ONLY FOR PROF DAN 2nd two different introfucation

Topic vs. Thesis:

What's the difference?

Remember that a thesis statement is the main idea of your essay, not just a general topic. Keep this simple formula in mind when you write a thesis:

Topic + What you want to say about the topic = Thesis Statement

Example:

Topic: Confidence

What I want to say about confidence: taking risks is necessary

Thesis statement: If we want to gain more confidence, we need to be willing to take risks.

“Making Connections” Essay Writing Tips:

WAYS TO BEGIN YOUR ESSAY WITH A QUOTE

These examples demonstrate how you can use a short passage/quote from a text to introduce the main idea of your own essay. Use the quote as a starting point for your own ideas. (The underlined blue part is the thesis/main idea.) Use these examples as models for your own paragraphs in the D4: Making Connections discussion assignment.

In “Sally,” Sandra Cisneros allows us to experience how a young girl feels as she looks up to an older girl that she admires and wants to emulate: “Sally is the girl with eyes like Egypt and nylons the color of smoke….Sally, who taught you to paint your eyes like Cleopatra…will you teach me? I want to buy shoes just like yours….” This very short story reminded me of both Marge Piercy’s poem “Barbie Doll,” and Grace Suh’s “Eye of the Beholder”. All of these essays convey how young women are influenced by society’s standard of beauty and how it affects their self-esteem.

In her essay “From Dropout to Graduate,” Laura Kuehn says “My college experience thus far has had a positive effect. I know, without any doubt, that every sacrifice I’ve made or will make has been worth it. My education is priceless to me. It is something that no one can take away.” In recent months, I’ve thought about dropping out of college because it seems too hard and I have a lot less time to socialize with friends anymore. Between juggling jobs, classes, study time, and chores, many students may think that college is not worth it. However, Kuehn’s essay reminds us of how important a college education is to our future.

In her essay “From Dropout to Graduate,” Laura Kuehn says “There are countless others like myself who deprive themselves of an education because they think it’s too late. As adults, we have jobs, spouses, children, bills, and many other responsibilities that we can’t simply overlook. However, we also have a responsibility to ourselves.” This passage made me realize Americans are so lucky to have educational opportunities, yet many people never take advantage of them.

“I read anything that had words and paragraphs. I read with equal parts joy and desperation. I loved those books, but I also knew that love had only one purpose. I was trying to save my life.” These words by Sherman Alexie in his essay “Superman and Me” remind me of myself as a lonely teenager who found comfort in reading voraciously. What I learned from reading encouraged me to get an education and save my life from ignorance and poverty. Today TV, social media, videogames and other digital distractions deter teens from reading as much as they should; therefore, it’s more important than ever to require more reading in high school.

In the essay “Superman and Me,” Sherman Alexie’s words “I refused to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky,” really made an impact on me. They made me realize that all we really need is confidence to achieve our dreams, but that confidence is something we can only get by putting ourselves out there, by taking risks.

In “One Man’s Kids,” Daniel Meier said, “I loved helping a child learn to write his name for the first time, finding someone a new friend, or sharing the hilarity of reading about Winnie the Pooh getting so stuck in a hole that only his head or rear show.” After reading his essay, it dawned on me that no matter what career choice I make, it’s essential that I love it. Passion, not the size of a paycheck, should be the main criteria for choosing a career.