January 7, 2014
• Take handouts and a highlighter from the back counter.
• Write in your agenda.
Add the following notes to your quotation notes:
Rule 3- The first word of the quotation is capitalized.
 He said, “We’ll discuss the book in one hour.”
Rule 4- Both parts of a divided quotation are enclosed in quotation
marks. The first word of the second part is not capitalized unless
it begins a new sentence.
 “This book,” our teacher said, “is an incredible story of survival.”
Rule 5- Quotes within quotes: If you need to have one character
directly quoting another character, then use double quotes for
your main dialogue and single quotes for the quote-within-aquote. This includes publications.
 “And then he said, ‘Mind your own business.’ The nerve!” she
said.
 "Everyone will read the short story entitled ‘The Escape' for
tomorrow," said the substitute teacher
INTRODUCTION
• Contain general information about your topic
that slowly gets focused.
• In order to write a great introduction, you need
to have a hook and a thesis.
• To get from your hook to your thesis, think of
your writing like a funnel.
Everyone
Most
Some
Thesis
EVERYONE
A broad general statement starting with
EVERYONE can get any essay started.
– Everyone likes a good story.
If you think you can, try to start the following
sentence starter followed by “everyone.”
– Fingernail biting, heart racing, everyone likes a
good story.
MOST
Move from a really broad statement to a slightly
more focused one.
Start it with “Most.”
– Most people can think of several stories that are
life-long favorites.
SOME
Move to another level of specificity. Start your third
sentence with “Some.”
– Some readers even have stories that they read
repeatedly because they love them so much.
THESIS
Your final sentence of your introduction should be
your thesis statement.
It should be the most focused statement in your
introduction.
This should also be the easiest part of your intro.
You can copy part of the prompt and add your
three points.
THESIS STATEMENT
“Rikki-tikki-tavi” is a memorable story
because of its suspenseful plot line, quirky
characters, and thrilling conflicts.
Or
The Outsiders is a memorable story
because of its unforgettable, welldeveloped characters such as Johnny
Cade, Ponyboy Curtis, and Two-bit
Mathews.
Body Paragraphs
Writing body paragraphs is always a
T.R.E.A.T.
T= Transition
R= Reason
E= Evidence
A= Answer questions (Use because)
T= Tie back to Thesis
T= Transition
• Start every body paragraph with a
TRANSITIONAL WORD or PHRASE.
• You can find a list of these in your writing
notebook.
• Pick 4. Transitions are not PROMPT
specific, so you can use them no matter
what.
• Example: First and foremost,
R= Reason
• State your reason next. This is like your
topic sentence.
• It is a general sentence about your
paragraph’s topic.
• This should be directly beside your
transitional phrase and comma.
• Example: First and foremost, cell phones
would be useful for education within the
classroom.
E= Evidence
• Give a detailed example of your reason. This should
come from your reading.
• As you were reading you should have picked out
things you thought were important. You can
underline, highlight, star, whatever, but doing so
while you read will help you after you start writing.
• Paint a picture for me of why this is something I
should bother reading.
• You should have at least three examples in each
body paragraph. It should be an example and a
statement.
When you are quoting or using something from the
passage you can start with these:
• X states that...
• X believes that...
• X claims that…
• X comments that...
• X agrees that...
• X observes that...
• X strongly argues...
• X concludes that...
• X comments that...
• X notes that...
• X suggests that...
• According to X...
• X takes the view that...
• As X states...
You can replace the X with “the author,” “the passage,” or “the
evidence”
A= Answer Questions
• Answer the question. There is a second
question on most prompts:
• Write an essay in which you delineate the
opinions held about banned cell phones
within the classroom. Synthesize the
information from the article in your essay
to help support your claims.
• Answering that second, hidden question
is the KEY TO GETTING A BODY
PARAGRAPH DEVELOPED! This is the
statement that goes with your example.
• You should have three examples and
three answers.
• These should be paired up. That means
you can’t have an example without an
answer.
T= Tie Back to Thesis
• After all of that, tie your body paragraph
back to your thesis statement.
• This is where you all struggle.
• Tell me why this is important to you, why
should I be reading this at all. (Other than
I have to.)
First and foremost, cell phones would be useful
within the classroom for educational purposes. Originally,
the author suggests that cell phones are a distraction within
the classroom. Because students are constantly connected
to one another through their cell phones, they can often
get distracted by these sources of technology. The article
asserts that because of students’ constant communication
through texting, the legal use of cell phones could help
students focus. Since students are fluent in “texting,” they
may find it helpful to text answers to teachers or even take
notes on their smart phones. Additionally, the author also
claims that access to the internet via smart phones would
cut down on costs of textbooks. Students could simply use
their phones to look up online textbooks instead of
spending large sums of money each year on new
textbooks. The simple concept of allowing students to use
cell phones in the classroom would benefit both schools
and students; therefore, it would be a great thing to lift
bans on cell phones school districts.
Conclusion Paragraph-Use your RAD!
R- restated thesis
A- analyze importance
D- discuss results or implications
Prompt 1
Write an essay that determines the author’s
point of view and analyzes that point of view,
including how the author acknowledges and
responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
Be sure to cite evidence from the text to
support your analysis. Follow the conventions
of standard written English.
Create a thesis statement on your prompt
handout.
Sample Thesis
In “The Violent Side of Video Games,” the author
suggests that video games impact people by
promoting aggressive behavior, becoming less
sensitive to violence, and physical responses.
In “The Violent Side of Video Games,” the author
shows the negative impact of video games through
scientific evidence, personal experience, and
alternate viewpoints.
On your own:
1. If you are retaking the UNIT 3 Assessment, get a
blank sheet of paper out and your textbook.
1. Page 444 #’s 1-10
2. Grammar #’s 11-15
1. Everyone else should begin writing their
introduction. This should be written using the Funnel
method. Make sure your thesis is the last sentence
of your introduction.
Ms. West’s Rough Draft
Intro. Paragraph
Eyes glued to screens, hearts pounding,
everyone loves to play video games. Most people
spend a large amount of time playing video games.
Some people play video games in excess of four
hours a day. In “The Violent Side of Video Games,”
the author shows the negative impact of video
games through scientific evidence, personal
experience, and alternate viewpoints.