The Writing Assignment
You will have this period to plan and write an essay on the prompt assigned below. Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan what you will say. Your essay should be well-organized and carefully written; if time permits, rewrite your essay. Develop your argument and analysis by supporting your claims using textual evidence and citing your sources in MLA format.
Essay Prompt:
Read the student response below:
I think that Chris McCandless was bright and ignorant at the same time. He had no common sense, and he had no business going into Alaska with his romantic and idealistic silliness. He made a lot of mistakes based on arrogance. I don’t admire him at all for his courage nor his noble ideas. Really, I think he was just plain crazy.
-Shaun Callarman
In a five-paragraph essay, explain Callarman’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. To support your position, you must cite at least once from each of the following: “How Much
Land Does a Man Need,” (pg 752-762) and/or background info on Tolstoy (p749) and from “Death of an
Innocent.” (article). As support you may also want to include reasons and examples from your own experiences, observations, and/or readings. Furthermore, you must include one rhetorical device (ethos, pathos, logos) of your own and underline/label it. *** Hint: The more support (evidence) you have from text/lecture, the more developed/persuasive your argument will be; don’t forget to add your commentary and analysis!
Good Luck Scholars! 
Now you need to study the topic you chose.
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Read the assignment carefully.
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Decide which issue you will discuss (if it is not specified in the question itself).
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What is the purpose of your writing? Are you informing your audience or are you reporting something? Are you going to persuade your readers to a position you hold? What will you try to accomplish in your essay?
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Formulate a thesis – what is your response to the prompt? What will your essay answer? (This is your thesis in-progress).

Strategies for Writing under Pressure
1.
Read and then reread the prompt. Complete the A in the ABC strategy and create a to do and task column. Use this as a checklist to make sure you have answered the prompt completely.
2.
Find the argument in the passage.
3.
Quickly jot down some ideas that come to mind. Do you agree or disagree with the author’s basic position? Do you think defining terms might allow you to cushion your position?
4.
Figure out the topics of your body paragraphs and what the topic sentences might be.
5.
Don’t worry about a smooth introduction if nothing comes to mind; begin with your point, your thesis.
6.
What is the evidence that you will use to prove your position? Jot down the evidence that comes to mind in bullet point form or in a few words. Fit them into your paragraph outline, after your topic sentences. Having this brief outline will remind you of what you want to say, but it won’t mean that you can’t change your mind.
CHECKLIST –BEFORE YOU TURN IN YOUR ESSAY: o Is your name, teacher, class period, and date on your paper in MLA format? o Does your essay have a creative title? (“Essay Prompt ” or “Into the Wild Essay” are not creative!!) o Is each paragraph clearly indented? o Does your introductory paragraph “hook” the reader? o Did you provide background information that the reader may need to understand your essay? o Is your thesis the last sentence of the first paragraph? Is it clear to the reader? o Do all of your paragraphs begin with a topic sentence? o Do your paragraphs include different points of view/counterarguments? o Do you develop the content of your argument by giving evidence? Does your evidence support your argument or does it fill space? o Are all quotations (direct and in-direct) properly cited in MLA format? o Does your concluding paragraph “finish off strong” and “provide closure” by summarizing the main points and explaining the significance of the essay? (A strong essay with a weak conclusion leaves the reader hanging).
English-Language Arts (ELA) Content Standards: Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Writing 1.0 Students write coherent and focused texts that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing demonstrates students’ awareness of the audience and purpose and progression through the stages of the writing process.
Writing 1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of discourse (e.g. purpose, speaker, audience, form) when completing narrative, expository, persuasive, or descriptive writing assignments.
Writing 1.3 Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained, persuasive, and sophisticated way and support them with precise and relevant examples.