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!