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5.1 Essay 1 Prompt and Specific Paragraph Requirements Essay Prompt

Think about your learning experiences over the years and how hard you have worked to get better at something. This could be a specific job skill, talent, hobby, or class subject. It should be something that was important to you that required a lot of effort and hard work for you to learn how to do it or get really good at it. Plan and write a 4-paragraph essay that explains how you developed your specific abilities through hard work and dedication for ONE of the following learning situations: a specific job skill, talent, hobby, OR class subject. Select the prompt option where you can best explain your effort and determination to improve at something important to you that a general audience would understand and that would best meet the essay requirements and demonstrate the writing skills taught in the lessons.

Requirements Your final essay submission must include an introductory paragraph, body 1, body 2, concluding paragraph, and Works Cited page, demonstrating the skills taught in the course lessons to meet the rubric's grading criteria. Your final essay must be 2.5-3.0 pages in length when MLA formatted before your MLA Work Cited page. Important: Using unapproved sources or Artificial Intelligence in this essay would result in an F (a zero) on the essay.

Essay's Paragraph Structure and Requirements Introduction – Write an introductory paragraph that introduces your essay: Your paragraph needs to begin with a hook on the broader subject (something about learning and hard work or determination to succeed that your audience would

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understand and find relatable). Bridge into the essay's topic (learning to get better at something important) and provide some summary/context (introduction to your specific learning situation and what a growth mindset is). End on a thesis statement (states the essay’s main idea, which identifies the specific learning experience and why in this area improving mattered so much to you). The writing must be natural and organized to create cohesion among these elements for an effective introduction.

Remember, your essay is about one specific learning experience based on the prompt option you selected, so you need to think about what Body 1 will explain and show early on in your learning and then what Body 2 will explain and show later on in your learning.

Body 1 – Early On: Write your first body paragraph to explain the first way you worked hard to develop and improve your abilities in the chosen learning situation. To do this, s

Refer to Lesson: Writing an Introductory Paragraph (https://online.valenciacollege.edu/courses/222539/pages/5-dot-1-2-lesson-writing-an- introductory-paragraph) .

tart with a topic sentence that identifies what specifically you were learning to do/improve in the situation you selected as your focus and why it was important. Develop support by weaving in explanation, example, and a specific illustration to show how you developed your abilities through your hard work and determination. Connect to the assigned Dweck or Richard article by integrating one quote from either articles that explains an attribute of having a growth mindset (like how they see effort, how they develop their abilities, how they react to a setback, depending on what your paragraph shows. Integrate, cite, and explicate quote. Relate the idea in your quote and quote explication back to your experience. End on a summary statement. Use transitions as appropriate. Writing should be clear, organized, and authentic, helping your audience understand your unique experience when learning. Refer to Lesson: Writing Body Paragraphs. (https://online.valenciacollege.edu/courses/222539/pages/5-dot-1-4-lesson-writing- body-paragraphs) (https://online.valenciacollege.edu/courses/222539/pages/5-dot-1-4-lesson- writing-body-paragraphs)

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Body 2 – Later On: Write your second body paragraph to explain the second way you worked hard and continued to develop and improve your abilities in the same chosen learning situation. To do this, s

Conclusion – Write a concluding paragraph that summarizes what was proven and reflects on the significance the experience has had for you. Your paragraph needs to create a cohesive conclusion that begins with a restated thesis to reinforce what was proven, synthesizes the main ideas, offering a reflection on its overall impact on you, and ends with closing remarks directed at the audience, offering them a unique takeaway. (Conclusions do not include evidence since they focus on what the essay already explained and proved.) Refer to Lesson: Writing a Concluding Paragraph. (https://online.valenciacollege.edu/courses/222539/pages/5- dot-1-8-lesson-writing-a-concluding-paragraph)

Works Cited – Create an MLA Work Cited page that documents your essay’s required sources: Carol Dweck's "Transforming Students' Motivation to Learn" and Michael Richard's "The Mindset Graphic." Be sure to have used both at least once in your essay. Refer to Lesson: Creating a Works Cited (https://online.valenciacollege.edu/courses/222539/pages/5-dot-1-10-lesson-creating-a-

tart with a transition and new topic sentence that identifies what specifically you were learning to do/improve in the situation you selected as your focus and why it was important. Develop support by weaving in explanation, example, and a specific illustration to show how you further developed your abilities through your hard work and determination. Connect to the assigned Dweck or Richard article by integrating one quote from either articles that explains another attribute of having a growth mindset (like how they see effort, how they develop their abilities, how they react to a setback, challenge, use criticism to learn, etc. depending on what your paragraph shows. Integrate, cite, and explicate quote. Relate the idea in your quote and quote explication back to your experience. End on a summary statement. Use transitions as appropriate. Writing should be clear, organized, and authentic, helping your audience understand your unique experience when learning. Refer to Lesson: Writing Body Paragraphs. (https://online.valenciacollege.edu/courses/222539/pages/5-dot-1- 4-lesson-writing-body-paragraphs)

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works-cited) to create your Works Cited, using the lesson to document and and format your entries. Make sure you used both articles in your essay as required above.

Point of View – Write using 1st person (I, me, my) for your personal details and 3rd person when directing something towards the audience or in general about growth mindset (people, everyone, etc.). Do not write in 2nd person (you, your).

Style and Mechanics – Edit your writing for punctuation and mechanics. Refer to Lesson: Varying Sentence Structures in Your Writing. (https://online.valenciacollege.edu/courses/222539/pages/5-dot-1-11-lesson-varying- sentence-structures-in-your-writing)

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