibly: expand on position, look to future, give a “what if” scenario; basically, close meaningfully  NOTE: Give intro and conclusion same attention as body paragraphs. Each paragraph should be equally good.

9.  Variation of sentence structure  Vary length  no “awkward” sentences  Transition between sentences when necessary (e.g., “clearly,” “furthermore,” “however”)  Word Choice  Use sophisticated words if you can  Use the proper word; don’t just try to show off  Grammar, punctuation, and spelling.  Raters are instructed to look for “patterns” of errors  Minor mistakes won’t kill you

10.  Step 1: Read prompt closely. Understand it? Choose a side. (1 min)  Step 2: Brainstorm and create an outline. (4- 5 min)  Step 3: Write the essay. (15 min)  Step 4: Proof the essay. (3 min)

11.  Refutation???  Can go anywhere  Get in; get out. State the opposition; then argue against their claim Opponents of yada yada assert…  In the intro, how can I grab my reader’s attention?  Any other questions???