Argument/Persuasive Response

Respond to the prompt by answering the following ( write 2 paragraphs):

-What is education all about for you?  (Is it all about money?  If not, what else is education about?)

-In view of what education means to you and in view of the article's premise, how would you put a counter-argument together to refute this idea? 
(In this paragraph, include the premise/underlying argument in your introductory sentence.  In other words, indicate the point to which you are responding.  For example, "Many people will say that the measure of success is how much one has in their bank account but...(counter-argument)"

Some pretty awesome graphic organizers...

Why is the prewriting portion of the writing process just as important as the rest?

                       

by: Hazim Ali

by:  Bothaina Abdulla

by: Louis Alberic

Definition Essay: Second Body Paragraph

Post to this blog by completing the following:

1.  Type the second paragraph of your essay.  You must summarize (this means paraphrase--do not use a direct quotation) how this person, thing, or organization illustrates the meaning of your word.  (7-9 sentences)

Here is the example from the Question Essay:

               Questioning is what represents one of the most famous civil rights activists in the modern world.  Rosa Lee Parks, according to Melanie Purry in her book Chambers:  Biographical Dictionary, was arrested in December 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man.  She decided to disobey the seating policies and face problems with the law enforcement authorities instead (1425).  Parks always wondered why she always had to give up her seat to others.  She questioned, all the time, if there is a reason for this type of injustice.  That was the spark which started the fire in her rebellious soul.  She fought for righteousness with everything she had.  As a result of that, she put her name in the book of history.

2.  Be sure to include a signal phrase ("according to").

3.  If the source is from a database, cite the title of the periodical/journal from which the information came.  For example:  (Encyclopedia Brittanica Online)

4.  Read the previous post.  Take an educated guess at what word this classmate is defining.  Write it.  Point out the signal phrase and write it as well.  Answer:  Does this paragraph successfully relate this person/thing/organization to the word?  Why or why not?  Lastly, count how many sentences this classmate has written.  Write down the amount.

Definition Essay: What's in a Word?

Today, we discussed different kinds of essays, particulary the DEFINITION ESSAY.  Post to this blog by answering the following using complete sentences and in paragraph format.

1.  Write your word.  (Love)

2.  Write the formal definition of the word and tell where the definition came from.  (According to wordweb.com, love is defined as, "having a great affection or liking of".)

3.  Name a person or persons who symbolize this word and explain why.  (When we think of love, the first thing that comes to our mind is probably Shakespeare's tragic play, "Romeo and Juliet".  If you know the play, you understand that their love was unfortunately, doomed from the start.  Shakespeare describes this young couple as "star-crossed lovers", defining them as lovers who are controlled by outside forces in which they are both unable to control or persuade.)

4.  Answer, "What is it?"  (synonyms)

5.  Answer, "What is it not?"  (antonyms/negations)

6.  Complement or comment the previous person's post.

"Show, Don't Tell!"

This week, we talked about being more descriptive with your narrative.  Post to this blog by doing the following:

1.  Find a part of your narrative that simply "tells".  ("She was sad."  "It was hot.")  Write it.

2.  Revise the sentence so it "shows" rather than "tells".  ("Tears began to stream down her face."  "I could fry an egg out here it is so hot!")

3.  Unless you are the first person to post to the blog, complement the previous post.  ("I really liked how Aziz described his aunt's expression on her face when she walked in the door.  However, I think I've got something better for my description!")

4.  Write your name at the bottom of the post.

Artifact Narrative

 In class today, your classmates shared stories of their artifacts.  Whose story did you feel was best?  Why?  What made it good?  Be specific.  Write the name of the student whose story you liked best and explain why in detail.

What are the hallmarks of a good narrative?  What makes a story unforgettable?

Artifact:  License to Drive!

"The Box Man"- Reader Response

How successful is the essay as a whole?  Does it appeal to you personally?  Explain your answer.