Introduction Hook - Capture Attention: AQQS A Anecdote Q Question Q Quotation S Statement of Intrigue (interesting fact, vivid description, etc.) (D Definition – could also begin with your definition) Give Background: What does the reader need to know before he/she reads so he/she can understand your essay? Include author and title For this essay, you also need to define courage or cowardice TAG – title, author, genre (In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller…) Give thesis: The sentence that tells what the rest of the essay is about

Titles PLEASE NOTE: A play title is italicized or underlined – and you must italicize or underline the entire title. Correct: The Crucible YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! The Crucible YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! NOT CORRECT: the Crucible - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! “The Crucible” - NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Crucible – NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! In addition – MAKE SURE YOU SPELL ALL CHARACTER NAMES CORRECTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Example Introduction Even though they love and care about each other, young children can be cruel to one another. This cruelty is a natural part of child development, and it is something that all children must endure to grow into strong adults. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the narrator admits that he was cruel to his brother Doodle. At times, his cruelty is over the top and beyond the boundaries of natural sibling rivalry. Many who read the story even hold him accountable for Doodle’s death. However, most of his actions indicate that the narrator loves his brother and that he wants the best for him.

Sample Hook Of all the so-called “heroes” or “saviors” in history, who can truly be characterized as brave? Who can genuinely be distinguished as noble and dauntless? Although people offhandedly toss around the title of hero, only a few in the past century can be correctly idolized for their selflessness. During the 1950s and 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr. displayed unparalleled courage in his fight for racial equality…

Sample Hook 2 “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination” (source). This quote by Nelson Mandela depicts the strength that many courageous people use in order to stand up for what they believe.

Conclusion Restate: Main idea in a new and interesting way Relate: Main ideas to the reader and to the world around you (for example: Give a call to action, explain why your position matters in the real world)

Sample Start of Conclusion John Proctor and Nelson Mandela are both shining examples of humanity. They exhibit great courage as well as strength for standing up for what they believe in, even in the face of great peril.

Sample 2 Ultimately, both John Proctor and Martin Luther King, Jr. display courage as they uphold their own values and put their lives at risk to promote their moral principles. A hero is one who keeps the integrity of his/her mind, and who lives not for society’s approval, but after one’s own values in a world increasingly opposed to these high standards. Feeling fear is not wrong, as fear is a natural feeling that accompanies standing out from the crowd. However, it is only when one uses that fear to benefit society as a whole – such as to promote justice in a community – that the title of hero can be granted.

MLA MLA stands for Modern Language Association – www.mla.org Double space your paper Write in Times New Roman, 12 point Heading goes on the left and it is double spaced Play title is in italics OR underlined The Crucible OR The Crucible Cite quotes in parentheses at the end of the quote with the author’s last name and the page (Miller 946).