TIME TO CHOOSE! Choose a character from the picture presented on the screen. Choose which character you think is the best, and come up with 3-5 reasons explaining why they are the best.

THESIS STATEMENT PRACTICE Prep for Essay Writing

ELEMENT OF A THESIS  1 – a topic  2 – a question  Thesis – addresses a topic by answering a question

 Comic book super heroes  Which comic book character is the best? FOR EXAMPLE… Topic Question

COMPLETION  Batman is the best comic book character due to his moral characteristics, appearance and conflicted relationship with the public.

WHY A STRONG THESIS HELPS  Batman is the best comic book character due to his moral characteristics, appearance and conflicted relationship with the public.  Paragraph 2 – moral characteristics – restate thesis  Paragraph 3 – appearance – restate thesis  Paragraph 4 – conflicted relationship with the public– restate thesis  Conclusion – restate thesis

TOP 5 RULES FOR A THESIS STATEMENT  1. Answer a question in an unobvious way  2. Give general reasons without being TOO specific  3. Introduce the arguments for future paragraphs  4. Make the reader interested by the argument  5. Try to teach the reader something.

WHAT DID WE LEARN?  Was the essay The Culture of Overwork effective or ineffective? Why?  What needs to change for this to be a more effective essay?  What would you have done differently?

ORGANIZATION IS KEY! Introductory Sentence/Topic Sentence Pieces of Evidence/Quotations General explanation of Significance Restate the thesis Introductory Sentence/Topic Sentence Pieces of Evidence/Quotations General explanation of Significance Restate the thesis Introductory Sentence/Topic Sentence Pieces of Evidence/Quotations General explanation of Significance Restate the thesis

THIS WAY OR…

Point 1 Point 2 Thesis Point 3

BODY PARAGRAPHS Introductory Sentence/Topic Sentence Pieces of Evidence/Quotations General explanation of Significance Restate the thesis Introductory Sentence/Topic Sentence Pieces of Evidence/Quotations General explanation of Significance Restate the thesis Introductory Sentence/Topic Sentence Pieces of Evidence/Quotations General explanation of Significance Restate the thesis

THE STORY OF AN HOUR  Orginally written in 1894  Kate Chopin ( ) was originally from southern United States  Was a huge advocate for women’s rights and gender equality

LET’S READ!  Read The Story of an Hour on your own  When you are finished, underline or highlight any of the sentences that you think are important to the theme of the story.  Determine 1 theme with some evidence (3 pieces)

WHAT ARE SOME THEMES?

LET’S ORGANIZE  Use the graphic organizer on the back of the page to organize your own essay for The Story of An Hour  You will need to Find a motif -> Create a theme Find 3 pieces of evidence that support your theme (quotations) Create a thesis Complete the body paragraphs and conclusion

FINDING EVIDENCE Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death. It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. He husband’s friend Richards…

 Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.  Chopin portrays Mrs. Mallard as a broken-down character even before the death of her husband, as hinted in the opening lines, “Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble…” (Chopin, 1). HOW TO USE THE QUOTATION Original Essay

USING QUOTATIONS  Chopin portrays Mrs. Mallard as a broken-down character even before the death of her husband, as hinted in the opening lines, “Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble…” (Chopin, 1).  What else can we write instead of “Chopin portrays”?

ADDING EXPLANATION  …portrays…  According to…  The following quotation indicates…

WHAT ABOUT…?  We can see Mrs. Mallard as a broken-down character even before the death of her husband, in the opening lines, “Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble…” (Chopin, 1).

THE STORY OF AN HOUR  What is the most significant theme in Kate Chopin’s short story, The Story of An Hour?

LET’S ORGANIZE  Use the graphic organizer on the back of the page to organize your own essay for The Story of An Hour  You will need to Find a motif -> Create a theme Find 3 pieces of evidence that support your theme (quotations) Create a thesis Complete the body paragraphs and conclusion