Write a one paragraph autobiography of your life as a writer. What types of writing have you done in

the past? How would you rate yourself as a writer? How do you feel about writing?

BlingerBlingerWednesday 11/14/12Wednesday 11/14/12

Read essays A, B, D, and E. As you read, make comments and offer feedback

on the essay just as a teacher would. Come together with your group and discuss the

three essays. What was effective or ineffective about each sample?

Rank the essays from most effective (1) to least effective (4)

Send a representative from your group to record your rankings on the board.

Essay InvestigationEssay Investigation

2

Essay Rankings

3

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Group 5

Essay A

Essay B

Essay D

Essay E

All successful food chains understand that to be top notch, you must know…

Your customersYour ingredientsHow to put the ingredients together

Your Customers

The person grading your essay is your customer and you

want to give them an essay that tastes just

like what they’re expecting…

The Dos and Don’ts of Con Pro Pro Writing

DO: Write only on the given

topicTake a clear position on

the topicWrite persuasively to

convince the raterInclude reasons and

examples to support your position

DON’T: Write on a topic that

barely relates to the one given

Take a “wishy-washy” approach and try to argue 2 sides

Write creatively or ornately just to show off

Include examples that are not directly related to your position

DO: Write with correct

grammar and spellingWrite clearlyWrite specifically and

concretely Write 5 paragraphs and

NOTE these paragraphs with proper indentation

DON’T: Forget to proof your work

for mistakesUse too many fancy

vocabulary words or overly long sentences

Be vague or use generalizations

Put more importance on length than on quality

What an ACT Rater looks for… Rank the student’s ability to…

Take and articulate a perspective on an issue

Maintain a clear focus on the perspective throughout the essay

Explore a position by using supportive evidence and logical reasoning

Organize ideas logicallyCommunicate clearly in writing

To write a tasty Con Pro Pro essay, you’ve got to know the necessary ingredients…

Recipe for a top-notch essay Blend equal parts of the following:

Position: The strength and clarity of your stance on a given topic

Examples: The relevance and development of the examples you use to support your argument

Organization: The organization of each of your paragraphs and of your essay overall

Command of language: Sentence construction, grammar, and word choice

Position: The Essay TopicsTypical topics will give you a

statement that addresses 2-sided issues like dress codes, block scheduling, justice, the definition of success, or the importance of learning from mistakes

The broadness of these topics allow you to find many examples to support the position that you take in your essay.

SAMPLE ACT PROMPTSome high schools in the United States have considered creating separate classrooms for male and female students in subjects such as mathematics and science. Some educators think separate classes will be beneficial because students will be less distracted from learning. Other educators think having separate classes for females and males will not be beneficial because it will seem to support stereotypes about differences in ability between males and females. In your opinion, should high schools create separate classes for male and female students?

The T-Chart Method

My Position Opposing Position

Point 1 Point 1

Point 2 Point 2

Point 3Your position will need at least 3 points;

try to brainstorm at least 2 for the opposing position

Let’s try one for whether we should have separate classrooms or not…

The steps so far…

1. Read the prompt2. Make a T-chart that identifies

arguments for both sides of the issue3. Choose a side

NEXT STEP: Come up with examples that will support your argument and compose an outline that organizes these ideas.

Step 4: Develop Examples

To make a Con Pro Pro essay shine, you need to use excellent examples. This means that you use:Specific examplesA variety of examples

THE OUTLINE

Use the basic structure of the 5-

paragraph essay to organize your outline

The 5-paragraph EssayA good essay is like a triple-decker burger. A

tasty CON-PRO-PRO burger. It has 5 paragraphs, each with a purpose.

Paragraph 1: The Introduction (top bun)

Paragraph 2 - CON: Counterargument + Refutation

Paragraph 3 -PRO: Supporting Point + Examples (meat)

Paragraph 4 - PRO: Supporting Point + Examples (meat)

Paragraph 5: Conclusion (bottom bun)

Your OutlineIntroduction

HookBackground information: What is the controversy?Thesis statement and reasoning

Paragraph 1 - CONCounterargument + refutation, include example(s)

Paragraph 2 - PROSupport point to your thesis + example(s)

Paragraph 3 - PROSupport point to your thesis + example(s)

Conclusion

The Thesis StatementThe thesis statement identifies where you

stand on the topic. A good thesis statement is strong, clear, and definitive.

High schools should create separate classrooms for male and female students, as this would ultimately help close the achievement gap between the sexes in the United States.

Although single-gender classrooms may be beneficial in some ways, high schools should not adopt the practice of separating male and female students because this academic structure would ultimately reinforce gender stereotypes.

School districts in the United States should not adopt a policy that separates classes by gender.

Body Paragraph 1: Counterargument and Refute

All top scoring essays include a statement that explains a counterargument—a side that the opposition takes– as well as refutation of this counterargument.

Basically, good essays acknowledge the beliefs of the opposition but still show why the author’s position is stronger.

Example, “Those who support single-sex classrooms may argue that… however, …” or “Many educators/parents argue…”

Body Paragraphs 2 & 3

Support your thesis statement with supporting evidenceIntroduce your supporting pointProvide specific and varied

examples to prove your point

Example – “One reason schools should remain on the four-year graduation plan is …“

Paragraph 5: Conclusion1. The re-cap: In 1-2 sentences, summarize

what you’ve already argued

2. Expand on your positionTake your argument and push it a little bit further—try looking into the future and show your reader what would happen if the position could be applied on a broader scale.

3. Provide a firm sense of closure in the last sentences.

The Final Don’tsDon’t use “I” or “I believe” or “I think”. It

implies opinion or uncertainty and facts are much more persuasive. Just delete them!

Don’t use “thing” or “stuff”. These words are ambiguous and don’t tell your reader very much.

Don’t use slang. These words take away from your ability to persuade the reader.