Head Start
Module 1
Welcome!
Thank you for participating in the Head Start program. This program has been
developed to fine-tune your writing skills and prepare you to retake the English
Placement Test (EPT). The program is composed of two components: you will work
through modules and receive in-person support from the Writing Centre. You will
need to visit the Writing Centre at least 6 times to complete this program (1
orientation, 5 tutoring sessions). Please contact The Writing Centre to make your
appointments if you have not already done so.
In the Head Start Program, you will
• write three essays.
• revise your work as necessary.
• complete a series of grammar exercises.
When you complete the program to the satisfaction of your tutors, you may retake
the English Placement Test.
The Expository Essay
In the EPT, you will be asked to write an expository essay. Expository essays explain
or define something to the reader. This is something that we do in our daily lives
quite a bit. For instance, the module that you are reading is expository writing.
Parts of the Expository Essay
The expository essays you will produce in this program will follow a clear path:
there will be a beginning, middle, and end, or an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Writing is arranged in this way because it helps you, the writer, organize your
thoughts, and it helps your reader fully understand your thinking. Readers have
come to expect things like thesis statements, topic sentences, and conclusions from
formal, academic writing like an expository essay.
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In the introduction, you will hook your reader and provide a strong, clear thesis
statement. This is also a place where you might include background information to
set up your explanation. In the body paragraphs, you will develop the thesis
statement by providing details and support that back up your thesis. In the body you
provide things like examples, explanations, illustrations, narratives, and evidence.
All of your body paragraphs should have clear topic sentences that clue the reader
in to what they are about to read. Finally, your conclusion will review the major
points of the essay and provide your final thoughts.
What is a Thesis Statement?
The thesis statement establishes what an essay is about, and the rest of the essay
supports the thesis statement. It is a promise to your reader—you must be sure that
the rest of the essay keeps that promise. Thesis statements are one of the most
important sections of an essay; they are “make or break” sections. If a thesis
statement is not successful, the rest of the paper can seem unfocused and
unorganized.
Strong thesis statements are specific
When developing a thesis statement, remember the Goldilocks approach—the scope
of your thesis shouldn’t be too broad or too narrow; you want something that is just
right. For instance, consider the following statements:
Example: Cell phones in today’s society are everywhere.
This topic is too broad and vague to make a clear essay—what will be said about cell
phones?
Example: It is important to be a safe driver.
The above example is a bit more specific than the first, but it’s still pretty broad.
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Example: Safe drivers proceed cautiously and keep focused on the road.
This topic sentence is much more specific, and the narrowness means that the essay
that follows will have a much clearer focus.
Example: Don’t text while you drive to work today.
This statement is much too narrow and specific. It will be very hard to come up with
three points with supporting details to support this statement. All that needs to be
said has already been said.
Example: Ontario’s ban on texting and driving will save lives.
This example is specific, and it’s not too narrow to limit what can be said.
Strong thesis statements are focused on one main idea
Be sure not to include information that you will not cover in your paper. Choose one
main idea and focus on that.
Example: Drivers need to avoid texting while operating a car, and laws
regarding speeding need to be strict.
The above example is covering two completely different topics: texting and
speeding. Those topics could easily be covered in two separate essays.
Example: Drivers need to avoid texting while operating a car.
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This example tackles one main idea that will be discussed throughout the essay.
For more information on thesis statements, click the link below:
http://www.humber.ca/liberalarts/sites/default/files/THESIS%20STATEM
ENT%20FOR%20A%20COLLEGE%20PAPER.pdf
The Writing Process
The blank page can be a scary thing. Sometimes the size of the task ahead of you can
seem daunting. But the trick to writing is to break the task down into smaller, more
manageable parts. In this module, you will read about the writing process, and you
will practice some activities that will help you complete any writing task.
The writing process consists of three parts:

Invention is about devising a game plan, finding your focus, and organizing
your thoughts.

Composition is about fleshing out the ideas you find through invention.

Revision is about revisiting your writing and making changes as needed.
When writing you will do all three of these activities, but you might not necessarily
do them in this order. For instance, while you’re drafting, you might get writer’s
block. At that point, you may need to take a step back and do some brainstorming or
invention. During revision you might find that a part of your writing isn’t quite right,
and you’ll need to go back to drafting to get some new material. Keep in mind that
you may need to stop and rethink your writing process at any given point.
The writing process can be difficult, and you may find yourself getting stuck. The
trick is to have tools that you can use to get yourself unblocked and writing again.
Through this program, you will do activities that will help you develop your writing
process.
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Invention
Invention is the process of generating ideas to write about. There are many different
ways for you to begin brainstorming ideas for your writing. For instance, if you were
asked to write a paragraph, you could approach the invention process in several
different ways. You could use any of the following activities to help get your ideas
flowing:
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mind mapping
listing questions
researching
observing
freewriting or journaling
reading
talking with someone
listing
Throughout these modules, you will try two brainstorming activities: freewriting
and mind mapping. You may not use both brainstorming techniques every time you
write, but hopefully one will appeal to you.
Freewriting Activity
Purpose
This activity is designed to help you practise brainstorming and invention, also
known as prewriting. Prewriting will help you be better prepared and organized to
complete any writing task. It will make your job as a writer easier when you get to
the other stages of the writing process. During the EPT, it is important to organize
your ideas before you begin writing. That way, your essay will be more organized.
Instructions
In freewriting, you give yourself a set amount of time to write whatever comes to
your mind. The most important thing to remember when freewriting is to keep
writing. At this stage, your writing and ideas do not have to be perfect—editing and
revising come later. By forcing yourself to write no matter what, you might come
upon ideas that you wouldn’t have otherwise. So even if you have to write “I don’t
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know what to write,” that’s ok. Much of what you write may not be useable, but even
if you can pull out one clear idea from your freewrite, it was successful.
Choose one topic from the list of prompts and freewrite a paragraph. Give yourself
enough time to generate ideas. If you don’t give yourself enough time, the activity
will not be as successful as it could be. There is an example freewrite included in the
next section.
Remember—keep writing! Don’t worry about whether your ideas are
grammatically correct at this point. The stage to worry about that is later.
This freewrite will be the basis for an essay that you will be writing throughout
these modules.
Topics
1. Describe a dish or meal that has importance in your culture.
2. Describe a task that you particularly dislike.
3. Discuss your favourite musician/group and why you like that particular
musician/group.
4. Discuss the qualities of a best friend.
5. Explain what makes someone a safe driver.
Freewrite Example
Here is a short example of how to freewrite in order to find a topic.
I could write about my favourite teams. I like the Jays, and I guess I like the Leafs, but
the Leafs do frustrate me quite a bit. I don’t like many other sports. I could write about
my favourite TV shows—I really liked Lost when it was on the air, and I like How I Met
Your Mother, but there aren’t too many good shows anymore. I’m not sure I could
write a whole essay about that. Maybe I could write about food? I like food. I love
dessert. Chocolate cake—yum! But what could I really say about dessert that would
take a whole essay? I could write about school—I have a lot to say about that since I’m
so excited about it. I could write about what stresses a student out. I like school, but it’s
also stressful. I am stressed about meeting deadlines and finding the money for tuition.
I am also stressed about how hard it will be. I think I could write a lot about student
stress.
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Drafting
The drafting stage is where the rough ideas from brainstorming become fuller
sentences and paragraphs. If you put some time into brainstorming, the process of
drafting will be much easier.
Some Tips for Drafting
1. Outline your work.
In the drafting stage, it’s important to have a plan. Outlines can be a very
useful tool because they help you get a general idea of what you will write,
and they organize the order in which you will make your points. Finally, they
also give you a place to return to if you get stuck. You can make your outlines
point form, or they can include fuller, complete sentences.
2. Go back to the beginning.
If you become stuck in the drafting process, return to invention. Freewriting,
for instance, is a great technique for getting unstuck. Also remember to
return to your assignment sheet to clarify the task at hand.
3. Don’t worry about being perfect.
At first, try not to focus on getting everything perfect. Drafting is about trying
things out and playing with ideas. The time to make them perfect comes
later. When you are finished, you will have a rough draft.
Essay Outline
An outline is a plan for a piece of writing—think of it as a blueprint. Blueprints tell
builders what to construct and where. Outlines help writers organize their thinking
so that they can plan out what they’re going to say.
Throughout this series of modules, you will be working towards drafting two essays.
Take some time now to plan out your first essay and draft a clear, specific, and
focused thesis statement.
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Instructions: Using the freewrite you did during the freewriting activity (pp.5), use
the following template to outline and plan your expository essay. Try to fill in as
much information as you can—the more you have planned, the easier it will be to
draft your essay.
For more information on brainstorming and planning, click the link below:
http://www.humber.ca/liberalarts/sites/default/files/essays_for_exams-pt1brainstorming.pdf
Outline Template
Thesis Statement:
Supporting Point 1:
Examples and explanations:
a.)
b.)
c.)
Supporting Point 2:
Examples and explanations:
a.)
b.)
c.)
Supporting Point 3:
Examples and explanations:
a.)
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b.)
c.)
Concluding Statement:
Example Expository Essay Outline
This is an outline for an essay that describes services Humber offers to help
students deal with the stresses of college life.
Thesis Statement: Humber’s North Campus has three important services that can
help students deal with some of the stresses of college life: the Writing Centre,
Counselling Services, and the Athletic Complex.
Supporting Point 1: The Writing Centre at Humber’s North Campus is a welcoming
place where all students can get one-on-one help with their writing problems.
Examples and explanations:
a.) close to Williams Coffee Pub
b.) furniture gives an inviting feel
c.) tutors help the students
Supporting Point 2: Students who need assistance in the many other areas of their
lives can make use of Counselling Services.
Examples and explanations:
a.) has private rooms (confidential)
b.) Academic, Personal and Career counselling available
c.) Trained counsellors
Supporting Point 3: The Athletic Complex offers access to sports and recreational
activities to students who want to work off some of their stress in healthy ways.
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Examples and explanations:
a.) Free
b.) Triple Gym
c.) Additional facilities
Concluding Statement: The Writing Centre, Counselling Services, and Athletic
Complex provide valuable services to stressed-out students.
Expository Essay 1
Purpose
In this assignment, you will practise writing a thesis statement and proper
paragraphs.
Instructions
Take a look at the topics below. Using your freewrite and outline, write an
expository essay.
Try to ensure that the scope of your essay is not too large or narrow.
Your essay should have a thesis statement, and your paragraphs should have proper
topic sentences—this is a sentence that maps out what your paragraph will discuss.
Topics
1. Describe a dish or meal that has importance in your culture.
2. Describe a task that you particularly dislike.
3. Discuss your favourite musician/group and why you like that particular
musician/group.
4. Discuss the qualities of a best friend.
5. Explain what makes someone a safe driver.
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Expository Essay Example
When students go to college, they can be overwhelmed by the demands of their new
academic life. However, colleges like Humber offer many services for students when
they need help coping with those demands. Humber’s North Campus has three
important services that can help students deal with some of the stresses of college life:
the Writing Centre, Counselling Services, and the Athletic Complex.
The Writing Centre at Humber’s North Campus is a welcoming place where all
students can get one-on-one help with their writing problems. The Writing Centre is
near Williams Coffee Pub, where coffee-drinkers and muffin-eaters can satisfy their
daily craving while on their way to improving their English. Inside the Writing Centre,
the glass wall, large windows, and round tables make the room feel inviting to students
who may feel uneasy about getting help. It’s possible to drop in, but since the Centre
gets very busy later in the semester, students are advised to make an appointment first.
During the tutoring sessions, a tutor reads the student’s work carefully and then offers
suggestions on how to improve it. The Writing Centre’s trained and experienced staff
includes University of Waterloo co-op tutors, Humber peer tutors, English teachers,
coordinators, and Writing Centre supervisors. Overall, the Writing Centre has a
comfortable atmosphere that encourages students to learn to be their own editors.
Secondly, students who need assistance in the many other areas of their lives can make
use of Counselling Services. The Counselling Services office can be found in D128. The
office has private rooms where students can speak confidentially with trained
counsellors. Counselling Services provides many different types of help. For example,
academic counselling is available for students who are finding learning at college a
challenge. Students can also make an appointment for a one-on-one meeting with a
counsellor, attend study skills workshops, or pick up learning and stress-management
handouts. Counselling Services staff can also can connect students with peer tutors
who are trained to tutor in all academic subjects. There are two other types of
counselling offered as well. Career counselling is available so students can choose the
right career. Personal counselling is available to help with personal problems and is
fully confidential. Counselling Services has a small space but many trained
professionals who can help with just about any problem that Humber students might
face.
Finally, the Athletic Complex offers access to sports and recreational activities to
students who want to work off some of their stress in healthy ways. The Athletic
Complex is located in the A wing, past the well-known student pub, CAPS. Students
need a valid student card to get in, but then they can use athletic facilities free of
charge. For many students, the main attraction in the Athletic Complex is the triple
gym, where the Humber Hawks play their basketball games, but all students can use
the gym for their own basketball, volleyball, or badminton games too. There is also a
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squash court available on the main floor. Upstairs there are additional facilities, such
as a fitness studio where aerobics classes are held and the weight room that overlooks
the gym. The weight room has treadmills, bikes, steppers, weight machines, and free
weights. Humber’s Athletic Complex is outstanding, because it has all the things an
expensive fitness club has, but without the high price.
The Writing Centre, Counselling Services, and the Athletic Complex provide valuable
services to stressed-out students. Whoever said that the best things in life are free was
right. Humber’s student services are the best, and, better yet, they are free.
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