Essay Writing NotesPersonal Narrative

Mrs. Fendrick

Cornell Notes Use only blue or black ink or regular pencil.

Name (first and last) Reading Period #Date

Writing

Holes go on left side.

Head a clean sheet of paper like the above example.

1. What is an essay?

Essential Question: How do I write a formal essay?

Name (first and last) DateReading Period #

Writing

Essential Question: How do I write a formal essay?

What is an essay?

Definition:

1. What is an essay?

An essay has at least 5 paragraphs:

an introduction, at least 3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

2. What are the types of essays?

1. informative (research)

2. narrative (story)

3. What is an essay’s purpose?

Informative essay: make a claim and back it up with evidence

Narrative essay: entertain or inspire readers by introducing a theme that is supported through examples

*

4. What is a personal narrative?

SKIP A LINE

Definition:

It’s a true story about something that happened to you.

It has a beginning, middle, and end.

It has dialogue (someone speaking with quotation marks).

5. How do I write a draft?

Write the 3 body paragraphs before the introduction and conclusion.

Use vivid sensory details to help the reader picture your experience by being able to see, hear, smell, or feel what is happening.

6. What are the 6 traits of writing?

1. Ideas2. Organization3. Word choice (strong, active)4. Voice (your personality)5. Sentence Fluency (include long,

short, and medium sentences)6. Conventions (punctuation,

spelling, grammar)

The most important traits are ideas and organization.

See agenda -page 10.

7. What is the topic of my essay?

Describe a personal triumph (big or small). Explain the events and challenges you worked through to achieve your goal. Share your thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions.

Cornell Notes Use only blue or black ink or regular pencil.

Name (first and last) Reading Period #Date

Writing

Holes go on left side.

Continue notes from previous lesson.

Introductory Paragraph

Name (first and last) DateReading Period #

WritingIntroductory Paragraph

Continue notes from previous lesson

Introductory Paragraph

(1st Paragraph)

The purpose of the introduction is to: 1. get the reader’s attention and 2. hint at your theme.

Types of Introductions

1. Action Scene - Draw the reader into something that is happening.

Example: I’m a third-string quarterback, so I had to wait until the fourth quarter to prove that I can throw. With just two minutes left on the clock, I took control of the huddle. I completed my first pass of the season and stayed safe in the pocket. I was hungry for more.

Types of Introductions

2. Introduce VIP (very important person in the story)

Example: My brother is the king of procrastination. He doesn’t put things off intentionally, but seems to drift along in his own world until time smacks him in the face. On the morning of mom’s birthday, he asked me to help him bake her a cake.

Types of Introductions

3. Interesting or surprising fact.

Example: There’s more than one way to make a cake, and some recipes don’t even require heat. It’s something I didn’t consider until I was faced with a broken oven and no time.

Types of Introductions

4. Anecdote (super short story)

Example: I thought it would be easy to bake a birthday cake for my mother. The only thing the cake mix box said I had to add was vegetable oil and eggs. I began to smell something weird after the batter was mixed and in the oven. Eventually I discovered that the oil I used was garlic-flavored. The cake tasted terrible, but the thought of it still makes me laugh.

Types of Introductions

5. Dialogue OR Quotation (NOT from the dictionary)

Example: As I fought for every breath and kept running, I asked myself: "Why am I doing this?" I had no time for second-guessing with a terrifying track coach running beside me and yelling, "You can break six minutes!"

Conclusion The final paragraph clearly states the theme or lesson you learned.

It is only 2 or 3 sentences in length.

Types of Endings

1. Recall a Feeling

Example: My mother actually laughed rather than scolded us when I told her about the trouble we had baking the cake. I couldn’t believe I pulled off her birthday celebration after all. My first effort as a party planner was a triumph.

Types of Endings

2. Remember a Character

Example: The good thing about my brother is that he usually works things out, one way or another. He helped me give our mother a wonderful surprise, and we both shared the triumph of succeeding under pressure.

Types of Endings

3. Think about the story

Example: What a day! In the end, it turned out to be Mom’s best birthday ever and my own personal triumph.

Types of Endings

4. Get the Point

Example: You probably think my brother learned a thing or two about procrastination. Don’t count on it. I learned that I’m a great problem-solver, however, and this was the best triumph of the day.

SummaryI need to use the writing process to plan, draft, revise, and edit an essay. When I understand the characteristics of a selected genre, I can write for a specific purpose.

I need to use the writing process to plan, draft, revise, and edit an essay. When I understand the characteristics of a selected genre, I can write for a specific purpose.

Summary

Cornell Notes Use only blue or black ink or regular pencil.

Name (first and last) Reading Period #Date

Writing

Holes go on left side.

Continue notes from previous lesson.

Revisions

Revisions • C_ U_ P_ S_– Capitalization– Usage– Punctuation– Spelling

• Reading Aloud

Revisions 1. Change state of being verbs (are, was, were, been) to action verbs in present.

Examples: are running = raced,

was thinking = pondered.

Revisions 2. You need sentence variety (sentences should be short, medium, and long).

Revisions 3. Use transition words, especially those that indicate time and place.

Transition terms = word bridges to connect ideas.

Examples: (a week later, sometime during the night, as we walked).

See list.

Agenda

Transition terms are used 1.to show action or 2.when the setting is changing and 3.to connect events in the story.