1. Wrapping Up Essay 1 Introducing Essay 2
Week 3 - Thursday

2. Introductions
We will be looking at different suggestions for writing an introduction on p
For the Identity Essay, your introduction might include some general background information about the culture, community, language, body reality, or life event that you are talking about and that has had an impact on your identity.
You might even start with a vivid, interesting example in order to immediately draw your reader in.

3. General Advice on Introductions
The purpose of the introduction paragraph is to:
Catch the reader’s interest
Contextualize your argument or topic
Provide necessary background information about the topic

4. Strategies to Catch the Reader’s Interest
Ask a question
Tell a story
Use a quote
Provide interesting statistics
Share an anecdote
Make a provocative statement

5. Give Context in the Introduction
What does the reader need to know to understand this paper?
Bring up issues relating to the topic
Cultural issues
Why this topic is important or relevant
Historical background
NOTE: not really relevant for this paper
Important authors and texts you will be referring to

6. Start Your Body Paragraphs with a Clear Focus
A paragraph focus (sometimes called topic sentence):
Comes at the beginning of a paragraph
Presents the most important point you want to make in that paragraph
Is specific (or not so broad it would require a full essay to explore)
Make Sure to Elaborate on your Paragraph Focus with Concrete Details
Once you have listed your supporting points, you can now elaborate on them by adding details or explaining what you mean further.

7. An Alternative: Using the PIE Formula
Another useful strategy to organize information is to use the PIE formula
PIE
P = Point = The main point you want to make
I = Illustration = A quote or paraphrase from the text
E = Explanation = Your explanation about what the quote or paraphrase means

8. CRAFTING THE CONCLUSION

9. Conclusions We will be looking at conclusion types on bottom of p. 451
Conclusions are not simple restatements of what has been said before. Say something in your conclusion that you could not have said at the beginning because your reader did not have the information to fully understand it yet.
A conclusion is the last thing your reader will see from you – leave him or her with some food for thought.

10. Recap your main idea
If your essay was long and complex, sometimes difficult to follow, in the conclusion you'll want to recap your ideas in a clear, summarizing manner.
You want your readers to understand the message you intended to communicate.
However, if your essay was short and simple, don't insult your readers by restating at length the ideas they already understand.
Strike a balance according to what you feel your readers need.

11. Leave a memorable impression
It's not enough just to restate your main ideas -- if you only did that and then ended your essay, your conclusion would be flat and boring. You've want to make a graceful exit from your essay by leaving a memorable impression on the reader.
You need to say something that will continue to simmer in the reader's minds long after he or she has put down your essay. To leave this memorable impression, try:
giving a thought-provoking quotation
describing a powerful image
talking about consequences or implications
stating what action needs to be done
ending on an interesting twist of thought
explaining why the topic is important

12. Keep it Brief
Keep your conclusion short, but not too short. You're just trying to reemphasize your points and make an exit, and presumably all the really important points have been made previously in your essay.
You should not introduce any totally new ideas in the conclusion; however, you should not merely repeat your thesis either.
It’s a tricky balance to strike, but with a little thought and planning, it’s completely doable.

13. Conclusion Example
The evidence is overwhelming: the cost of driving a vehicle, both monetarily and environmentally, is outweighing the benefits. We can no longer in good faith support something that is so destructive of the environment. At five dollars per gallon in some areas, we need to ask ourselves if our dependence on cars is merely a result of our own laziness. We must demand municipal initiatives to expand and improve public transportation in our cities, and reduce our wasteful dependence on single-user vehicles. Commute smart!

15. INTRODUCING ESSAY 2 AND INFORMATIVE WRITING

16. Discuss the Prompt Pass out Prompt and Discuss
Take notes on the prompt.
Write ideas and questions on it!

17. Why Write an Informative Essay?
Informative writing is practical.
It is the kind of writing you are most likely to write in the workplace
It shares information on specialized topics
Informative writing can help highlight important issues and causes, or subjects and subcultures that are not well-known.
Informative writing can help dispel misconceptions, and fight against stereotypes and prejudice.
Don’t forget: education is the enemy of hate and fear.

18. Purposes of Informative Writing:
1. Describing a topic accurately and vividly.
Be specific. Have a narrow, focused topic.
Use details. Look carefully at our example essays. See how they use specific details and vivid descriptions? Imitate this in your own writing.
2. Communicating information clearly and descriptively.
Use your writing to educate and inform.
3. To Share Specialized Knowledge

19. Keys to Informative Writing, continued
EXPLAIN INFORMATION FOR YOUR READER
Just because you have become familiar with the topic does not mean that your reader is.
Give background and history that your reader will need in one or two paragraphs early on.
Part of your job is to break it down and explain things in a logical, step- by-step manner.
Make it interesting and easy to understand!
EXPLORE QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS
Find out what the current debates are relating to your topic.
What is commonly known? What is not known?
Readers like to read about controversy. If there is a controversy relating to your topic, discuss it!
What fascinates you about this topic? Get your reader to SHARE your fascination by explaining and exploring what you find so fascinating.

20. Structure of an Informative Essay
The basic structure of an informative essay is very simple. It needs to have a beginning, middle, and end.
The beginning needs to present the topic and grab the attention of the audience. It needs to include the focus sentence for the entire essay.  
The middle will be the main bulk of the essay and it will contain all the important facts that you are covering. This is where the audience will get their questions answered. Remember to answer these questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. 
The end is a conclusion where you will summarize the essay. It should spur the reader or listener to learn more about the topic.

21. The Introduction
Here is an example of the beginning of an informative essay: 
You might not think that today is the day that you will save a life, but it might be. It is quite easy to save a life any day and it only takes a little bit of your time. I’m not talking about being a paramedic or fireman; I am talking about donating blood. Donating blood is easy, does not need to be a stressful experience, and can truly save someone’s life.

22. The Conclusion
Here is an example of a conclusion for an informative essay:
So now that you know how easy it is to donate blood, it’s time to take action. After all, you have plenty of blood, so why not share? When you do, you will feel good about yourself and you will save a life. A quick Google search can tell you where your nearest blood bank is and how to donate. Save a life today!

23. Break Time!

24. Many Possible Subjects for Informative Essays!
Informative essays, sometimes called expository essays, can be used for many purposes. They can compare viewpoints on a controversial subject as long as they don’t include the author’s opinions. They may analyze data, like in a cause and effect situation, or educate the audience on ways to do something, like solving a certain kind of problem.
An informative essay on food issues might explain the health benefits of a Vegetarian or Vegan Diet/Lifestyle.
Or why these diets might be flawed for people with certain health conditions
An informative essay on food issues might discuss authentic Chinese cuisine vs Americanized Chinese foods
An informative essay on food issues might discuss what a CSA box is, the benefits of it, and how to sign up for one.

25. Steps in Creating an Informative Essay
Most of the work on an informative essay is done before you actually sit down to type. Here are the general steps to take:
After you have chosen the topic, you will need to research and gather all the pertinent details on that subject. You need to ascertain what you already know about the subject and then decide what you would like to know.
You will need to make a list of the important facts and then list the main steps in your paper. Make sure all your facts are accurate. You will need to write a topic sentence for each fact and write a focus sentence (thesis statement) for the entire essay.

26. Steps in Creating an Informative Essay
Most of the work on an informative essay is done before you actually sit down to type. Here are the general steps to take:   
3. Create an outline that will organize your facts in a logical way. Then you will be ready to make your first draft.
4. Editing is an important step for any writing project. Reading your essay out loud will help you notice places where the writing is awkward or unclear. If possible, have someone else read it and give you their ideas for improvement. Of course, you will need to pay attention for grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and other errors.

27. Finding Topics
What are some “interesting questions” you could ask that might lead to a paper topic?
Sometimes, the best way to jump start your own ideas is to look for examples of the kind of writing you want to do.
Find examples of informative writing in magazines and newspaper. Feature articles are often informative but not “straight news” (i.e. reporting an event not exploring an idea. We want to focus on exploring ideas.

28. General Tips about Thesis Statements
A statement that contains the essay’s topic and point(s)
Gives the reader a sense of what the essay will be about
Most thesis statements are only one sentence and it must be a complete sentence.
Should not be a question.
Everything in the essay must support the thesis.
Usually comes at the end of the introduction:
Introduction paragraph should follow this format:
Attention getter (commonly known as a “hook”)
Introduce the topic and give background leading up to the thesis
State the thesis

29. Examining Informative Writing
Today’s reading:
Pathways “Balancing the Extremes” p

30. Brainstorm Your Topic Ideas!
Look at the prompt for the Informative Essay again.
On the back, (or in your notebook if you prefer) start brainstorming your topic ideas.
I will give everyone 5-10 minutes to brainstorm. Write down as many ideas as you can think of.
When I call “Time!”, find a partner and “interview” each other about your informative essay topic ideas.
Help each other come up with even more ideas!

31. Preparing for the Midterm
IN CLASS WRITING
Preparing for the Midterm

32. Freewrite
Tell me about times when you have had to do a timed writing or an in-class essay.
How was it different from other writing you have done?
What did you do to attempt to succeed in this type of writing?

33. Why is In-Class Writing Important?
Writing in-class is a skill that will serve you well as you take more advanced college classes. Professors in these classes will use in-class writing to measure what you have learned, and they will expect that you already know how to write and organize an essay.
In-class writing requires you to do these things:
Show that you understand the topic that you are writing about thoroughly. This includes concepts/ideas as well as facts like names, dates, and places.
Present your thoughts on the topic in a unified, organized way in a short amount of time.

34. In-Class Writing Tips Step One: Read the prompt carefully.
Underline key words.
Figure out what kind of response the question is looking for.
Make sure you give the correct type of response.
Step Two: Plan.
Writing down ideas/things to cover may help you to remember them later.
Don't spend too much time on this step (no more than a minute or two), but write down your thesis (Your main idea) somewhere in your outline.
Also include main ideas and a several supporting ideas/phrases for each body paragraph.

35. In-Class Writing Tips Step Three: Write. Step Four: Check.
Make sure that you are following any special directions like using pen/pencil or skipping lines. Pace yourself. Keep an eye on the clock and don’t allow any one section to take too much of your time.
Spend the most time on the body of your essay, not introducing or planning or writing your conclusion.
Make sure that each paragraph has a good topic sentence that will help keep you on track for that paragraph.
Step Four: Check.
If you have time left over, take the opportunity to go back and look for grammar and spelling errors, or for places where you might need to add clarification.
Also, remember to write as legibly as possible.

36. A Practice Prompt Discuss:
Prompt Question: The author of the essay we read for today belives that young adults struggle with finding a balance when taking responsibilty for their own diets. He suggests that most young adults go through 4 phases or stages when it comes to their eating habits and choices. Do you agree with his points and have you seen these stages in your own life? Do you believe that a young adult whose parents have educated them about a healthy diet can avoid these stages? Use your own expirience to discuss and respond to theses ideas. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Directions: Take a few minutes to think about the prompt question above and develop your own ideas by brainstorming. Answer the prompt question in essay form, taking time to add reasons, details, and examples. You can, if you wish, quote Chase Beauclair’s essay and respond to it (either agreeing or disagreeing with it). You must write at least 4 paragraphs and give your essay an interesting title.
Discuss:
What is the most important part of this question? (What would you underline or highlight?)
What exactly is this prompt asking you to do?

37. Practice Prompt Explained
Prompt Question: The author of the essay we read for today belives that young adults struggle with finding a balance when taking responsibilty for their own diets. He suggests that most young adults go through 4 phases or stages when it comes to their eating habits and choices. Do you agree with his points and have you seen these stages in your own life? Do you believe that a young adult whose parents have educated them about a healthy diet can avoid these stages? Use your own experience to discuss and respond to theses ideas. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
Directions: Take a few minutes to think about the prompt question above and develop your own ideas by brainstorming. Answer the prompt question in essay form, taking time to add reasons, details, and examples. You can, if you wish, quote Chase Beauclair’s essay and respond to it (either agreeing or disagreeing with it). You must write at least 4 paragraphs and give your essay an interesting title.
The ContextFor the Prompt and Thinking Before You Write
Central Question for Your Essay and Basic Directions
Advice About the Content in Your Essay

38. Checking the Schedule!