Activity
1. Before class begins, write the following question of the
day on the board: What is an essay? Give students a
few minutes to ponder this question and write down
their responses.
2.
After about 5 minutes, ask the class to share some of
their ideas. Student responses may
include “a formal piece
of writing”, “something you write in school”,
or “an organized writing”. Ask students to identify
some of the key parts that define an essay, such as: introduction,
conclusion, paragraphs, a thesis statement, etc. List these
on the board. Then ask the class, “What do you know
about how to write an essay?” Write down the students
responses, and encourage them to specify the order of the
steps. Help
the class understand that there are many different ways to
write an essay, but generally the process follows this format:
a)
Prewriting (collecting ideas on a topic, brainstorming)
b) Rough drafting (crafting an initial copy of your essay)
c) Proofreading (checking your work for errors and correcting
them)
d) Final Drafting (writing final, clean, revised copy of
your essay)
Explain
to the class that they will be using this process in
order to write a persuasive essay on an
environmental
health
topic. Stop to answer any questions and clarify the process.
3.
Review with the class the following essay writing terms
and techniques (you may want to give these in the
form
of notes, discussion, or on a handout).
Your essay should contain the following:
- A
clear beginning, middle, and end
- An
introduction that outlines the course of your essay
and interests your
audience
- A
clear thesis, which discusses your opinion on the topic
- Ideas
organized and separated into paragraphs
- Paragraphs
beginning with a topic sentence and ending with a
transitional sentence
- Opinions
supported by evidence
- A
conclusion which reviews the main points of your essay
and leaves the audience
with a sense of completion
Take
as much time as needed to identify, discuss,
and clarify how all of these elements are developed
and
how they function
in an essay. If necessary, this lesson may be expanded
into two days, or you may choose to create individual
lessons which focus on specific essay components.
Closure
Pass out the following essay prompt to the class, along
with the article on Bangladesh:
“
After reading the source article on UNICEF’s involvement
in the water contamination problem in Bangladesh, write a
persuasive essay in which you argue your position on the
following question: Was it a good decision for UNICEF to
dig tube wells in Bangladesh during the 1970’s? Support
your position with evidence from the article, and remember
to use the persuasive techniques we have learned about, including
at least one of the persuasive appeals to convince your audience
(logic, emotion, or ethics).” Homework
Have students
read the article on arsenic contamination in Bangladesh, and
decide their position on the issue. Students must write at
least the introductory paragraph of their essays, and bring
it in the following day for critique. |
Embedded
Assessment
Assess
students’ prior knowledge on the correct use of
essay techniques during discussion, and evaluate introductory
paragraphs, looking for a clear thesis and an outline
of major points.
|
