Essay Structure

Project 1

Evaluation 31

Ninth Grade English 2 (ENGH 032 060)

Be sure to include ALL pages of this project (including the directions and the assignment) when you send the project to your teacher for grading. Don’t forget to put your name and I.D. number at the top of this page!

This project is worth 100 points. Note that grammar, spelling, and punctuation are important for this project. Refer to the “Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Handbook” section on pages R24–R28 of your textbook and the writing guidelines in the Appendix of this course.

Project Instructions

Essay Structure

For this project, you are going to write a short essay (six hundred words) in which you compare two characters from the stories you have read in this course. You will express an opinion (thesis) about the characters and defend your opinion with evidence from the readings. Your essay should have three components: an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Your introduction should introduce your readers to the two characters and explain what sorts of things you are going to examine in your essay. Include your opinion about the two characters in your introduction. Any opinion is acceptable as long as it can be defended logically with evidence from the stories.

You will use supporting paragraphs to explain why you believe your opinion is correct. Be sure to include at least three paragraphs—you should devote a paragraph to each main idea that supports your opinion. For example, if your thesis is that one character is admirable while the other is not, you could organize your supporting paragraphs as follows:

· Describe the character you admire.

· Describe the character you don’t admire.

· Explain why one character is admirable and why the other is not.

This example is only one possibility. If your opinion is that the characters are complete opposites (or that they are very similar), you might want to use a supporting paragraph to discuss each way in which the characters are the opposite of (or similar to) each other.

Your conclusion should summarize the main points of your essay. In other words, you should summarize your opinion of the characters.

Prewriting

To begin, select two major characters from Lesson 1, 2, or 3. The characters can either be from different stories or the same one. Use a Characterization Chart like the one in Skill Builder 3-2 (Lesson 3) to analyze your characters. Brainstorm the details about them and note everything you know about them, including both physical and personal traits. Also, make sure you identify where the characters are from, their families, and their interests. For example, you would want to note Waverly’s love of chess or Fortunato’s passion for wine. Once you feel completely familiar with both characters and have reviewed the stories again, start thinking about how the two characters compare to one another.

Some other prewriting activities appear on pages 112–114 in your textbook. You may also find tips for organizing a “compare and contrast” essay on the Internet. An example is:

http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/compcontrast/

Make a list of similarities and differences between the characters. Think about the way each one acts. Why do they behave the way they do? What does the plot of each story reveal about these characters? Why do these characters stand out? How do other characters in the stories feel about the individuals you have chosen? Include specific incidents and examples from the stories to illustrate the comparisons and contrasts between the two characters. As you are compiling these lists, you will most likely become aware of what you think of each character. Use these thoughts to form your opinion.

Writing your Essay

Draft a simple outline to organize the points you plan to include in your essay. The outline should include each main point that supports your opinion, as well as the ideas that support each main point. Once you have an outline completed, you will have all of your ideas organized. Completing the project will only be a matter of writing those ideas out in sentences and paragraphs.

In your supporting paragraphs, which will support your opinion, you will want to refer to specific examples and details in the stories that reveal the personalities of your characters. All direct quotations must be placed in quotation marks and cited in the MLA Style. The current edition of the MLA Style Manual is available in most libraries, and guides to the manual may be found online. There is a brief summary of the MLA Style on pages lxxviii and lxxix in your textbook.

You may do as many rough drafts of your essay as you like. Remember that even the best writers have to make revisions. A good idea would be to write a first draft of your essay and then put it away for awhile. Come back to it with a fresh set of eyes and reread it. You can make whatever revisions are necessary.

Your essay will be worth 100 points, and it will be worth 10 percent of your course grade. Please double-space your lines. The essay will be graded according to the following criteria:

· A clear essay structure with an introduction, at least three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion (15 points possible)

· A clearly stated opinion about the characters (15 points possible)

· A clear description of each character’s personality and the way in which each character functions (20 points possible)

· Use of evidence and examples from the reading(s) to support the opinion in the essay (20 points possible)

· Opinion follows logically from evidence and examples presented (20 points possible)

· Paper is written with complete sentences, well-organized paragraphs, no or few errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and all direct quotations cited in MLA style. (10 points possible)

To submit the project, save this project assignment document. Use the course number, your name, and the project number in your file’s title:

ENGH032060_YourNameHere_Project1.doc

Go to your course management system to upload your project file.

[Begin typing your essay on the next page.]

[Begin Project 1 here. Please double-space your lines.]