The Last Lecture
Brick walls in-class essay
Overall
 Most responded to the topic
 See development of voice of
authority
 More comfortable using
quotes
Continuing problems
 Not responding to topic
 Many simply gave impassioned
pleas to overcome walls; they did
not:
 Discuss the idea of the brick wall as
explained by Randy Pausch in The
Last Lecture. In your essay, be sure
to explain what a brick wall is, why
they exist in our lives, and how we
can overcome them. Find three
examples of brick walls from the
book and thoroughly explain each.
Continuing problems
 Weak thesis statement that lacks
the three divisions of proof:
 “From taking our first steps to
struggling through college or a
career, we all face brick walls or
challenges every day throughout
our life. Some, such as walking
through a crowded hallway, are
not as formidable as others.”
Continuing problems
 Using “you,” “I,” “we”
 Using “In this essay I will
tell you…”
 “Well,”
 “In conclusion”
 Their for they’re
 Their for there
 There for their
Incorrect internal citations
 People used the following
 “ Brick walls are there for a
reason.” (pg. 79).
 “ Brick walls are there for a
reason” (p. 79).
 “ Brick walls are there for a
reason,” -- (79).
 Instead of the correct form:
 “ Brick walls are there for a
reason” (79).
New problems
 Using quotes as assertions
 Quotes are evidence, not
topic sentences or assertions
 Look at the following
example
Good intros
 Have a clever hook -- not
quote from the book
Good intros
 Have a clever hook -- not
quote from the book
 Provide background
information - engaging
 Thesis statement with three
divisions of proof that
respond to topic
 Look at the next two
examples
Intro
Intro with voice
Conclusions
 Restate topic and give a
strong finish
 Look at the next example
Diction strengthens this
conclusion
Development of voice
 Speak with authority
 Show your personality
through diction (word
choice) and sentence
construction.
 What makes the next
paragraph so powerful?
 How can you incorporate
the techniques?
Looking forward
 At the beginning of this unit, we read several poems -“The Road Not Taken” (290), “Song of the Open Road”
(289), “The Courage That My Mother Had” (610). We
discussed courage and discussed making courageous
choices in life.
 Write an essay discussing the theme of courage using
The Last Lecture and at least two of the poems – you
may use all three if you like.
 Each body paragraph must incorporate at least two direct
quotations with correct parenthetical citations – one from the
book and one from a poem.
 Your essay must not contain the pronouns “I” or “you”.
Structure of your essay
 Intro
 Hook -- no questions
 Background including general idea
of courage
 How it relates to (and include) title
of book and title of poem
 Thesis statement with definition of
courage and the three divisions of
proof that you will develop in
corresponding body paragraphs
Body paragraphs
 Transitional element -- Sentence or transition
word
 Assertion (one of your divisions of proof)
 Evidence from book or poem - introduced and
cited
 Explanation of how it supports the assertion -
often more than one sentence
 Evidence from book or poem
 Explanation of how it supports the assertion
 Concluding sentence -- clincher OR sentence that
sets up movement to next idea
Strong body paragraphs
 Use transition words to
connect sentences
 Use precise diction that is
colorful and engaging
 Vary sentence structures
 “Sound good”
Strong body paragraphs
 Will explain one element of
courage as it appears in
both the poem and the book
(level 1 depth)
 Will apply that lesson to
“people” and how they can
incorporate that into their
lives (level 2 depth)
Conclusion
 Transitional element that is
NOT “In conclusion…”
 Restates the thesis different words
 Mentions key points of essay
 Leaves reader with final
thought -- a strong finish
To prepare
 Read topic and determine
your one sentence response
 Step one: Courage is
________ and has these
three parts:
 Step two: textual support
 Step three: write the thesis
Thesis idea
 Many people mistakenly limit the idea of
courage to staring down fear on a
battlefield when the truth is that courage
appears in daily life and defines itself as
the unquenchable desire to fulfill one’s
dreams despite obstacles, the willingness
to take chances no one else believes in,
and the ability to transform one’s eventual
death into inspiration for others.