1. Thematic Essay Essentials Critical Aspects of the Thematic Essay Decoding the Question: Theme/Task/”Triggers” Graphic Organizer Construction: “I” Chart “I” Chart = Three Step Intro Elements of the Body Paragraph: “CIA” The Conclusion

2. Thematic Essay Essentials Goals: Each facet/”step” of the “Thematic Essentials” will contain: – A PowerPoint guiding students through an actual question. – Exemplars provided to give students a model from which to work. – Sample Questions where they can try out the various aspects of the “essentials” – Reminders about Regents Rubrics and Scoring

3. Thematic Essay Essentials Sample Question: If we can think through one question, that will give us all of our goals, and we can work backwards in order to get there.

4. Thematic Essay Essentials

5. Critical Aspects of the Thematic Essay Decoding the Question: Theme/Task/Triggers

6. Thematic Essay Essentials Theme/Task: Provides the major idea for the essay Task will be a clear reminder of the specific steps needed. Choices that exist below the task provide “avenues of entrance.”

7. Thematic Essay Essentials Decoding: We need to be able to have our students target key word (trigger words) and “decode” the question. Trigger words can be “function words” like “describe”, “discuss” “explain” “show” Or, they can be direction words like “one” “each” “and/or”

8. Thematic Essay Essentials For the PowerPoint on decoding, there should be: A sample question Instructions on how to decode Theme/Task Specific direction for students to highlight, underline trigger words” Examples of what words like “discuss” and “describe” are really asking Real questions examples where students can “decode”

9. Theme/Task/Triggers Human Rights Select Two Individuals...Each Triggers: Describe Discuss

10. Thematic Essay Essentials Critical Aspects of the Thematic Essay Graphic Organizer Construction

11. Thematic Essay Essentials The Graphic Organizer can vary depending on the type of question that is given. Normally, Regents Thematics have a “two step” quality to them. In other words, there will be two people/events/asked for... Or, it might be one topic, with two/three bullets in the task giving us “steps” In almost all cases, The “I” Chart can be used

12. Thematic Essay Essentials Our Question: Essentials Two individuals...Three Steps for each – Describe – Discuss Perfect for a “I” Chart...

13. “I” Chart

14. “I” Chart Essentials Introduction Elements: Choice #1(¶)Choice #2 (¶) “Trigger”Trigger “Trigger”Trigger” “Trigger”Trigger Conclusion

15. “I” Chart “Tailored” Justice/Human Rights Gandhi (¶)Mandela (¶) Describe DescribeDiscuss

16. Thematic Essay Essentials For the PowerPoint on graphic organizers, there should be: A sample question Different examples of graphic organizers, depending on the question Specific direction for students to “translate the task” into a graphic organizer Real questions examples where students can fill in graphic organizers.

17. Thematic Essay Essentials Critical Aspects of the Thematic Essay The “Three Step” Introduction

18. The Introduction Once you construct the “I” Chart... You can work backwards, and construct your introduction All the elements are already there... You have your theme... You have made your selections... You have condensed the task to its essentials!!!

19. Thematic Essay Essentials Three Step Intro “Big Picture” “Narrow Focus” “Direction”

20. Thematic Essay Essentials Big Picture = Provide Context for the Theme Narrow Focus = Introduce the selections that you have made from the question Direction = Translating your Task into a statement of purpose. Reminder: Working backward from your graphic organizer will give you your intro!!!

21. Thematic Essay Essentials Our graphic organizer gave us Overall Theme: = Big Picture Two Individuals = Narrow Focus Key Trigger Words = Direction Statement

22. How to Construct Your “Three Step” Intro: Big Picture = “Theme” Narrow Focus = Global “Example” Direction = Task Statement

23. “Mind Map”

24. Thematic Essay Essentials For the PowerPoint on introductions, there should be: A sample question Entry points for students to work, using previous graphic organizers, to construct an introduction. Real questions examples where students can construct other introductions.

25. Thematic Essay Essentials Critical Aspects of the Thematic Essay Elements of the Body Paragraph

26. Thematic Essay Essentials If we have already formatted a graphic organizer... And thought our way through our introduction... The Body Paragraphs are already organized, and simply need to be written Our task will be to re-enforce the critical elements of the Body Paragraph

27. Thematic Essay Essentials: The Body Paragraph Each paragraph has to have a central focus That comes from tour task/steps Topic Sentence = Central Focus Facts/Details/Examples = hitting your trigger words like Identify, Describe and Show Your Commentary = Discuss/Analyze/Assess