English 9 Writing Mrs. Borger-Germann. Name Period

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1 English 9 Writing Mrs. Borger-Germann Name Period

2 Writing Pieces All writing is made up of some of these six pieces: letters, sounds, words, lines, sentences, and paragraphs/stanzas. Letters. The smallest unit of writing. You learned these with the alphabet in pre-school. A, B, C, D, E... Sounds. Letters and some small combinations of letters make sounds. Like th or oa or ing. We often pay more attention to sounds in poetry than in other types of writing, though of course learning sounds is a big part of how we learn to read, too! Words. We have lots of different kinds of words Nouns: a person, place, thing, or idea Susan, the doghouse, a cup, a dream Pronouns: words that take the place of more specific nouns: she, they, it, we, I, this! 3 rd Person Pronouns he, she, they, it! Personal Pronouns include a relationship with the speaker: we, I, you! Demonstrative Pronouns this, that, those, these Verbs: an action or state-of-being word.! Verbs come in 12 different tenses, but they re all variations on these three Past cooked, sat, ate, sighed, was Present cooks, sits, eats, sighs, is Future will cook, will sit, will eat, will sigh, will be! Verbs also come in different voices. These are two of the most common Active I cooked a hot dog. The cat gave birth to kittens. Passive The hot dog was cooked. The kittens were born. Adjectives: words that describe a noun or pronoun dirty, happy, flowery, sad, yellow Adverbs: words that describe any other kind of word late, happily, grumpily Prepositions: words that demonstrate position or relationship of, in, to, for, with, on, etc. Conjunctions: words that connect ideas or things. The most common conjunctions are the FANBOYS for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so Articles: the or a Lines. Some small combinations of words make up lines. These lines may or may not be sentences. Like sounds, we often pay more attention to lines in poetry than in other types of writing. Sentences. Sentences are a specific type of word combination that involves two parts: a subject and a predicate. Subject: what or whom the sentence is about Predicate: makes a statement about the subject and contains a verb. 2

3 The simplest sentences could be two words: I cried. I is the subject, cried is the predicate. Or six works: Jane and I cried and shouted. Jane and I is the subject. Cried and shouted is the predicate. Complicated sentences could be a lot longer: Without pausing to look at the milk I d spilled all over my mother s new floor, I threw my hands over my face and cried hopelessly. I still the subject. Threw my hands over my face and cried hopelessly is the predicate. Together, this subject and predicate form an independent clause. It is the part of a sentence that could stand alone as it s own sentence: I threw my hands over my face and cried hopelessly. The early part of the sentence, Without pausing to look at the milk I d spilled all over my mother s new floor is called a dependent clause. It is the part of a sentence that depends on the rest of the sentence to make sense, and it usually relies on placement or commas to connect it to the rest of the sentence. No matter how many dependent clauses there are, a group of words has to contain an independent clause to form a sentence. However, two independent clauses can become a sentence if they re joined with enough glue. conjunction and a comma She instructed me to take out the trash, and I listened. semicolon She instructed me to take out the trash; I listened. colon She instructed: You take out the trash. But this option comes with a warning: two or more independent clauses stuck together without enough glue do not make a sentence. They make a run-on or a comma splice: She instructed me to take out the trash, I listened. A run on also happens with too many unrelated independent clauses: She instructed me to take out the trash I listened but not until after my show was over when it was too late to see and I spilled trash on the driveway so we had opossums and raccoons like crazy. Paragraphs or Stanzas. Paragraphs or stanzas are groups of lines or sentences that have something in common. Stanzas are made of up lines and are used in poetry and song lyrics. Stanzas are sometimes arranged by the demands of a particular form (for example sonnets or sestinas use certain patterns to create stanzas, and songs often use certain rhythms to create stanzas). Other times, stanzas are arranged for lots of different reasons--to introduce changes (in time, character, action, etc), or to create a particular sound. Paragraphs are made up of sentences and are used in prose. In non-fiction, paragraphs usually have a guiding idea or topic sentence. All the other sentences work together to support that idea or topic sentence. In fiction, paragraphs are usually designed to accomplish something in the story. For example, each time a different character speaks or does something, a new paragraph begins. Or there might be a paragraph of description followed by a paragraph of action. 3

4 Products. We use these six pieces: letters, sounds, words, lines, sentences, and paragraphs/stanzas to make up all kinds of products: I ask my students to become familiar with the six pieces of writing because it will help me help you improve your writing. Without this language, we re stuck. I can look at your work and say This isn t a sentence or That doesn t sound right. That s not very specific, so it s not very helpful to you. But If I can say This is missing an independent clause or try using an active voice verb instead, then we both understand Here are some of the ways I m going to help you learn and retain this information. We ll talk about them in class together, play some games with them. We ll actually use them in every writing unit we do in class. You ll have a quiz over these terms at the end of our first writing unit. The terms above are part of your vocabulary list for the year, so they ll keep popping up on our random quizzes, and you ll be responsible for them every trimester. 4

5 Writing Process Pre-Writing Drafting Reflecting Writing what you planned to say Revising WHAT you said Revising HOW you said it Talking about what you re writing with Mrs. B. and your peers Editing and polishing what you said & how you said it Making a plan for what you d like to say and how you plan to say it. Gathering information and evidence Looking back on what you did Evaluating what you did well and what you didn t do so well. Evaluating your process. Possible Tools: freewriting, Graphic organizers, outlines, etc. Possible Tools: your prewriting plan, printed drafts, conferences, conversations, Possible Tools: pre-writing and drafting materials, rubrics, previous comments, etc. comments, notes from conferences, etc. *For more details on revising vs. editing including a student sample--see the next two pages. Process Expectations Students will meet pre-writing and drafting due dates Students will use class time dedicated to writing for writing. Students will draft and revise, edit, and polish to the best of their ability before submitting writing to Mrs. B. Writing submitted to Mrs. B will follow the formatting guidelines provided by MLA (also available in the Style Guide). Students will go through a second round of revising, editing, and polishing based on the feedback they receive from Mrs. B. Students will write a short reflection cover letter about their final product, reflecting on what they did well what they did not do well. Students will include a highlighted rubric with their final product. Students will use post its, highlighters or Google Doc comments to identify the specific parts of their papers where they think they met the assigned criteria or made significant improvement. 5

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7 Original Edited Revised Of Mice and Men teaches students the valu of friendship and committedness. The way that George is always there for Lennie shows what true commitment is to the reader. George is a very good friend to Lennie, takes him out of the bad situation he s in with the men at the ranch. Students, like me, learn that there s many meanings to friendship by reading Of Mice an Men. Of Mice and Men teaches students the value of friendship and commitment. The way that George is always there for Lennie shows what true commitment is. George is a very good friend to Lennie, and takes him out of the bad situation he s in with the men at the ranch. Students like me learn that there are many meanings to friendship by reading Of Mice an Men. Most people can also agree that Of Mice and Men teaches about the value of persevering in friendship. George stays with Lennie even though he admits his life might be easier without Lennie tagging along. At various points, George leaves his job in Weed to rescue Lennie, hides in an irrigation ditch all day, and then helps Lennie to find new employment bucking barley at the ranch. The unique thing about their friendship is the way George pays the costs for Lennie s mistakes and continues to stand by him anyhow. There are lots of typos and other errors to edit in this paragraph, but more importantly, It doesn t include a transition from the earlier paragraph. It only gives one vague example from the book to support the main idea. The end of the paragraph just restates what s already been said. Just EDITING this paragraph would NOT solve the main problems with the paragraph, though it might make it easier to read. REVISING this paragraph solves all of the problems. 7

8 Writing Pathways Our first writing assignment will be guided. After that, students will choose the path that works best for them. All three pathways will include Written pre-writing. Graded check-ins during the process. A structured revision and editing session based on teacher coaching/feedback. Detailed grading rubrics that account for both process and product. 8

9 Writing Purposes In English 9, we are responsible for focusing on four main purposes in our writing. Each of our writing units will tap into one of these purposes. Expository to explain, to inform Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Persuasive to convince Creative to express, to explore, to share, to seek, to create 9

10 Expository to explain, to inform Your mission: Explain a photograph to a friend. Step 1: Choose a photograph you love. It should be something recent, so you have lots of memories and details and feelings to go along with it. Maybe pick something from this summer. Step 2: Imagine you were texting this photo to a friend. What words would you offer to go along with it? Step 3: Turn those words into a sentence with a subject and a predicate. Step 4: Now imagine your friend cannot see the photo. Instead, it s your job to explain the photograph. Write a paragraph describing what the photo looks like. 10

11 Expository to explain, to inform Step 5: Now imagine your friend has heard your description of the picture itself and wants to know what it was like to be there in that moment. Write a paragraph describing what you heard, smelled, tasted, and physically felt at that moment. Step 6: Now imagine your friend wants to know why this photo is so meaningful to you. Write a second paragraph, describing how you emotionally felt in the picture, and maybe even how the photo makes you feel today when you look at it. 11

12 Expository to explain, to inform Formatting Instructions For your Expository and Analytical Essays, you will use MLA formatting guidelines. I will not accept a paper that does not conform to these guidelines. If that makes it late or makes you miss a workshop, then it s still your responsibility. Guidelines 1. Use Times New Roman as your font for the entire paper. 2. Use a size 12 font for the entire paper. 3. Double Space the entire paper. 4. Use 1 margins. This means you must CHANGE the margins on the school computers, which default to 1.25 inches. 5. Do not bold, underline or change the font of your title. 6. You have two separate places for your name (see example below). a. The long one includes your first and last names, my name, the class name, and the date. It goes in the body of the paper itself. b. The short one includes just your last name and the page number. It goes in an actual header, so you have to insert or view a header to include it correctly. Do NOT manually type the page number in. Use insert and page number to get the number in the header. Smith 1 Jane Smith Mrs. Borger-Germann Creative Writing 5 March 2012 Assignment Title (Genre) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis Smith 2 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit 12

13 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Analytical writing starts with making meaning of something. And not obvious-just-a-summary meaning, either. So to make meaning of something you need the SOMETHING. And then you have to come up with the MEANING. The cool part is, we already have our SOMETHING: Forged by Fire, The House on Mango Street, and To Kill a Mockingbird. We also have lots of possible MEANINGS sketched out from the bookmarks and your annotations. So your first job will be to decide which something and which meaning you want to focus on. I m going to write about. Title of the Book You Want to Write About I m planning to explore. Choose one you ve got lots of annotations about! Character, Subject, or Symbol You Want to Write About 13

14 The next step in writing an analytical essay is to write a thesis statement. Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence The thesis is the single most important sentence in your essay: The thesis is the main idea or argument that a paper makes. The thesis can contain the reasons the author will use to support the argument. The thesis relates to EVERY body paragraph. In each paragraph, the author must show readers how the ideas presented support the thesis....but that s probably all review from middle school. Now that you re here, we re going to up the ante on thesis statements. A good analytical thesis is debatable. Someone should be able to say something DIFFERENT than your thesis. It can t simply be the most obvious thing in text. A good analytical thesis describes WHAT meaning you see in the text and WHY that meaning matters (at CHS, we call that part the so what ). Both the WHAT and the SO WHAT are usually debatable point about what the author is trying to do or what the author inadvertently does in the text. This is the moment when you create an explanation for the meaning. It s a theory that you want to prove, an idea that you plan to explain. A good analytical thesis uses a strong verb. Strong thesis verbs might include one or more of the following to conclude to challenge to elucidate to fail to comprehend to justify to reflect to reject to fail to understand to discount to exemplify to extol to fail to acknowledge to claim to critique to elucidate to fail to understand to account for to emphasize to acknowledge to suppose to suggest to understand to assert to contend to question to maintain to describe to refute Examples What: In Forged by Fire, fire is a symbol of both destruction and hope So What: To show that the difficulties Gerald and Angel have faced are also what make them strong. Thesis: In Forged by Fire, Draper suggests that fire is a symbol of both destruction and hope to account for the ways that difficulties have made Gerald and Angel stronger. What: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mrs. Dubose is a symbol racism in the South. So What: To refute the need for violence in ending racism. Thesis: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses Mrs. Dubose as a symbol racism in the South to refute the idea that violence is necessary to see racism die. 14

15 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Notice that the language in the sample thesis statements sounds a bit different than everyday conversation. We call that a REGISTER of language. We write analytical essays in the academic register. You can see some of the distinctions below. Casual Register Personal Register Academic Register Rules: 1. The person you communicate with has to understand what you were trying to communicate Rules: 2. Same as #1. 3. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation matter. 4. Avoid passive voice. Rules: 5. Same as #1, 3, No slang. 7. No contractions. 8. No personal pronouns (I, me, my, you, your, we, our). 9. When writing about literature, write in the present tense. Uses: your own social media, texting, conversations with friends, notes, etc. Uses: social media for school, conversations with adults, letters/ , stories, poems, personal essays, memoir, college essays, etc. Uses: resumes, lab reports, analytical or otherwise specified academic writing, Now it s your turn to try writing a thesis statement... WHAT What character, symbol, or subject are you writing about and what do you think it stands for? SO WHAT Why do you think the author made that character, symbol, or subject stand for that? THESIS Combine the WHAT and the SO WHAT into a sentence that includes the title and the author s name as well as one of those strong thesis verbs. If you get stuck on the SO WHAT, it might be helpful to think about these questions What did the author accomplish by creating that character, symbol, or subject? What message is the author trying to communicate with the reader? 15

16 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Once you have a thesis, the next step in analytical writing is figuring out how you re going to prove your thesis is true. This step involves gathering and organizing your evidence. Topic Topic Sentence that Supports the Thesis Evidence From the book Keywords to analyze from the Evidence What I love about organizers like this is simple: they help you to do the thinking you need to do ahead of time. When you sit down to write, you ll have everything you need in front of you, and each row (the first one is circled for you above) will become a paragraph. 16

17 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence The next step in analytical writing is to use your organizer or your plan to write your body paragraphs. I know that feels odd what about the introduction? In my experience, writing the introduction and the conclusion is easier if you plan (and write) the body paragraphs first! Some people still prefer to start with the introduction. If you re writing independently, go ahead. But scaffolded and guided writers, write the body paragraphs first and see how it goes, okay? Okay. Analytical body paragraphs have four parts: 1. Topic sentence this sentence explains how your whole paragraph will support your thesis, and it is the boss of the paragraph. Everything else in the paragraph has to connect to this sentence. 2. Context this sentence (or part of a sentence) explains what s happening in the story right around the time the evidence (quote) comes up. 3. Evidence this sentence or these sentences include the actual quote from the story, and they include it so that it s a meaningful part of your original sentence. Evidence cannot sit by itself in a paragraph; it can t even have its own sentence! 4. Analysis these are the most important sentences in the paper. They explain how the evidence proves your topic sentence and your thesis. 17

18 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence So let s try it together. I m going to use HORTON HEAS A WHO by Dr. Seuss as my book. This choice will help protect your opportunity to make your own argument. My imaginary thesis is: By turning Horton into a symbol of everything good about humanity, Dr. Seuss suggests that even one person can make the world a better place. And the first row of my imaginary graphic organizer looks like this: Topic Topic Sentence that Supports the Thesis Evidence From the book Helping others Horton s desire to help others is one of the ways he symbolizes an ideal human being. Some poor little person who s shaking with fear (6) I can t let my very small persons get drowned! I ve got to protect them. I m bigger than they (14). Keywords from the Evidence Fear Protect Small Bigger Then my imaginary body paragraph would look something like this: One thing that makes Horton an example of the ideal human being is his desire to help others. Once he understand that the Who community is in danger, he realizes they must be shaking with fear (6). He goes on to say, I can t let my very small persons get drowned! I ve got to protect them, I m bigger than they (14). His comments reveal compassion because he takes the time to imagine the fear they must be feeling. They are compared to Horton powerless to defend themselves. Horton s observations also point out that protecting small people is not optional Instead, he sees it as his responsibility because he s bigger than they are. This attitude contrasts sharply with several of the other characters, who do not think their power and size makes them responsible for anything except themselves. Notice that in the explanation part of the paragraph, I focused on the key words from my evidence. This helps ensure I m really USING my evidence, not just including it. I underlined those key words for you to see them more clearly. 18

19 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Here s a color-coded break down of the body paragraph. It shows you visually where I did each part of an analytical body paragraph. Once you ve finished one body paragraph, you can write the next one and the next one. However, it is really important to include a transition between paragraphs and to use other transitions in your paragraphs. The next few pages will give you some tools for doing that. 19

20 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence How To Use Transitions There are three levels of using transitions: Beginner, Intermediate, Sophisticated. Beginner Level Everyone, at a minimum needs to use transition words to connect paragraphs together. This could be as simple as words ate the beginning of each paragraph: Introduction. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.thesis. FirstLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Second, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Third, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Clearly, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum Intermediate Level The next level of transitions in short essays involves using transition words inside your paragraphs. First, Richard Connell uses suspense to draw readers into the story. When Rainsford and Zaroff have lunch together during their second day on the island, Zaroff gets a fire in his eyes when he suggests, tonight, we will hunt. The moment of suspense is almost painful. The reader does not know if Zaroff means that he and Rainsford will hunt together for one of Zaroff s pupils or if Rainsford himself will become the hunted creature. In addition, the general is so polite... In the example, notice that my paragraph starts with first but later in the paragraph I use in addition 20

21 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Sophisticated Level The most sophisticated use of transitions in short essays happens when a writer can make transitions without only relying only on transition words. These transitions are built into the paragraph. They might do this in two ways: 1. Repeat language from earlier in the paragraph 2. Use demonstrative pronouns (this, that, these, those) to connect ideas to one another. Example A First, Richard Connell uses suspense to draw readers into the story. When Rainsford and Zaroff have lunch together during their second day on the island, Zaroff gets a fire in his eyes when he suggests, tonight, we will hunt. The moment of suspense is almost painful. The reader does not know if Zaroff means that he and Rainsford will hunt together for one of Zaroff s pupils or if Rainsford himself will become the hunted creature. In addition, the general is so polite, that it s nearly impossible to believe he will actually do what we fear him doing. Ultimately this moment of suspense appeals to teen readers because it leaves enough space for the reader to figure it out or make a guess before revealing the truth. Teenagers, like many adults, enjoy solving the riddle just a little bit before the author explains it. Example B A game is fun. A dangerous game sounds terrifying and exciting at the same time. Richard Connell plays with that terror and excitement in his short story, The Most Dangerous Game. From death-defying battles with the ocean to creepy dinners with creepier hosts, Connell delivers excitement, suspense and terror, making The Most Dangerous Game the perfect story for teen readers. In example A, notice that I talk about the moment of suspense being painful. Later I repeat that phrase with a demonstrative pronoun: Ultimately, this moment of suspense. The repetition and the demonstrative pronoun tie the ideas together, even though there aren t any socalled transition words involved. In example B, notice that I talk about terrifying and exciting in the first two sentences. Later I say use those ideas to say that terror and excitement. Again, this transition connects the two ideas with repeated language and a demonstrative pronoun. 21

22 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence This list of words is a great tool for all three levels of transitions. Writers can use these transition words to start new paragraphs or just to start a new, related idea in the middle of a paragraph. Transition Word List to add on and also besides further furthermore in addition moreover next too first second logical relationship if so therefore consequently thus as a result for this reason since to compare likewise in the same manner similarly to give examples for example for instance to illustrate in fact specifically comparing time & place after as before above below beyond to contrast however on the other hand in contrast nevertheless still on the contrary even though yet although Summary in other words in short in summary in retrospect in conclusion to sum up that is therefore for in retrospect Portions of this handout taken directly from Copyright (C) By Michael Buckhoff Portions also taken from Gregory M. Campbell s work found at 22

23 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Once you ve written your body paragraphs, the next step is to write your introduction and your conclusion. Introductions Step-by-Step 1. Catchy opening line often an image, quote, statistic, or related idea 2. Make a bridge or a connection to your topic, then introduce the topic to your reader. 3. Include your thesis but you may have to rewrite it in a way that makes sense for the paragraph. Sample Introduction Catchy opening " lines (first two sentences) Bridge to thesis (starts at from death defying ) " A game is fun. A dangerous game sounds terrifying and exciting at the same time. Richard Connell plays with that terror and excitement in his short story, The Most Dangerous Game. From death-defying battles with the ocean to creepy dinners with creepier hosts, Connell delivers excitement, suspense and terror, making The Most Dangerous Game the perfect story for teen readers. #Introduce author and tit (starts at Richard Connell ) #Thesis (starts at Conne delivers ) 23

24 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Conclusions Step-by-Step 1. Restate your thesis NOT WORD FOR WORD FROM INTRODUCTION! Write it in a way that makes sense in your paragraph. 2. Restate the author s name and title 3. Summarize your main points. If you can, build on main points and discuss how they work together. 4. Powerful closing line. Really excellent closing lines refer back to the opening line to create a sense of closure. This is called framing. Sample Conclusion Restate thesis, not using the exact same words as before (first sentence) " Summarize main points & evidence (starts at Rainsford s battle ) " Powerful closing line that frames or refers back to opening line (starts with Thankfully, the game ) " With all of its excitement, suspense and terror, Richard Connell s story, The Most Dangerous Game is obviously a great read for teenagers. Rainsford s battle against the ocean, his unnerving realization about what Zaroff hunts and his own narrow escapes from his captor all work together to cultivate teen interest. While plenty of stories offer excitement, and plenty of others terror and still others suspense, only Connell delivers all three. Thankfully, the game about which Connell writes is dangerous only to Rainsford. For readers, it s just plain fun. #Restating author s name and title (also in first sentence) #Building on main points, talking about how main points work together (starts with While plenty of stories ) 24

25 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence The NUTSHELL Version Here s an overview of an analytical essay. We wrote a five-paragraph version, but that s not the only kind there is, obviously. An analytical essay can have lots more than five paragraphs, and in fact, I ve read plenty of analytical books that follow this same pattern! Paragraph 1 is the introduction. Capture the reader s attention. Set the tone of the essay. Introduce the text and the author and give a very brief (1-2 sentence) summary of the story. Lead into and end with the thesis statement. The middle paragraphs are the body paragraphs. Each body paragraph: Start with a transition and a topic sentence which states the paragraph s topic as well as how the paragraph relates to the thesis. Include evidence (a quote from the text) to support the point. Devote to analyzing the evidence (the quotation) and explaining how the quotation supports the thesis. The Final paragraph is the conclusion. Restate the thesis in new terms and summarizes main points. Leave the reader with a powerful closing image. Transitions......are words or phrases that show readers the relationships between ideas in different paragraphs and within the same paragraph. Use transitions in your topic sentences to connect paragraphs. See How to Use Transitions for a more detailed explanation and Transition Word List (page 9) for a list of useful transition words. 25

26 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence For those that do better with examples, here is a sample essay using the HORTON HEARS A WHO thesis from earlier. 26

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28 Analytical to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence Sometimes, even with lots of help, the essay still feels overwhelming. This is a cheat sheet that will help you write the essay sentence by sentence. It might not be beautiful, but it will be a great starting point and we can revise from there! Introduction: 1. Write a sentence to grab the reader s attention. 2. Write a couple of sentences to give the story name, the author name, and a quick plot summary. 3. Write your thesis. Body Paragraph 1 4. Write your first topic sentence. 5. Write a sentence/phrase to introduce the quote 6. Write down the actual quote from the story 7. Write an explanation of how the quote proves the topic sentence/thesis Body Paragraph 2 8. Write a transition word followed by your second topic sentence. 9. Write a sentence/phrase to introduce the quote 10. Write down the actual quote from the story 11. Write an explanation of how the quote proves the topic sentence/thesis Body Paragraph Write a transition word followed by your third topic sentence. 13. Write a sentence/phrase to introduce the quote 14. Write down the actual quote from the story 15. Write an explanation of how the quote proves the topic sentence/thesis Conclusion 16. Write two or three sentences to summarize the main points you ve made in the essay OR that explain how all your paragraphs work together to prove your SO WHAT. 17. Write what you think is a good closing line (something that shows readers that you re done). 28

29 Persuasive to convince Types of Appeals When you write something persuasive, you appeal to different parts of people s brains and hearts. In general, we sort these appeals into three categories: Logos, Ethos and Pathos. In your upcoming letter and speech-writing, you will need to include all three types. So this sheet should help you with definitions as well as offering you some common ways writers use these types of appeals. Logos This is when someone tries to convince you of something based on logic or reason. Common logos appeals:! Facts or statistics! Explanations of facts or statistics! Surveys or polls! Explanations of surveys or polls! Quotations or citations from experts and authorities! Testimonies, narratives, interviews! Common sense explanations! Explanations of main points! Explanations of test methods or results! Precedent basing an argument on the information or decisions that have been made before! Summaries or conclusions based on of tests, data or information! Definitions Ethos This is when someone tries to convince you of something based on their own or someone else s credibility. Common ethos appeals:! Degrees, jobs, positions for example, Jane Smith, PhD, Professor at Yale University! Life experience for example, mother of nine and founder of a Montessori School! Name dropping for example, LeBron James, Harvard, Amy Poehler, etc.! Using qualifiers (see list below)! When the writer is honest about his/her motives for talking about the subject.! When the writer tries to use language & vocabulary that his/her audience will understand! When the writer is trying to be fair-minded and give the other side a genuine evaluation 29

30 Pathos This is when someone tries to convince you of something by twisting your emotions. Common pathos appeals:! When a writer tries to connect with his/her audience! Humor! Anecdotes short stories about a person s experience! Scenarios putting you into a familiar situation to make you think about your responses! Emotionally charged words for example, mother, neo-nazi skinhead, bleeding heart liberal! Vivid, concrete language or descriptions! Using words that are true, but have more emotional weight for example, saying people who honor these values instead of people who just obey the law! Narratives (stories) of emotional events or experiences Qualifiers One thing that builds ethos is using qualifiers. Qualifiers are words that make you sound more clear-minded and un-biased. Some great qualifiers are... few occasionally often for the most part many rarely in some cases it is possible most sometimes possibly it may be some routinely it seems one might argue frequently in the main under these conditions perhaps more or less Logical Fallacies Logical fallacies are flawed arguments, arguments that might sound persuasive, but actually fail the test and end up destroying your credibility. Some of the most common logical fallacies are listed below. For an even bigger list, take a look at the poster in Mrs. B s room! Logical Fallacies: Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning. They may be intentional or unintentional, but in either case they undermine (take away from) the strength of an argument. Some common fallacies are defined below. Hasty Generalization: A generalization based on too little evidence, or on evidence that is biased. Example: All men are testosterone-driven idiots. Or: After being in New York for a week, I can tell you: all New Yorkers are rude. Either/Or Fallacy: Only two possibilities are presented when in fact several exist. Example: America: love it or leave it. Or: Shut down all nuclear power plants, or watch your children and grandchildren die from radiation poisoning. 30

31 Persuasive to convince Non Sequitur: The conclusion does not follow logically from the premise. Example: My teacher is a good singer; I'll learn a lot from her. Or: George Bush was a war hero; he'll be willing to stand tough for America. Red Herring: Distracting the audience by drawing attention to an irrelevant issue. Example: How can he be expected to manage the company? Look at how he manages his wife! Or: Why worry about nuclear war when we're all going to die anyway? Circular Reasoning: Asserting a point that has just been made. Sometimes called "begging the question." Example: She is ignorant because she was never educated. Or: We sin because we're sinners. False Analogy: Wrongly assuming that because two things are alike in some ways, they must be alike in all ways. Example: The destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina was like the Halocaust (one was a natural disaster; the other was a man-made atrocity). Slippery Slope: Falsely assuming that one event will lead to many more catastrophic events. Example: If we allow one student to wear a hat in class, every student in the school will assume rules mean nothing. Logical Fallacies Experiment See if you can spot some of these fallacies in the essay below. Underline and label all of the logical fallacies you can find. Underline the part of the sentence that contains a fallacy. Today, I am here to sound an alarm, to expose a menacing force living and dwelling among us. What is that force, you ask? The squirrel. Squirrels are the Nazis of our world today; they want to conquer all those around them, and as a result, no human is safe. They seem so innocent, sitting in their trees, eating their acorns, but in reality, they are soulless killers, watching, waiting, planning. For these reasons, we must act now to control the squirrel population. Some might say that squirrels do not pose a huge threat. I ask you, do weapons pose a threat to the safety of those around us? Of course they do. And so do squirrels. Label the name of the fallacy. (cont d!) 31

32 Persuasive to convince All squirrels are vicious, fighting machines. Just watch them play together: one scampers up a tree, another follows closely behind, biting and clawing after his friend. If we do nothing to control the squirrel population, what will be next? They will bite and claw at us, and then our children will learn their violent habits. Either we act today or we face total domination by these beasts. Some might call the squirrel innocent, cute, a harmless creature in nature s family. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Squirrels have sharp teeth; they live to attack us. If we close our eyes to this issue, we are closing our eyes to a potential tyranny, one which has the power to destroy our way of life and all that we hold dear as Americans. We must act, and we must act now. 32

33 Persuasive to convince Your Mission: Write a letter to someone you want to persuade about an issue. It could be a parent, a sibling, any relative, the principal, a community leader, the president, a coach anyone! 1. Who are you writing to? For example, I m writing to my parents. 2. What do you want to persuade them to do? For example, I want them to let me get a rat. 3. What is your main argument? This should combine the first two questions (above) and it should be stated in an affirmative sentence. For example: My parents should allow me to get a pet rat. 4. Now, choose claims and evidence that will support your argument. You should have two or three of these claims, and they should be directly related to your argument. For example: I am old enough to get a pet rat, I am responsible enough to take care of it, I can take care of it financially. Claim #1 Claim Evidence Claim #2 Claim #3 33

34 Persuasive to convince 5. Then, decide what appeals are appropriate for this audience. Based on your audience, answer these three questions: a. How much logic do you need? b. How much emotion is appropriate? c. How will you establish your credibility (ethos)? Writing the letter: Give a good introduction to your argument. Develop each claim (with evidence/appeals and persuasive techniques) into a paragraph. Close your letter with a statement that inspires your audience to do what you want. Connect ideas with transitions. Use your best writing style. Vary sentence types and beginnings. Proofread carefully; errors take away from your credibility! 34

35 Persuasive to convince Formatting a Business Letter Your Name Your Address Your City, State, Zip Date Addressee s Name Addressee s Address Adressee s City, State, Zip RE: The topic of the letter Dear Ladies/Gentlemen: Begin at the margin. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod. Begin second paragraph and any remaining paragraphs at the margin, too. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod. Very truly yours, Your Name Things to notice in this letter format... The paragraphs are not indented, they are block-formatted, meaning they are single-spaced with an extra blank line between paragraphs. Everything in the letter begins at the far left margin. RE means in regard to, which is the subject line of the letter The writer leaves enough space for a signature above the typed name. 35

36 Persuasive to convince The Persuasive Letter, Simplified. If you need more step-by-step assistance, this fill in the blank persuasive letter might be useful/helpful for you. Dear : Introduce yourself or explain why you re writing. Includee a statement of what you want the other person to believe/do. Write a sentence that explains one reason the other person should believe/do what you want them to (your first claim). Then explain why your reason is legit.your explanation might include logical reasons, emotional reasons, or credibility reasons. Write a sentence that explains a second reason the other person should believe/do what you want them to (your second claim). Then explain why this reason is legit. Your explanation might include logical reasons, emotional reasons, or credibility reasons. Write a sentence that explains a third reason the other person should believe/do what you want them to (your third claim). Then explain why this reason is legit. Your explanation might include logical reasons, emotional reasons, or credibility reasons. Write a sentence that explains some of the reasons the person you re writing to might not believe/do what you want them to. Then explain why you believe those reasons are incorrect. Your explanation might include logical reasons, emotional reasons, or credibility reasons. Thank the person for reading the later and remind them of exactly what you want them to believe/do. Sincerely, Your Name 36

37 Persuasive to convince Get Vloggy! Giving Your Letter some Style & Personality When you re done writing your letter, you may notice that it s a little too bland or straightforward to work on a video. But when you look at the sample videos, they are NOT bland at all. How do you fix that? Great question. The answer is up to you. But here are some ideas steps and ideas. Step 1: Break your letter up into small, manageable segments (a sentence or two) that you can film without looking. Step 2: Put each segment into slightly different words--if you need to. Make them words you re comfortable saying, words you feel comfortable using. Step 3: Map out your special effects and visuals - and yes that involves planning, not flying by the seat of your pants. Silly Sound Effects that accentuates the mood, like Britta s scary music of the boing! when she asked a dumb question. This can help with PATHOS. Serious Sound Effects that show people something about your person/topic, like a clip of a speech, for example. This can help with LOGOS and ETHOS. A Silly Visual like Britta s Most eight year olds are doing this and a picture of a SORRY! game. This can help with PATHOS. A Serious Visual, like a picture of the person you re talking about or a chart or a graph of some kind related to the issue you re studying. This can help with LOGOS, ETHOS, and PATHOS! Change Position for each clip or for every few clips! Make plans for exactly when and how you ll do this. One of the things that makes John Green s videos work is that he films as many as twenty different independent shots of him in varying positions so it doesn t feel like just a talking head. This can help with ETHOS you look like you know what you re doing. An Interesting Background, again John Green has a giant guy on the wall behind him and Hank Green has a bookshelf with ever changing knick-knacks. This can help with PATHOS. Soon, your letter will stop looking like a letter and will start to look more like this: Clip 1 (Center) Fan fiction is stories that use somebody else s characters, settings and worlds. 37

38 [show a picture of Hogwarts, picture of Edward Cullen, picture of Neil Gaiman] Clip 2 (Right) It s messy and strange and fabulous. One writer even described it this way Clip 3 (not on screen) [put this --> quote on a visual and read as a voice over]: Fanfiction is what literature might look like if it were reinvented from scratch after a nuclear apocalypse by a band of brilliant pop-culture junkies trapped in a sealed bunker (Cathy). Clip 4 (Center) That might be a little extreme, but it s right because most fan-fiction is based on current stuff, not classics [show picture of Moby Dick with wah-wah-wah sound effect]... And you re on your way! 38

39 Analytical - Timed to create meaning, to break down, to evaluate evidence under pressure Directions! On your LOTF/GWOAC concept map, you made a claim about the author s message. That claim is now your thesis. It can be a one-sentence paragraph by itself. You do not need an introduction. Your so what is going to be implicit and you ll address it in the conclusion.! In the body of the essay, you will need to write 2-3 paragraphs that support your claim.! Each paragraph needs a topic sentence that connects to your thesis.! Each section of your concept map could probably translate to a paragraph.! Each paragraph should provide 2-3 specific examples.! Your conclusion should theorize about how effective the message is. Did the author make that message loud and clear for readers? Does the message have impact on readers? FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Containing Much Instruction Q: Do we have to use formal language on this essay? A: That s right. No personal pronouns, no slang/casual language, no talking to the reader. Q: Is this a timed test? A: Yes. You have only one period to finish the test. Q: Can I use my book? A: Yes. But if you do, you likely will not finish the essay in time. Q: Can I use my concept map to help me? A: Yes. That s the point of the concept map activity. Q: Sure, but can I use my actual concept map during my actual test? A: Yes. Q: When you say specific examples, do you mean quotes from the book? A: Yes and No. Confused? Check it out: "Yes, because you have them on your annotations and your map and your packet, so they are accessible to you. Make sure to CITE the page number. "No, because you could also explain a specific example. Here s what I mean by specific if you re NOT using quotes: Not Specific: Jack shows off his power to the other tribe when he talks to them. Specific: Jack forces two of his tribe members to say the chief has spoken after he speaks to Ralph s tribe. 39

40 Name per You ll have a copy of this sheet to attach to your essay when you are ready to hand it in. Scoring Rubric Thesis identifies a specific, accurate authorial message. /10 Thesis connects author s message to a subject/symbol from the novel. /5 Thesis previews the body paragraphs of the essay. /5 Body paragraphs contain a topic sentence that connects to the thesis, but is distinct enough to control its own paragraph. /5 Essay explains HOW the symbol or subject connects to the message logically and thoroughly. /10 Essay relies on specific examples from the text (either quotes or detail-rich moments). /10 Conclusion examines the effectiveness of the author s message and whether or not it reaches its audience. /10 Essay uses formal academic language throughout and cites quotes with page numbers when appropriate. /5 Total /60 40

41 Creative & Research To explore, to express, to discover Journal Specifics Your renaissance character will keep a diary or journal during the unit. In the journal, you will keep track of the happenings in your Kingdom and the events in your character's life. In addition to this creative work, your character diary is also your opportunity to USE and APPLY the research you have done in creating your character. Some examples of journal entries are on the next page. Fun Tip #3: Authenticity & Creativity Make your letters and journals authentic. Try calligraphy or illuminated letters, burn the edges of the paper for the old look. Stain paper with tea to make it look like parchment. Use sealing wax and imprinting stamps. Send scrolls. One year, a student wrote each journal entry on the leaf of a cloth plant. He then brought in the whole plant pot and all to hand in as his journal. Another year, a student sealed each entry individually and put it in its own bottle she handed in a basket full of bottles. A court herald might write all his journal entries on a flag, whereas a peasant you get the idea. Therefore, once you have completed your "character," you need to purchase or make a journal and begin your writing. We will have limited in-class time for journaling, so a big responsibility weighs on your shoulders outside of class. Journal Requirements Your journal should include all or nearly all of the following researched information these topics will look familiar from your research notes! Description of yourself, your home, your family, your environment, including your dwelling place An explanation of how or why you are keeping this journal, particularly if you are supposed to be illiterate Your daily activities (work, home life, leisure) Your religious practice and habits A description of weddings, births, deaths, events in the kingdom & how those events impact you A description of the daily events in your own life A description of at least one festivity/holiday. A description of the food you eat and how you eat it. A description of the clothes you wear and how you wear them Monarchs, Nobility and Gentry only: Your genealogy/family tree & background and your coat of arms, with all the significant components, colors and shapes identified. You may talk about topics more than once if you ve already talked about one holiday, maybe you talk about another or if you talked about the food you ate on one night, talk about a different food you ate another night. You should also follow the rules of language that you wrote about in your research notes! Your journal should have one entry for each day of the role play, or 8 entries total. 41

42 Creative & Research To explore, to express, to discover Notetaking Works Cited 42

43 Creative & Research To explore, to express, to discover Correct date and year format 28 April 1560 Sample Journal Entry #2 What is going on in character s life Reflects appropriate character knowledge of fashion Reflects knowledge of diseases and superstitions about eating More character life Queen Alice was very onery today. When I helped dress her early this morning, she jerked the tie of her bumroll from my hands and complained loudly when I was putting on her neckruff, for it had just been starched. I was irritated, for she had just paid for a traveling woman to teach me how to starch, which is a new and upcoming fashion. The lessons were very tedious and she did not even appreciate my effort. I heard that New Ague has stricken some of the ladies-in-waiting of Lilhawkingshire. It may just be a rumor, but it still makes me nervous. I am striving to keep my humors in balance by eating equal portions of dry food to match the blackjack I enjoy so much. Well, I have some juicy gossip for the Cox brothers, so I must attend to my letters. Afterward, I am going to see a wonder-man traveling through the village, who claims to have a two-headed goat. I will write more later. 43

44 Creative & Research To explore, to express, to discover Research Instructions The next section of this packet provides a template for research. The questions I m giving you will function as GUIDING questions. They will empower you to meet all the requirements on your journal when the time comes to start writing. Some questions instruct you to IMAGINE. This means you won t find the answer in any book or website. Instead, you need to use the information you ve found to imagine something specific for YOUR CHARACTER. Other questions are just that questions. You need to figure out the answer to that question through careful research in approved sources. Sometimes I ve given you a hint about a good resource, but other times you ll need to use the books, articles and websites I ve provided to find what you need. Your answers may include pictures, illustrations and diagrams but don t have to, unless specifically requested in the instructions. Some people may want lots of illustrations because that s how they learn. Others may not care too much either way. These notes will be your reference point for your journal. You want to be able to look up the information you need in your notes and UNDERSTAND it so that you can put it to use in your journal. So...DO NOT just copy down answers that have no meaning for you. And remember, you re answering these questions about your CHARACTER not about yourself. 44

45 Creative & Research To explore, to express, to discover Research Reminders 1. It pays to persevere & be creative. Let s say you re faced with this question: Based on your status, what happens when a woman in your family is pregnant? In other words, where does she give birth? Who assists her? How often do babies survive their first year? How often do women survive childbirth? Again, based on status, who breastfeeds the child? How long? What do you look up? How do you find the answer? Well, I might start by looking up babies. Nothing. Should I go to my teacher and say, There s nothing about this question in the books! No. I persevere. I get creative. I try pregnancy. Nope. And I try birth, but nothing. Then I try childbirth. Aha! There are some results. Also, I notice as I m reading about childbirth that they talk about midwives and wet nurses. I decide to look up those words, and I find even more information. The more I read, the more I notice they keep talking about infant mortality. I m not sure what that means, so I ask Mrs. B. She tells me that is the rate of how frequently infants died. That s an answer to another part of the question, so I write it down. 2. Understanding is more important than knowledge. It doesn t really matter if you found the answer. Especially for this project. You need to understand it. If it doesn t mean anything to you, if YOU can t make sense of it, it s a waste of time. Same thing goes for reading level. If a book is so wordy or complicated it s impossible for you to read, then don t use that resource! There are other tools available. 45

46 Creative & Research To explore, to express, to discover 3. It pays to know where to look. Internet You re going to be using sites that I have pre-approved. You won t be plugging randomly into Google and hoping to find a hit. But when it comes to books, you need some basic tools. Books: The Table of Contents A Table of Contents is in the front of a book. It tells you the big topic of an entire chapter. This is a table of contents from a book about Elizabethan England. Mostly, the table of contents tells you if it s even worth looking in a particular resource. Notice that if I m still looking for the childbirth question, I would guess that it will be addressed in the book, since Chapter VI is all about sex. But Chapter VI starts on page 161 and ends on page 188! I do not want to read 27 pages to find one answer! Sometimes a Table of Contents will give sub-headings that can be even more helpful in figuring out what is in a particular book. This is another Table of Contents from another book about Elizabethan England. 46

47 Again, if I m looking for the childbirth question, I can see that Chapter 10 is helpful and I should turn to page 189, specifically for a section about Childbirth. But notice that the sections in this book average 6-10 pages long. That is still a LOT to read for just one question. 47

48 Creative & Research To explore, to express, to discover Books: The Index When I m stuck with too many pages to read, that s when I would turn to the Index. An Index is in the back of a book. It tells me very specific topics from very specific pages. Here, notice that babies is a topic. If I m still looking for how long infants typically lived, there is information on babies, life expectancy, on page 89. But if I ve turned my attention to how babies are cared for, I might look on pages I also notice that the first entry is abortion. I wonder if there might be some information about childbirth and pregnancy tied to that topic, too. That s on page 170 and also on pages None of these are more than a page or two, and that s the perfect length for me to read! Research Reminders Quick Review 1. It pays to persevere & be creative. 2. Understanding is more important than knowledge. 3. It s helpful to know where to look especially to know when a table of contents or an index is more useful. 48

49 Introducing: of Character's Name Kingdom Name for your class period A Character Created by: Your Own Name 1. I am (check one): % Monarch % Nobility (family wealth/debt, land and title) my rank is % Gentry (usually from established family without title) % Merchant (people who may be quite wealthy, but earned their money in trade) % Religious clergy % Servant to someone in the class % Farmer I am part of the class of farmers % Complete Poverty 2. I am (check one): % Age (everyone from here on is likely married and/or widowed) % Age % Age % Age % Over 50 (This age is an achievement with such terrible medical care!) IMAGINE: When is your birth date (make sure the year is correct)? IMAGINE: What does your character look like (hair & eye color, height, weight, general appearance). RESEARCH: Tell me a little bit about your character s daily life. 49

50 Question ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what does your living place look like? What types of rooms or furnishings do you have? Who lives with you? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books: Mortimer,* Forgeng,* Emerson, TIME Life, McMurty Web: British Express, Eakins, Lambert ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what kind of transportation do you use? For short distances? For long distances? ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what is your sanitation like in other words, how and where do you go to the bathroom? Wash dishes? Take baths? Books: Chrisp, Ross, Mortimer Books: Rowse, Mortimer*, Picard, Forgeng, Hail! Tudors Excerpts: Forgeng,* Poop Happened 50

51 Question ONLY Farmers & Servants (servants based on status of your boss): How do you get water? How do you cook food? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books/ Excerpts: Forgeng, Mortimer ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, describe your eating habits. For example: What kinds of things are in each meal? Which meal is the largest? What do you drink with your meals? Who prepares them? What utensils do you use to eat? Books: Rowse, Mortimer, Picard, Forgeng, McMurty, Chrisp, Ross Web: Eakins, British Express, Alchin, Thomas, Olver, Lambert, Lost Colony (click on Food)* 51

52 Question ONLY Urban Nobility and Gentry: Invent your family crest or coat of arms. Label each part with a description of what it is, why it s significant, and what the shapes and colors mean. Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books: Heraldry books on cart Web: Fleur de Lis designs under symbolism to explain meanings Excerpts: Use the Heraldry Resource sheet. Some students may use Make Your Own Coat of Arms online with teacher permission 52

53 Question ONLY Urban Nobility and Gentry: Based on your gender, what do you do in a typical day? What duties do you have? For example, letter writing? travel? hosting? household management? Taking care of tenants? Servants?) Who must you visit or spend time with and why? ONLY Merchants, Farmers, Servants and the poor: Assume it is April or May. Then, based on your gender, what do you do in a typical day? Again, based on your gender, what is your work? How long do you do it (what are your hours )? Women, remember there are no refrigerators, no stoves, no dish soap, running water, toilets, bathrooms, etc. be realistic (and sober) about how long your tasks will take you. Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Web: Secara, Mortimer, Ross, McMurty, Picard, Emerson, Roberts, Thomas Excerpts: Ashby (Ch 4) NOTE: Do not research activities or daily life instead focus on things like family life and women even if you are not a woman, those are the headings that will explain the most about daily life. Web: Mortimer, St. Ives Historical Society Peasant Life Excerpts: Ashby (Ch 4) 53

54 Question ALL CHARACTERS: ALL CHARACTERS Based on your gender, what items of clothing do you wear each day? Describe each piece of your typical outfit with its correct name. Provide illustrations and a description of how it fits together with the other pieces. Feel free to print, copy, paste, etc. to help with the illustrations. ALL CHARACTERS Based on your status, what kinds of fabrics are your clothes usually made of? How many outfits do you own? How do you pay for your clothing? How often do you wash your clothing? Which parts? BONUS: Based on your status, are there any laws or guidelines that are supposed to determine how you dress? If so, what are they? Do you obey them? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Additional page provided for pasting/stapling. Potential Sources Books!!!! Elgin, Tudor Costume in Context, Mortimer Web: FEMALE characters: Use Drea Leed s Elizabethan Costuming page FIRST: click on Overview of an Elizabethan Outfit For the BONUS: Check out the Sumptuary Laws excerpt from Kathy Elgin. 54

55 EXTRA PAGE FOR CLOTHING: Sketch/paste/staple pictures/label parts here. 55

56 Question ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what education would you have had? How did you get that education and from whom? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books: Ross, Roberts, Emerson, Forgeng, Mortimer, Ashby, Picard, Web: Alchin (Shakespeare), Tudor Group, Tomecek, Lambert Excerpts: Ashby Ch 4 IMAGINE: If people in your status or position are not usually able to read, how did you learn? This will take some real imagination. Have some fun answering this question: Question Based on your status, typical duties and gender, how much time do you have for leisure or entertainment? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources You ll have to figure it out based on your previous answers 56

57 Question ONLY those NOT in complete poverty: Based on your gender, what do you do for entertainment or leisure? ONLY MALE Nobility & Gentry: Make sure to investigate hunting as one component. Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books: Mortimer, Claybourne, Chrisp, Lace, DK, Forgeng, Mortimer, Emerson, Rowse Web: Secara Articles ALL CHARACTERS: What kinds of money are in use? See money table for specifics. What is the difference between actual money and money of account or money of reckoning? ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what kinds of things do you spend money on? How much does a loaf of bread cost? A pint of ale? A pound of butter? A pair of white silk hose? ONLY people NOT in complete poverty: Based on your status, what economic problems are there in the Elizabethan economy? How do these affect you? Excerpts: Forgeng Money Tables (in this packet) Excerpts: Forgeng Money Tables (in this packet) Excerpts: Forgeng 57

58 Question ONLY people in complete poverty: What are the poor laws? How do these impact your life? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Web: Poverty In Elizabethan England, ONLY those in complete poverty: IMAGINE that you have benefitted in some way from the poor laws. Describe specifically what happened. It will take some research and some imagination to answer this question. Question ALL CHARACTERS: What religious habits do you have? How often do you attend services, and what type of services are they? What happens if you do not attend church? What financial responsibilities do you have to the church? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Excerpt: McMurty, Books: Mortimer Web: Secara 58

59 Question Define the following religious words in ELIZABETHAN English (do NOT use a dictionary): parish parishioner tithe a living a rector or parson a vicar a sexton Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. parish parishioner tithe a living Potential Sources Excerpt: McMurty, Books: Mortimer a rector or parson a vicar a sexton ALL CHARACTERS: based on your status, what happens when you or someone in your family gets ill? Who treats that person? Who is the apothecary? Books: Mortimer, Emerson, Picard, Forgeng, Time Life, DK, Lace Web: Tudor Group How much does it cost to pull a tooth when you need to have it done? ALL CHARACTERS: Identify three common illnesses and their appropriate cures. Are any of these cures tied to Illness: 1. Cure: See previous question 59

60 superstitious beliefs? If so, what are those beliefs? Make sure you do a little bit of work with the Black Plague (what it is and how it was treated). Illness: Cure: Superstitious beliefs? Black plague" BONUS: In Elizabethan England, what did you mean when you talked about someone s humor? ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what other superstitions do you have? Secara Books: Forgeng, Mortimer, Emerson 60

61 Question FEMALE CHARACTERS ONLY: Based on your status, what happens when a woman in your family is pregnant? For example: Where does she give birth? Who assists her? How often do babies survive their first year? How often do women survive childbirth? Again, based on status, who breastfeeds the child? How long? ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, who takes care of the children in your family? How? What kinds of things do young children of your status do? What about elementary age children? Also based on status, what do the children in your family call their parents? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books: Picard, Mortimer See also resources on women. Books: Mortimer, Picard, and see also potential sources on Education above Web: Secara, Lambert, Excerpts: Ashby Ch 4 See also resources on women 61

62 Question ALL CHARACTERS: Find a fall holiday that is celebrated in Elizabethan time. Based on your status, how do you celebrate this holiday? Think about what you do, what you wear, what you eat. ALL CHARACTERS: Find a spring holiday that is celebrated in Elizabethan time. Based on your status, how do you celebrate this holiday? Think about what you do, what you wear, what you eat. ALL CHARACTERS: Research Lammas (or Lammastide), a summer holiday during Elizabethan times. What date is Lammas? How do you celebrate? ONLY Servants: how do you advance yourself in the world? When or how are you tipped? When or how are you paid? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books: Forgeng, McMurty, Web: Elizabethan Period Festivals & Holidays Books: Forgeng, McMurty, Web: Elizabethan Period Festivals & Holidays Books: Forgeng, McMurty, Web: Elizabethan Period Festivals & Holidays Web: Secara % Household Management % Paying the Servants Excerpts: The Story of One Servant, From Which All Servants Can Learn. 62

63 Question ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what happens when people in your family marry? For example: % How old are they, usually? % How do they choose their spouse? % How does the announcement about the engagement and wedding get made? % Who attends the wedding? % Is there any kind of party associated with the wedding? If so, what? % What kinds of gifts are given, if any and at what point in the engagement/marriage process? % What kinds of flowers/plants are used? % What do the bride and groom wear? ALL CHARACTERS: Based on your status, what happens when someone in your family dies? For example, What happens to the body (how is it treated)? Is there a funeral service? Where? When? Who attends? What do they wear? Why? Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Potential Sources Books: Mortimer, Emerson, Picard, Roberts, McMurty Web: Alchin (Shakespeare), Secara Excerpts: Ashby Ch 4 Books: Picard Web: Secara, Lambert 63

64 Question ALL CHARACTERS: what kinds of crime are common? How are these crimes punished? Who gives out punishments? Identify 3-4 common crimes and their punishments. Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. Type of Crime: Punishment: Potential Sources Books: Forgeng, Emerson, Picard, Forgent, Mortimer, Lace, Time Life Books Web: Tomacek ONLY Monarchs, Nobility, and Gentry: Based on your status/title, how are you addressed? In other words, when someone is speaking to/about you, what do they call you? ALL CHARACTERS: What is the difference between thou/thee and you? When do you use thou/thee? When do you use you? Web: Secara, Mortimer Web: Secara, Language and Language: Thee and Thou What does wherefore mean? Web: Secara, More Langauge 64

65 Question When do you say hello in Elizabethan England? And what does it mean? Translate the following words into Elizabethan English: Excuse me Okay Wow Thank you Good morning Good day Good evening Bathroom Creative Joke Answer Include the AUTHOR S Name (and Page number if available). Use quotes around anything you copy directly. hello = excuse me = okay = wow = Thank you = Good morning = Good day = Good evening = Bathroom = Creative = Joke = Potential Sources Web: Secara % Still More Language % More Language: Heard in the Wild Describe some of the Elizabethan traditions for writing letters (how you address letters, phrases you might use, what s appropriate & what s not). Web: Secara Excerpts: Passport Renaissance Packet Based on your research, if you re interested in having your character do any of the following, let Goddess Bee know. We hope to have at least one of each of these events. Get married Die & have a funeral Commit a crime Have a baby Contract a serious disease 65

66 Elizabethan Money Tables by J. Forgeng 66

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