WRITING EXPERIENCE
CHARACTER ED CONNECTION
“Inspiration-Motivation-Perseverance-Achievement”
Video Assisted Instruction
~MOTIVATIONAL TECHNO-ESSAY~
(4 paragraphs)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Take your motivational theme (If you want to…) that can be found at the
bottom of the back page, and use it to help write an interesting essay on
motivation. (Use other MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES if they fit your essay)
Keep in mind the events and the obstacles that the main characters had to
face in order to win their music competition. Use the PPT handout.
How did the characters get ‘motivated’ to achieve an outstanding
accomplishment. What all did the teacher do? What did the students do?
Make the application---how does all of this apply to you this year as a
student in my Social Studies class, in other classes, or even in life (present
or future).
Use appropriate rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
It must be a TOTAL TECHNO paper with NO handwriting on it.
(Use text boxes for Period ID#; Name; and MB#)
Insert at least THREE graphics—ONE on the cover page and TWO in
the body of the essay. (Must use the ‘doggie’ drawing tool I showed you in
class so that the text will SQUARE UP to the graphic.)
Use the JUSTIFY icon to make all paragraphs BLOCK STYLE.
Type the TITLE of your ESSAY at the TOP of your FIRST PAGE. (It is
NOT Mr. A’s Total Techno Essay. You will make up the title based
upon what you are feeling and writing about at the time. OK?
You will need a ROUGH DRAFT of the BODY typed - with your
PARENTS SIGNATURE at the TOP saying that they have READ your
essay and have checked for SPELLING ERRORS as well as helped you
with some grammar issues if needed.
~WHAT MUST BE INCLUDED IN YOUR WRITING~
*At least FOUR paragraphs---each paragraph 3 to 5 sentences (or more) in
length with a main topic sentence and other sentences that support your main
idea. (Try to make most of your sentences have at least ‘7’ or more words in
them, when possible.) Remember, you are in Jr. High now—not elementary.
~THE FOUR PARAGRAPHS MUST BE THE FOLLOWING~
FIRST: Introduction. This paragraph will introduce your topic and give several
details (examples) to support the main topic sentence. Make sure that it
introduces the essay to the reader--but do not say: “I am writing to you about . .”
Come up with a great attention-getter for this paragraph. Perhaps you could use
a line from the video spoken by the character, or a brief description of the
climax in the video that leaves the reader wanting to find our more, or the
motivational quote used to explain why the video was being shown in the first
place, or an opening scene/dialogue from one of the clips I showed you. Use the
PPT handout.
SECOND: Body with Examples. This paragraph is the body of your paper with
examples of the obstacles or problems facing the main characters and how they
were motivated to overcome them. Please list examples that were evident in the
video. Be careful not to just give a basic “run down” of the video. I know what
happened.
I want to read your personal response to the characters’
development of how they realized their accomplishment. Use the PPT handout.
THIRD: Body with Application. This paragraph is the body of your paper with
the application---or how all of this applies to you and your life at school or life in
general (present or future). Be sure to take some of the same obstacles or
problems stated in the second paragraph and make the connection to you
personally in this third paragraph. Use the PPT handout.
FOURTH: Conclusion. This is your final paragraph. You will now “draw your
paper to a close”. It will sum up briefly your main points that you wanted the
reader to grasp. It is what you wanted the reader of your essay to really
understand about what you wrote. You will probably want
to write a few more details that will help tie everything
together. It is usually a good idea to end with a “zinger”!
This means something really special. For example: a
question to the reader that puts all of this “in their lap”, so to
speak. Or you could use a famous quote or saying from the
main character; or a “tear-maker”—an emotional statement.
It is a brief description of some very important event that
was seen in the video and that brought emotion to the
observer---perhaps it brought tears to the eyes of those in the
audience--“tear-maker”. You are trying for that same effect from the reader of
your essay by them simply reading these last statements in the essay. Something
will cause the reader to think seriously about what you wrote and it will be very
difficult for them to ever forget it! Use the PPT handout.
USE CORRECT GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, and SPELLING!
Use a dictionary if you have to, or an electronic spell check, or the spell check
feature on the computer. Type your paper on the computer using 12 to 14 size
font that is not super fancy. Be sure to type a COVER PAGE that goes on top of
your essay with the following information arranged neatly and balanced.
Period ID#; Your Name; Mail Box# (in THREE text boxes); Mr. A’s TotalTechno Motivational Essay; Sister Act 2; Your TITLE to the essay; a large
graphic that connects to the theme of the essay in some way; Greater Atlanta
Christian, 6th Grade; and the DUE Date.
BE CREATIVE!
I want you to interpret the lessons taught by watching the video and how they
can apply to you—personally! You may make references to the video to prove
your point, or quote a character’s dialogue from the video. Try your hardest to
persuade the reader to feel as you do about how we can be motivated to do the
things that we need to do in school and in life! Use the PPT handout.
Give it your very best! Good Luck! I’ll be looking forward to reading them!
If you want to go somewhere, if you want to be somebody,
you better wake-up and pay attention.