Archetypes and Dreams

In each body paragraph you will first write a sentence that states your Claim. When completing the orientation assignment, for example, you might write: “One element of the David Leeming’s introduction I found interesting was . . .” This is your Claim sentence. You are making a statement about something you found interesting, a point you found compelling, etc. The claim will change from assignment to assignment, but the first thing you must do is provide a way forward for your paragraph. The Claim begins the paragraph.

Next comes the Warrant. In this section of the paragraph, you will explain why the Claim is true. “This element from the introduction is important because . . .” Most of the writing you will complete will be based on a text, so your warrant will usually come from the text; however, you may use other types of warrant as well: personal experiences, historical examples, scientific examples, current events, literature, etc. Make sure the Warrant is substantial because it will make your paragraph far more compelling.

Finally, you will include what I call an assessment of the Impact. In this portion of the paragraph, you will explain why the Warrant you have chosen helps illustrate the Claim. This is where you will tackle the “So What” of your writing. You made a Claim, then you found Warrant to substantiate it, now you need to explain why it matters. Without this portion of the paragraph, your writing will be simplistic and lack strength.

You will complete as many CWI paragraphs as necessary for each assignment you complete. You decide on how many claims you will need to make when completing an assignment, but you should utilize this format when completing assignments, original discussion posts, the midterm exam, and the final exam. The fable assignment and the hero paper you will complete will be examples of narrative writing, so you will employ the appropriate strategies of setting, character, plot, conflict, etc.