RESEARCHED
ILLUSTRATION
ESSAY
(a.k.a. Example Essay)
2
2012 PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION
3
ASSIGNMENT
• Write a journal on AYK regarding your
presidential candidate.
• Then, research that particular person.
• Research =
– official Web sites
– our college library’s databases
– (NO Wikipedia, about.com, blogs)
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ASSIGNMENT
• Then, in a Classic Illustration/Example
Essay, you will argue for your assigned
candidate.
– For whom should you vote?
– Why should Americans vote for ___?
• Specifics on the format are below.
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CANDIDATES
President Barack Obama
Governor Mitt Romney
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OFFICIAL Web sites
• http://barakobama.com
• http://www.mittromney.com/
• http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/candidates/
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DATABASES
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Britannica Online
Biographies Plus (Wilson Web)
CQ Researcher
Opposing Viewpoints
EBSCO
depts.luzerne.edu/library
History Reference
Lexis-Nexis
Ethnic Watch
Gender Watch
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OUTLINE
• INTRODUCTION
– ends w/Thesis
• REASON #1
– Name, Explain, Illustrate, Reiterate
• REASON #2
• REASON #3 **
– most important reason
• CONCLUSION
– repeat + Clincher
• WORKS CONSULTED
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ESSAY FORMAT
INTRODUCTION
• Introduce your subject.
– Generalization *
– Quotation
– Question
– Quip
– Statistic
• Get us on the topic of the 2012 presidential
elections.
– Lately, no matter where we turn, we are
inundated with coverage of the 2012
presidential elections.
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ESSAY FORMAT
INTRODUCTION
• Narrow towards your thesis:
– “some”
– “others”
– Some Americans are ignoring the issues, the
candidates, and the election process as a
whole.
– However, other citizens are quite involved with
the election process, either actively
campaigning for someone or passively
following the coverage.
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ESSAY FORMAT
INTRODUCTION
• End with a strong thesis statement:
– topic + main idea + support (3 reasons)
– clearly and succinctly state your claim or
argument (What is your position?)
– clearly and succinctly announce your 3 reasons
• For whom to vote and why.
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ESSAY FORMAT
BODY
•
•
•
•
3 Body paragraphs
1 reason per paragraph
1 (at least) example per reason
Emphatic Order
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ESSAY FORMAT
BODY
1) NAME the reason:
– Topic + Main Idea + Reason #?
2) EXPLAIN the reason:
– “That is” or “In other words”
3) ILLUSTRATE the reason:
– specific examples to illustrate this reason
4) JUSTIFY the reason:
– “warrant statement” (“thus” or “therefore”)
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ESSAY FORMAT
BODY
• Begin each Body paragraph with a Topic
Sentence:
– refer to the previous reason (s) as you segue to this
reason
– repeat 2/3 of your thesis statement + this reason
• “name the reason”
– “Another reason to vote for Candidate X is…”
– * “In addition to her experience and effectiveness, the
most important reason Candidate X should be President
of the United States concerns ….”
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ESSAY FORMAT
BODY
• Then, briefly explain the reason:
– re-word it, clarify it
– “explain the reason”
– “In other words” or “That is to say”
– the naming and the explaining should consist of
no more than 2-4 sentences
– so...be brief
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ESSAY FORMAT
BODY
• Support that 1 reason with specific and
relevant examples (It is the Example essay!):
– be specific:
• somebody doing something
• concrete details
– be relevant:
• examples should be clear,
• pertinent, germane, related to the reason/point
– “illustrate the reason”
– TRANSITIONS: “For example” or “For instance”
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ESSAY FORMAT
BODY
• End each Body paragraph with a Warrant
Statement:
– “Thus,” “Therefore”
– relate the evidence back to your point, to your
topic sentence
– justify this example:
• Why is it relevant to your point?
• How does it help prove your reason?
• SO WHAT?!
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ESSAY FORMAT
CONCLUSION
•
•
•
•
Refer to your opening.
Repeat your thesis and main points.
Discuss where this issue is to go from here.
End with an appropriate Clincher Sentence.
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ESSAY FORMAT
WORKS CONSULTED
• proper header
– last name-page number
• Works Consulted:
– centered
– NOT underlined, italicized, bold-faced
– not ALLCAPS
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ESSAY FORMAT
WORKS CONSULTED
• Follow the proper MLA format as described
in your handbooks.
– Pay especial attention to the MLA format
regarding databases and Web sites.
– Databases: original publishing
information AND database information
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ESSAY FORMAT
WORKS CONSULTED
• Alphabetically arrange all sources.
• Reverse Indent all sources.
• For longer URLs to fit on the lines, hit
“enter” after a slash.
• For database URLs, stop after the “.com.”
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ESSAY FORMAT
•
•
•
•
Consult the “Outline Template”
available on my Web site
under the “Researched Illustration” page
<http://academic.luzerne.edu/shousenick>
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REMINDERS
• Argue only ONE side of a particular issue.
– Make a claim.
• For whom to vote.
• Support that claim with your 3 best (more persuasive,
significant) reasons.
– Back up those reasons with specific examples.
• Quotes, statistics, incidents, examples, plans
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REMINDERS
• Example Essay = “reasons”:
– No “history lessons” in the Body paragraphs.
This is the place for your reasons only.
– This is not a “types” essay:
• Classification: types of mental illnesses, of STDs, of
rape…
– Rather, it is a “reasons” essay.
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REMINDERS
• Do not end a paragraph with another’s
words or ideas.
– This is your essay.
– Thus, you are using researched evidence to
support your ideas.
– You are not summarizing the issue or the
research.
– Always end with a “warrant statement.”
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REMINDERS
• Lead-in verbs should be in the present
tense:
– claims, asserts, points out
– NO “says” because of the print medium
• Put “quotation marks” around direct quotes.
• Use direct quotes or paraphrase—do not
“ride the fence.”
– Either quote the original in its entirety OR put it
completely in your own words.
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REMINDERS
• PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS :
– * the purpose is to get the reader to your Works Cited
page
• so do not interfere with the flow of the essay
• so keep it short
– *the 1st item on the bibliographic line: author, article
– *and the page number or “subheading”
– period comes after the parentheses
– if the author’s name is not in the sentence, put it in the
(Smith 89)
– if no author’s name is given, then attribute the article to
“the unnamed” or “the anonymous” author
– as part of your lead-in, mention the credentials of your
source (Ethos)
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REMINDERS
• PARENTHETICAL CITATIONS:
– if your source is an online article or Web site (note the
spelling!), put in the ( ) the “subheading” or “subtitle”
under which your information appears.
– only a space between the author and the page number
or “subheading” (no punctuation)
– truncate:
• only the author’s last name
• shorten long titles
• no URLs
– (Smith 89) or (Smith “Smoking: Effects”) or (“Smoking:
Effects”)
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REMINDERS
CITE
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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CANDIDATES
DEMOCRAT
President Barack Obama
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CANDIDATES
REPUBLICAN
Governor Mitt Romney