Show:
(5 and 9) Parts of a Perfect Paragraph and Essay
Types of Writing and Purposes
What is Evidence?
Evidence and Explanation in Action.
100
Write a list thesis statement on why your favorite candy bar is the best.
Twix is the best mainstream candy bar because it has caramel, the crunch of the cookie, and the melting chocolate, which all bend together to make a magnificent candy bar.
100
What are the four main purposes of writing?
To inform or explain, to entertain, to analyze a text, to convince or persuade
100
What are two important aspects/things that strong evidence needs to have?
1) Supports the Thesis/Point/Argument 2) Comes directly from the Text 3) Is relevant, important and accurate Note that answers will vary.
100
Cite one piece of evidence from the text below: On Wednesday, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that the next $10 bill will feature a woman who played a major role in American history. The new bill is planned to release in 2020. “America’s currency makes a statement about who we are and what we stand for as a nation,” Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew said on a call Wednesday.
Answers may vary
200
Pretend you are writing an essay on House on Mango Street, which would be a response to text essay. Write a set-up sentence or two for the book.
Set-up should include author, title of book, and a short summary.
200
Write down on your whiteboard what type of text you should write based on the following prompt: Pat doesn't know anything about Breakthrough; he is a lost dog. Write an essay to inform Pat about Breakthrough policies and practices. Please provide three examples.
Expository because we are informing Pat about Breakthrough.
200
List three academic quote starters that we use for directly quoting from an article.
According to, the author explains, the author says, the author said, the author state, etc
200
Please cite two pieces of evidence based on the text—one must be derived from a statistic and the other must be a direct quote. While bullying in school remains a serious issue, a new study shows that many students are beginning to change this hurtful behavior. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released a new report that shows bullying in school has decreased. In 2013, the year that this study was conducted, 21.5% of students age 12 to 18 reported being bullied at school. This is its lowest rate since 2005, when the group first began researching the topic. Most years, the rate of bullying was closer to 28%. Rates of cyberbullying have also decreased. A 2011, NCES’ study showed that 9% of students surveyed had been cyberbullied. In 2013, only 6.9% of students reported having been cyberbullied. “I read the study with hope,” Julie Hertzog, the director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, told TFK. “There’s been a change in how society views bullying. Even a decade or 20 years ago, people would say to ignore it or that it was just a part of growing up, but there are serious impacts on mental health and physical health that can be devastating.” She added, “That awareness seems to be absolutely happening along with a change in behavior, so that’s very encouraging.”
Answers will vary
300
Pretend you are writing a narrative about your life. Write a hook sentence to catch the reader's attention.
"I was born in Japan during a snow storm."
300
Write down on your whiteboard what type of text you should write based on the following prompt: Grace wants to know what type of snack she should buy for your jeopardy prize. Write an essay that would convince Grace to buy your favorite snack. Please provide three examples.
Persuasive because I am trying to persuade Grace to buy my favorite snack.
300
What are the three steps that we need to do before quoting an author or person?
1. Identify the author 2. Use an academic quote starter 3. Write the entire quote and put quotations marks around it.
300
Write an explanation sentence (do not forget transition words) for this thesis, point, and evidence: Thesis: Midwest is the best club at Breakthrough. Point: Club Midwest is very energetic. Evidence: According to Francis, "Club Midwest's energy level is over 9000, while the other club's energy levels sit below the 5000 level."
This shows that club Midwest is very energetic because they are nearly twice as much energetic.
400
Pretend you wrote an entire essay on why your favorite candy bar is the best. Write a review sentence or two that review the main points of why your candy bar is the best.
There are many reasons to why Twix is the best candy bar in the world. Twix has many funny commercials and always amazes its customers.
400
Write down on your whiteboard what type of text you should write based on the following prompt: Read Francis's book on Japanese Culture and write an essay analyzing his take on Japanese Culture using evidence from his text. Please provide three examples.
Response to text because you are using his text as evidence to analyze it.
400
Please quote this using the three steps we need to have when directly quoting an author or text: "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched—they must be felt with the heart." -Helen Keller
According to Helen Keller, "..."
400
Based on the text below, brainstorm in your group a thesis, one point, cite one piece of evidence, and write your explanation that connects your evidence to your point/thesis. NOTE: You may have already cited a piece of evidence. You may use that. While bullying in school remains a serious issue, a new study shows that many students are beginning to change this hurtful behavior. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released a new report that shows bullying in school has decreased. In 2013, the year that this study was conducted, 21.5% of students age 12 to 18 reported being bullied at school. This is its lowest rate since 2005, when the group first began researching the topic. Most years, the rate of bullying was closer to 28%. Rates of cyberbullying have also decreased. A 2011, NCES’ study showed that 9% of students surveyed had been cyberbullied. In 2013, only 6.9% of students reported having been cyberbullied. “I read the study with hope,” Julie Hertzog, the director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, told TFK. “There’s been a change in how society views bullying. Even a decade or 20 years ago, people would say to ignore it or that it was just a part of growing up, but there are serious impacts on mental health and physical health that can be devastating.” She added, “That awareness seems to be absolutely happening along with a change in behavior, so that’s very encouraging.”
Answers will vary
500
Pretend you are still writing an essay on your favorite candy bar. Write a sentence or two of reflection (can be question, connection, or lesson-learned) based on your pretend essay.
Based on the information I have provided you about Twix, why wouldn't you try it out? Like my friend always said, "Twix has all the incredible textures of chocolate, caramel, and a cookie." I remember when I ate a snickers bar and I almost cried. Lesson learned? Twix has my heart, for sure.
500
Write down on your whiteboard what type of text you should write based on the following prompt: You have now read Spiderman and Batman. Using evidence from both comic book series, write an essay convincing the reader that either Batman or Spiderman is better. Please provide three examples.
Persuasive essay because you are trying to convince the reader that one text is better than the other, even though you are using evidence from the text.
500
Please quote both of these passages using the three steps we need to have when directly quoting an author or text: 1. "Twix is the best candy bar" -Francis Sugita 2. "Snickers is the best candy bar" -Jake Johnson
According to Francis Sugita, "Twix is the best candy bar." On the other hand, Jake Johnson states that, "..."
500
DAILY DOUBLE. Based on the text below, brainstorm in your group a thesis, one point, cite one piece of evidence, and write your explanation that connects your evidence to your point/thesis. Summer is almost here, and the weather is heating up. Are you drinking enough water? Many kids aren’t, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study’s lead author, Erica Kenney, a scientist at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, originally planned to look into the amount of sugary drinks kids were consuming in schools. However, during her research she found that many kids were simply not drinking enough water. Kenney and her team examined data from a group of 4,000 children, ages 6 to19, between the years of 2009 and 2012. The data was taken from the National Health and Nutrition Survey, a study on the health of children in the United States conducted each year by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While looking through the survey results, she noticed that more than half of the kids who participated were dehydrated. Of that group, boys were 76% more likely than girls to not have enough water in their system. Nearly one quarter of the kids in the survey reported drinking no plain water at all. “These findings are significant because they highlight a potential health issue that has not been given a lot of attention in the past,” Kenney said in a statement. “Even though for most of these kids this is not an immediate, dramatic health threat, this is an issue that could really be reducing quality of life and well-being for many children and youth.” The human body is made up of 60% water. It regulates body temperature, delivers oxygen all over the body, assists in digestion, and performs various other tasks that keep our bodies healthy. Not drinking enough water can lead to health problems such as headaches, irritability, poor physical performance, and even more serious issues. Your body needs more water when you are in hot climates, when you are physically active, and if you have a fever. The United States National Agriculture Library says on average, kids need between 10 to 14 cups of water every day. This water can come from a mix of drinks and foods that contain high amounts of water, such as celery, melons, or tomatoes. It is also recommended that fluids come from water instead of sugary drinks that are high in calories and can lead to weight problems. “The good news is that this is a public health problem with a simple solution,” said senior author on the study and professor health sociology at Harvard University, Steven Gortmaker. “If we can focus on helping children drink more water – a low cost, no calorie beverage – we can improve their hydration status, which may allow many children to feel better throughout the day and do better in school.”
Answers will vary.