1. Warm Up 1/3
Find and review the assignment sheet for your Hamlet “essay” (the link can be found on the class blog site on 12/9 – take 5 minutes). Then, review your outline (take another 5 minutes). Open it and review it. How do you feel about your work so far? Why? Be explicit.
Review your thesis from your outline. What does it need in order to be formal enough for an actual essay?
Next, choose a paragraph that you’d like to develop. Why did you choose this one, and what ideas do you have in order to develop it fully?

2. Learning Targets
I can further refine my thesis statement into a formal one, appropriate for a formal essay.
I can begin to develop my outline of one body paragraph into a full, thorough body paragraph.

3. To refine your thesis,
Ask if your draft thesis addresses the assignment.
Question each part of your draft thesis
Clarify vague phrases and assertions
Investigate alternatives to your draft thesis
Find ways to make your use of language more precise and concise.
Ensure that you’ve mentioned both the name of the play AND its playwright.
‘bad’ Model thesis: In Hamlet, using the psychological approach, a reader can examine the id, ego, and superego of Rosencrantz in order to determine what kind of character he is in the play.

4. To develop your body paragraph,
Look over what you’ve got drafted.
Write out a formal topic sentence (but be explicitly OR implicitly linked to thesis)
Ask yourself this: what language is needed to fully connect your quote to this topic sentence? Add that.
What language is needed to add full context (i.e., bring the reader back to that moment in time in the play) for the quote you’ve chosen?
For the commentary, strive to add depth to the analysis: what language from the quote specifically supports the topic sentence? How does it do this? How do both the quote AND the topic sentence connect to the thesis?

5. OUTLINE FORMAT Conclusion –
Introduction (label which organization format you chose) –
Write out a rough idea that you might want to use based on one of these strategies:
make a connection to the readers
appeal to them
anticipate their needs
orient them in the direction of the "journey”
your main focus within your topic (thesis)
Body Paragraphs (do this for each of the four/five) –
Topic idea
Context
Quotation
Commentary: Pull out discrete words, phrases, etc. which illustrate the conclusion you’ve drawn. Then, connect the dots for the reader and prove your assertion/conclusion valid.
Conclusion –
Write out a rough idea that you may use based on one of these strategies:
mark the destination of the journey
provide a reflection
Close your idea, but make sure this paragraph is still "meaty"

6. Writing Timeline TIMELINE:
December 13: Notes on structure/brainstorming
December 14th: Complete essay outline (with rough thesis idea) by midnight on Wednesday.
January 3rd : Complete essay outline, improve thesis statement.
January 4th: Write rough draft of one developed paragraph
January 5th: Revise the outline/paragraph. Be sure that organization is best to serve the essay; complete associated reflective writing.
January 6th: Polish your work (perfect both the thesis and the developed body paragraph).

7. Homework Complete and LOG 5 hours by next Thursday, 1/12.
To LOG properly, for each session you work toward completing your project, list out – with as much detail as possible – every task you complete.