Great writing 4 great essays teachers notes 4th edition

In Unit 1, students are not expected to learn the different rhetorical styles although many are presented in the unit; instead, the focus is placed on the purpose of essay writing, the e

UNIT 1 Exploring the Essay

OVERVIEW

Unit 1 introduces students to the structure of an essay and its basic components Some students may already be familiar with essay writing, but chances are that for most students, essay writing in English is a new skill In Unit 1, students are not expected to learn the different

rhetorical styles (although many are presented in the unit); instead, the focus is placed on the purpose of essay writing, the elements of a good essay, and the basic organization pattern

Unit 1 introduces students to Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary

For further support, you may use the Great Writing 4 Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to

produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary, editing, or writing that is covered in this unit

OBJECTIVES

1 Learn about the kinds of essays and the structure of an essay (pp 4–5)

2 Become familiar with the elements of an essay, i.e., introduction, hooks, thesis statements, body paragraphs, and conclusion (pp 5, 9, 22–24, 30–34)

3 Analyze sample essays and answer comprehension questions (pp 5–21)

4 Work with outlines (pp 20, 31–33)

5 Write an original essay by following a guided writing activity (pp 36–37)

Go over the objective on the top of page 2 Explain that students will do this in the unit Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 2 Tell them you will come back to this question at the end of the unit

TEACHING NOTES

Unit 1 teaches students about the format of an essay Students are introduced to five

common kinds of essays: narrative, comparison, cause-effect, argument, and reaction Point

out that writers often mix rhetorical modes depending on the information they want to present

In this unit, students will learn how to identify the three basic parts of an essay Most of the activities in this unit require students to study and analyze example essays Students will learn how to write the organizational plan of an essay by completing activities that require them

Parts of an Essay, p 5

Elicit from students what they know about the introduction, body, and conclusion of an essay as a way to prepare them to learn about these parts as well as to give you an idea of their current understanding Remind students that they will learn to identify and write these parts of an essay Check comprehension by asking questions: Where is the introduction? What does it do? What is the thesis statement? What do body paragraphs have? Where is the conclusion? How is it similar to the introduction? What does a conclusion often do?

Have students turn to the last sentence in Paragraph 1 in “Cinderella and Her Tedious Household Chores” and place their finger at the beginning of this sentence Remind students that this sentence is the “thesis statement” and ask them to identify where this sentence appears in the

essay (first paragraph, last sentence) Point out that thesis statements in general follow this

pattern

Have students write thesis statement on one side of an index card, and on the back, write the following definitions: states the main idea of the essay; tells what the organization of the information will be Encourage them to reference this definition occasionally as they write,

analyze, and peer edit essays

If appropriate, have students turn to p 24 for more information about the thesis

statement

Write topic sentence on the board or screen and discuss with the class why a paragraph

needs a topic sentence Record students’ answers and be sure to point out that a topic sentence tells the reader the main topic of the paragraph and that it often gives the reader a hint about the writer’s purpose Discuss how this kind of hint might be helpful to the reader

Ask students to tell the meaning of support in their own words Have students give world examples of how to support something or someone (reinforce, back up, explain) Help students make a connection between the meaning of support and how supporting sentences

real-reinforce a topic by giving examples, reasons, facts, or more specific information about the topic

If possible have students look up the definition of conclude in a dictionary or read the definition aloud to the class (to finish, to end) Point out that an essay finishes or ends with a

conclusion and emphasize that a conclusion often restates the thesis

Activity 1: Studying a Classification Essay, pp 5–8

This activity is perhaps the most important one in the textbook as it covers the terms that describe the main elements of an essay Reassure students that they do not have to understand all the information presented in Activity 1, as more in-depth study of the elements of an essay will

be explained later in the unit

The Hook, p 9

Direct students’ attention to the photo on p 9 Discuss with students what a hook is used

for (fishing; to catch a fish) Use this illustration to help students understand that a hook in the

opening sentence of an essay is used to “catch” the reader’s attention and interest

Activity 2: Studying a Narrative Essay, pp 9–12

As this example essay is a narrative, mention that a narrative essay tends to be more personal or less formal than other types of essays As time permits, encourage students to share with the rest of the class or in groups their personal experiences with a high-stakes exam or other important challenge

Activity 3: Studying a Comparison Essay, pp 12–14

Work together as a class to discuss the preview questions on p 12 Point out to students that discussing these questions can provide them with a clue about the topic of the essay and help them anticipate the information they will encounter in the reading

Activity 4: Studying an Example Essay, pp 14–17

Point out that this is a cause-effect essay Ask students to identify the cause(s) (good diet, regular exercise, protection from sun) and effect (reduction in cancer risks) that the essay

discusses

Activity 5: Studying an Comparison/Argument Essay, pp 17–21

Explain that while this essay looks like a comparison essay at first glance, it is actually an argumentative essay because the purpose of the essay is to persuade the reader that it is more advantageous to attend a community college than a university

You may want to consider having students complete the outline in item #2 in pairs, in small groups, or as a class Review the general organization of the essay Then explain how and where students can find the missing information in order to complete the outline Model the task

as needed

Writing the Introduction, pp 22–24

This section of Unit 1 is important as it explains the elements of an introductory

paragraph (hook, main idea, connecting information, thesis statement) Carefully review the material presented in this section as some students may struggle with the concept Encourage students to ask for clarification as needed

Writer’s Note: Hook versus Main Idea, p 23

essay by first presenting the reader with an enticing hook Once they catch the reader’s attention with the hook, then they can state the main idea

Connecting Information, p 24

Have students turn to the photograph of the bridge on p 21 and ask students to describe

the function of the bridge (connects the road) Explain to students that just as the bridge connects

the road from one side to the other, a writer uses connecting information to connect the reader to the topic This connecting information usually consists of three to five sentences and can be background information about the topic or examples

As needed, display the paragraph on p 21 on the board or screen Read the paragraph aloud and discuss as class how these sentences connect the reader to the topic “unpleasant

household chores.”

The Thesis Statement, p 24

Review the explanations and examples of the two types of thesis statements Make sure students are clear on the difference between the two Clarify any expectations you may have regarding the type of thesis statement that is preferred or expected in this course

Activity 6: Practice with Hooks, pp 24–25

Point out that this argumentative essay argues against mandatory retirement Be sure students read the entire essay before they begin working on the three hooks Depending on the students’ understanding of hooks, you may want them to write their hooks on separate pieces of paper and turn them in to you instead of having them share with their classmates in groups In this way, you can provide students with support in revising and editing their hooks

Activity 7: Thesis Statement Questions, p 27

The questions in these practices are important in helping students analyze thesis

statements In item #3, students are asked to re-write the thesis statements Be sure to check these answers carefully to assess if students understand the differences between stated and implied theses If they have difficulty, have them review pp 23–24

Activity 8: More Practice with Hooks, pp 27–29

Point out ahead of time to students that the comparison essay compares two different types of jobs Emphasize that students should begin working on their hooks only after they have read the entire essay If appropriate, ask several volunteers to share their hooks with the class Discuss how these hooks might help capture readers’ interest or ways to make the hooks more interesting

Activity 9: Thesis Statement Questions, p 29

If additional support for students in understanding the thesis statement is needed,

complete this activity together as a class Discuss how to identify the thesis statement in an essay and how to determine if it is a stated or implied thesis Then work together to create alternative forms by rewriting the thesis statement

Writing the Body, p 30

This section of Unit 1 explains what information is to be used in the body of the essay Discuss the similarities and differences between the general and specific outlines for Essay 7 on

pp 30-31 Emphasize that a specific outline is easier to write from but that many writers begin with a general outline and add details as they revise their outlines

Writer’s Note: Using an Outline, p 30

Help students understand the importance of using an outline by discussing how a map helps navigate a trip Explain that outline helps the writer plan where her or his writing is going and how to successfully come to the end of the trip without getting lost Point out that when a writer has a clear idea of where her or his writing is headed and makes a plan to get the end, the reader is able to follow the writing and better understand what the writer is trying to convey

Activity 10: Making a General Outline, p 31

For additional support, have students work in small groups or pairs Guide students in completing this activity by modeling how to refer back to the essay in order to identify and locate the information necessary to complete a general outline

Activity 11: Making a Specific Outline, pp 32-33

For additional support, have students work in small groups or pairs Guide students in completing this activity by modeling how to refer back to the essay in order to identify and locate the information necessary to complete a general outline On the board or screen, use a sample outline to model how to combine or eliminate ideas that do not add interest to the essay Explain how you decided to combine or eliminate and encourage students to ask for clarification about this process as needed

Writing the Conclusion, p 34

Present the mnemonic device SOP (suggestion, opinion, prediction) to students as a way

to help them remember some effective ways of ending their essays Remind students that writing conclusion paragraphs is often a challenging task and encourage them to include at least three sentences in their conclusions

Writer’s Note: Checking the First and Last Paragraphs, p 34

Emphasize the importance of reading the introductory paragraph and the concluding paragraph after they write an essay in order to make sure that the two paragraphs contain similar information Model this practice by examining the first and last paragraphs of some of the essays

in this unit

Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 12: Word Associations, p 35

Explain to students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their vocabulary by building connections to more words By increasing their vocabulary, students will have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing Point out

to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions The task is to choose the word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word It may be beneficial for students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary Have partners take turns looking up the meaning of the words they do not know

Activity 13: Using Collocations, p 35

Make sure that students understand what collocations are (words or groups of words that naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word) Explain that learning collocations will help students build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases

in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced

Model how to select the correct answer by completing several of the items together as a class Have students complete the activity individually or in pairs Encourage students to keep a list of the most common or useful collocations and ask them to review them on their own for reinforcement

Original Student Writing

Understanding the Writing Process: The Seven Steps, p 36

Tell students that this section covers the basic steps of the writing process Review and discuss each step aloud Have students turn to the Brief Writer’s Handbook with Activities (pp 157–163) for a more detailed review of this important information

Activity 14: Essay Writing Practice, p 36

Because this is the first original student writing assignment, you may decide that it is too soon for the students to write an original essay independently In this case, you might want to assign a specific topic and have students work in pairs or groups to write the outline of the essay before writing the first draft (which could also be done in pairs, groups, or independently)

Remind students to refer to the seven steps in the writing process on p 36 (or in the Brief

Writer’s Handbook with Activities on pp 157–163)

Additional Topics for Writing, p 37

Included in this section is a list of essay writing prompts Point out to students that in order to become better writers, they need to write as much as possible You may choose to assign these topics a daily, weekly, bimonthly, or voluntary basis Remind students to refer to the seven steps in the writing process in the Brief Writer’s Handbook with Activities (pp 157–163)

Timed Writing, p 37

Timed writing is a valuable skill for students to work on since many standardized tests include a timed-writing section Students might feel varying levels of anxiety due to this time limit, which can result in a greater number of errors than they normally make Explain to

students that timed-writing practice can help them feel more comfortable and confident in other timed-writing situations where they will need to write quickly and accurately

Before beginning the writing task, review the writing prompt and the essay guidelines

provided If necessary, teach the term writing prompt

EXPANSION ACTIVITIES

Help students recognize what is and is not a good topic for an essay Display examples of essay topics on the board or screen Work as a class to brainstorm and narrow the topic Then decide as a group if the topic is too general or specific for an essay Some example topics may include pollution, movie stars, exercise, a specific country, and so on

For additional practice, provide students with high-interest essays from outside sources

As needed, have students work in small groups or as a whole class to find and analyze the thesis statement, body, and conclusion

Finally, have students volunteer ideas or topics that they are interested in writing about

As a class, brainstorm the types of thesis statements that would be appropriate for the topic

Suggest students write paragraphs about the opening spread, or another photo in the unit You may want to brainstorm vocabulary for the photo before students write their sentences

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Because vocabulary is such an important point in moving to a higher proficiency level, instructors may want their students to maintain a vocabulary journal to correspond to the

vocabulary, which is something that we strongly advocate

Making a Vocabulary Journal

An easy way to accomplish this is to do the following:

1 Ask students to separate a piece of paper into two sections vertically The column on the left should be approximately 2 inches wide

4 Underneath the definition in the right column, the student will create a sample sentence using the word, but a BLANK SPACE will be used instead of the vocabulary word

Using the Vocabulary Journal

Explain to the students that this type of vocabulary journal can be used in different ways:

a By covering up the vocabulary word, students must look at the clues (definition and sample sentence) and recall the vocabulary word

b By covering up the vocabulary word and the definition (across both columns), students must use the sample sentence with context clues to recall the vocabulary word

c By covering up the vocabulary word and the sample sentence, students must recall the

vocabulary word by using its definition as a clue

Sample Vocabulary Journal

vocabulary word, part of

Suggested Words for the Vocabulary Journal

Below is a list of vocabulary words from the essays in the unit We suggest that students begin with these words and add other words to their vocabulary journals as necessary

UNIT 2 Narrative Essays

OVERVIEW

Unit 2 concentrates on the elements of a narrative essay Overall, students will learn that

a narrative essay tells a story, which allows the writer to be more creative than other types of rhetorical styles Students will also learn about the several important elements that make up a story

Students will continue with Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary

For further support, you may use the Great Writing 4 Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to

produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary, editing, or writing that is covered in this unit

OBJECTIVES

1 Learn how to write a narrative essay (p 40)

2 Learn how to write a narrative hook (p 41)

3 Add supporting information to narrative essays (pp 42–43)

4 Use connectors and time relationship words (pp 50–51)

5 Use adjective clauses (pp 52–53)

6 Use the brainstorming process to generate ideas (pp 57–58)

7 Write an original narrative essay by following a guided outline and writing activity (pp 59–61)

Go over the objectives on the top of page 39 Explain that students will do these things in the unit Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 39 Tell them you will come back to this question at the end of the unit

TEACHING NOTES

An important feature of the narrative essay is the understanding that this type of essay must have a beginning, a middle, and an end Because narrative essays are told in chronological order, transitions are also covered in this unit

When introducing the narrative rhetorical style, you may want to refer to Essay 1 in Unit

1 about Cinderella and assess if students remember the fairy tale As a warm-up to beginning the unit, ask students to summarize the story On the board or screen, separate the story into its three main parts (beginning, middle, and end—the moral) Most of the activities in this unit require

students to study and analyze example essays Students will learn how to write a narrative essay

by completing brainstorming, outlining, and peer editing activities

What Is a Narrative Essay?: The Introduction, The Body, The Conclusion, pp 40–43

Because narrative essays tell a story, their organizational pattern is different from other rhetorical styles Students must be made aware of the fact that the thesis statement, details, and conclusion of a narrative are different from other essay types Many students are already familiar with this type of personal writing (e.g., “What did you do during summer vacation?”) However,

it may be helpful for students if you emphasize that this rhetorical style is the least academic of the five types presented in the book and remind students that other writing assignments (from Units 3–5) might be more challenging

Structure of a Story

After you have presented the elements of a story, check comprehension by asking questions Have students identify each element and give examples from popular books or movies

Activity 1: Identifying Hooks, p 41

This activity is important in helping students understand the differences between

narrative hooks and other types of hooks (presented in Unit 1) While going over the answers,

you may want to ask students to explain why they think a particular question is or is not a good

narrative hook

Writer’s Note: Storytelling Tip, p 43

Point out that when writing is descriptive, it paints a picture in one’s mind and helps the reader visualize what is happening Explain to students that this makes writing more interesting and will help the reader feel like they are part of the story, which is very important in a narrative essay

Activity 2: Studying a Narrative Essay, pp 43–44

When reviewing the answers, refer students back to the information on pages 40–43 for clarification Ask students to explain terms (e.g., narrative hook, setting, theme) as they give answers

Activity 3: Outlining Practice, pp 46–47

Use the outlining activity to reinforce the role of each component in the narrative essay Discuss this writing activity as a class Answers may vary slightly in wording, but overall, there

will be one answer per item

Activity 4: Adding Supporting Information, pp 48–49

Depending on the level of your students, you may want them to work on this activity in pairs or in small groups Alternately, groups of students can be responsible for filling in just one part of the supporting information before sharing it with the rest of the class

For students who are having difficulty coming up with information, consider having them first write a specific outline and/or writing questions on the board or screen to help them with their brainstorming (e.g., “What did that part of town look like?” or “How long did the drive take you?” for paragraph 3)

Grammar for Writing

Connectors and Time Relationship Words, pp 50

Most students will probably already be familiar with the majority of the words and

phrases presented in the chart on p 50 Be sure to point out to students that while it is very important to add transition words to essays, it is also important not to use so many that the series

of events becomes difficult to follow Have students turn to pp 180–181 in the Brief Writer’s Handbook with Activities to reference a complete list of connectors As needed, have students complete Activity 3 on p 172

For additional practice, suggest students write sentences with phrases that express time order Then have them exchange sentences with a partner to write in another way

Activity 5: Adding Connectors, pp 51–52

Work together as a class to fill in the first several blanks with the appropriate connector

or time relationship word or phrase Model how you decide which connector to choose by

reading each paragraph aloud and discussing your choice Based on the level of support that students need to complete this activity, complete it as a class or have students work

independently or with a partner

Grammar for Writing

Adjective Clauses, p 52

Activity 6: Adjective Clause Review, p 53–54

When students have completed the activity, call on students to identify the clauses and say which

provide necessary information

Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 7: Word Associations, p 54

If necessary, remind students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their vocabulary by building connections to more words By increasing their vocabulary, students will have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing

Point out to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions The task is to choose the word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word It may be

beneficial for students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary Have

partners take turns looking up the meaning of the words they do not know

Activity 8: Using Collocations, pp 55

If necessary, review what collocations are (words or groups of words that naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word) Remind students that learning collocations will help them build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced

Model how to select the correct answer by completing several of the items together as a class Have students complete the activity individually or in pairs Encourage students to keep a list of the most common or useful collocations and ask them to review them on their own for reinforcement

Developing a Narrative Essay: Choosing a Topic, p 55

Review the common criteria for choosing a topic with students As a class, brainstorm topics that are not too small but too big and record all ideas on the board, screen, or on chart paper Discuss which topics on the list might provide enough action to make a story of five or six paragraphs

Writer’s Note: Topic Tip, p 56

Have students write exciting on the front of an index card Then on the back have them

writing a list of the exciting events they have experienced Then discuss how many of the events they listed could be developed into an interesting narrative essay Have students repeat this step

with difficult, wonderful, frightening, etc., and encourage them to use this process when

brainstorming topics

Review the questions Ask students which questions they think are especially interesting

Activity 9: Choosing Topics, p 56–57

For additional support with determining how to choose topics, work together as a class to complete this activity Read each pair of topics aloud and discuss as a group why one topic is better than the other for a narrative essay

Activity 10: Ideas for a Narrative Essay, p 57

Have students refer to the information on choosing a topic for a narrative essay from

pp 56–57 as they complete the activity

Brainstorming: pp 57–58

Discuss with students the process they go through when they come up with ideas for writing Have students turn to the illustration on p 57 and explain that the man in the picture is brainstorming Display the definition of brainstorming on the board or screen and read it aloud

Then write a list of the wh- questions and explain that answering these questions can guide them

through the brainstorming process Discuss how making a list of words or phrases or how

making a map of a visual essay might help them brainstorm for a narrative essay Encourage students to experiment with all three brainstorming techniques as well as to keep a list of

brainstorming techniques that they can refer to as they write

Original Student Writing: Narrative Essay

Activity 11: Developing Narrative Ideas, p 59

Remind students that the main parts of an essay include the introduction, body, and conclusion As students complete the activity, circulate around the room and provide support as needed

Activity 12: Planning with an Outline, pp 59-61

Remind students that the more detailed the outline is, the easier it will be to write the essay If students have difficulty completing the outline, have them go back to the brainstorming stage and/or consider whether the topic is appropriate for a narrative essay

About Peer Editing

Writer’s Note: Suggestions for Peer Editing, p 61

Read the suggestions for peer editing aloud and model for students how to listen carefully and how to make helpful comments It may be helpful to provide examples of not listening carefully or making comments that are not helpful Emphasize the importance of choosing words and comments carefully in order to not hurt their classmate’s feelings Peer editing is intended to

be a positive, helpful experience for the writer

Activity 13: Peer Editing Your Outline, p 62

This book contains a series of peer editing sheets that students can use for their outlines and first drafts of each original writing assignment Remind students that peer editing is a

process that provides a writer with feedback and suggestions from a classmate and that can help the writer find out if her or his writing is clear

Direct students to Peer Editing Sheet 1 in Appendix 2 The sheets can be downloaded from NGL.Cengage.com/GW4

Activity 14: Writing a Narrative Essay, p 62

Review the features and purpose of a narrative essay before students begin this activity Remind students to refer to the seven steps in the writing process in the Brief Writer’s Handbook with Activities on pp 157–163

Activity 15: Peer Editing Your Essay, p 62

This book contains a peer editing sheet sample that students can use for their outlines and first drafts of their original writing assignment Remind students that peer editing is a process that provides a writer with feedback and suggestions from a classmate and that can help the writer find out if her or his writing is clear

Direct students to Peer Editing Sheet 2 on NGL.Cengage.com/GW4 The sheets can be printed out, completed, and exchanged

Additional Topics for Writing, p 62

Included in this section is a list of narrative essay writing prompts Point out to students that in order to become better writers, they need to write as much as possible You may choose to assign these topics a daily, weekly, bimonthly, or voluntary basis Remind students to refer to the

seven steps in the writing process in the Brief Writer’s Handbook with Activities (pp 131–138)

Timed Writing, p 63

Timed writing is a valuable skill for students to work on since many standardized tests include a timed-writing section Students might feel varying levels of anxiety due to this time limit, which can result in a greater number of errors than they normally make Explain to

students that timed-writing practice can help them feel more comfortable and confident in other timed-writing situations where they will need to write quickly and accurately Before beginning the writing task, review the writing prompt and the essay guidelines provided

EXPANSION ACTIVITIES

Have students volunteer to share their narrative essays in class and have classmates provide positive feedback on the most creative or most surprising aspect of each story As an alternative to asking for volunteers to share their work, collect students’ essays and, keeping the identity of the author anonymous, read parts of them to the class Then have classmates provide positive feedback on the most creative or most surprising aspect of each part of the story that was shared

Suggest students write paragraphs about the opening spread, or another photo in the unit You may want to brainstorm vocabulary for the photo before students write their sentences

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Because vocabulary is such an important point in moving to a higher proficiency level, instructors may want their students to maintain a vocabulary journal to correspond to the

vocabulary, which is something that we strongly advocate

Whether or not this particular strategy is employed, it is imperative that students acquire

a large amount of appropriate vocabulary in this course

Suggested Words for the Vocabulary Journal

Below is a list of vocabulary words from the essays in the unit We suggest that students begin with these words and add other words to their vocabulary journals as necessary

Have students refer back to the opening spread on pages 38 and 39 Direct their attention

to the objectives Ask them to put a check mark by the objective(s) they achieved Then ask students the question at the bottom of the page Students can raise hands to show if they can answer yes to the question

UNIT 3 Comparison Essays

OVERVIEW

The topic of Unit 3 is comparison essays Students are often under the impression that comparison essay topics need to be neat and obvious to the reader, but very often, some of the most interesting comparison essays compare and/or contrast ideas that one would not normally consider doing In this way, Unit 3 provides students with an opportunity to explore the flexible nature of the comparison essay

Students will continue with Building Better Sentences and Building Better Vocabulary

For further support, you may use the Great Writing 4 Assessment CD-ROM with ExamView® to

produce quizzes on the grammar, vocabulary, editing, or writing that is covered in this unit

OBJECTIVES

1 Learn how to write a comparison essay (p 66)

2 Learn how to organize a comparison essay (pp 67–68)

3 Analyze sample comparison essays and answer comprehension questions (pp 68–70)

4 Develop comparison essays with outlining practice and supporting information (pp 69–83)

5 Use connectors for comparison essays (pp 75–77)

6 Use adverb clauses and subordinating conjunctions (pp 78–79)

6 Use the brainstorming process to generate ideas (pp 80–82)

7 Write an original comparison essay by following a guided outline and writing activity

(pp 83–86)

TEACHING NOTES

Students writing comparison essays have two choices: choosing a mundane topic that will produce a well-organized essay with little interest or creatively trying to draw comparisons from dissimilar items or making connections between items that do not seem to have connections

Unit 3 explains the different patterns of organization for comparison essays (the block method and the point-by-point method) Students study and analyze example Students will

learn how to write a comparison essay by completing brainstorming, outlining, and peer editing

Go over the objectives on the top of page 65 Explain that students will do these things in the unit Have students look at the question at the bottom of page 65 Tell them you will come back to this question at the end of the unit

What is a Comparison Essay?, p 66

Make sure students understand that comparison essays can discuss similarities and/or

differences Direct students’ attention to the two paintings on pages 66 and 67 Have them work

in pairs to list similarities and differences, then lead a discussion with the class

Patterns of Organization, p 67

To reinforce the two methods of organization, present students with another topic using one of the organizational patterns Then have students change the format from one type to the other Repeat as needed This can be done as a class, in pairs, or individually

Parallel Organization of Supporting Information, p 67

Emphasize to students that the order in which the subjects and the points of comparison are presented must be the same from paragraph to paragraph

Activity 1: Studying a Comparison Essay, pp 68–70

Use item #5 on p 70 to review supporting details in an essay as well as to illustrate the parallel structure of the supporting ideas

Activity 2: Outlining Practice, pp 70–72

If necessary, have students turn to pp 32–33 and review specific outlines Use the

outlining activity to reinforce the role of each component in the comparison essay Discuss this writing activity as a class Answers may vary slightly in wording, but overall, there will be one answer per item

Activity 3: Supporting Information, pp 72–74

Before students complete this activity in pairs, clarify that they will need to write the missing supporting information Briefly review the importance of supporting information and

suggest they ask wh- questions about the topic to help them develop supporting information that

will support the main idea(s)

Writer’s Note: Asking Questions, p 74

Emphasize the importance of asking questions in order to generate ideas for an essay Explain to students that asking and answering questions is good practice not only for comparison

Grammar for Writing

Connectors for Comparison Essays, pp 75

Based on students’ needs, discuss the use of connectors for comparison essays Note that one chart presents connectors that show comparison (similarities) and that the other shows

contrast (differences) Have students turn to pp 180–181 in the Brief Writer’s Handbook with Activities to reference a complete list of connectors As needed, have students complete the exercise on p 172

Activity 4: Connectors, pp 76–77

Model for students how to select the appropriate connector in each set of parentheses for this activity For additional support, have students refer to the charts on p 75

Building Better Vocabulary

Activity 5: Word Associations, p 77

If necessary, remind students that learning word associations will help enrich and expand their vocabulary by building connections to more words By increasing their vocabulary, students will have more options in communicating their ideas, which will help improve their writing Point out to students that this activity is about word associations, not definitions The task is to choose the word or phrase that is most closely associated with the target word It may be

beneficial for students to complete this activity with a partner and with a dictionary Have

partners take turns looking up the meaning of the words they do not know

Activity 6: Using Collocations, p 78

If necessary, review what collocations are (words or groups of words that naturally and that frequently co-occur with a target word) Remind students that learning collocations will help them build on their bank of commonly used phrases and that incorporating these phrases in their writing will help it sound more natural and advanced

Model how to select the correct answer by completing several of the items together as a class Have students complete the activity individually or in pairs Encourage students to keep a list of the most common or useful collocations and ask them to review them on their own for reinforcement

Grammar for Writing

Using Adverb Clauses, pp 78-79

For additional practice, write sentences on the board using either subordinating conjunctions or transitions Have students rewrite the sentences using another connector

Activity 7, Identifying Adverb Clauses and Subordinating Conjunctions, p 80

As you go over the answers, ask students to identify the function of any adverb clauses

Developing Ideas for Writing

Brainstorming, pp 80-82

Explain to the students that making a list and using a Venn diagram are particularly good ways to brainstorm ideas for a comparison essay Encourage students to keep a list of

brainstorming techniques that they can refer to as they write

Activity 8: Identifying Good Topics for a Comparison Essay, p 82-83

Discuss the first completed sample for this activity as a class Encourage students to share why they think the answers make or do not make good choices for topics Ask students to state whether or not they agree with the sample answer and explain why Based on the level of support that students need, have them complete the activity individually, in pairs, or as a class

Original Student Writing: Comparison Essay

Activity 9: Working with a Topic, pp 83-84

Before students select a topic form the list presented, briefly discuss examples of some possible subjects for each topic as a class If necessary, review how to use a Venn diagram when brainstorming

Writer’s Note: Ideas for Supporting Information, p 84

Write each bulleted point idea on the board or screen Discuss with students how these ideas can be used as supporting information in a body paragraph

Activity 10: Planning with an Outline, pp 84–86

Clarify that this outline uses the point-by-point method of organization and that students should use their ideas from Activity 9 for the outline Review the point-by-point method if

necessary

Activity 11: Peer Editing Your Outline, p 86

If necessary, remind students that peer editing is a process that provides a writer with feedback and suggestions from a classmate and that can help the writer find out if her or his writing is clear

Have students download Peer Editing Sheet 3 at NGL.Cengage.com/GW4

Activity 12: Writing a Comparison Essay, p 86

Review the features and purpose of a comparison essay before students begin this

activity Remind students to refer to the seven steps in the writing process on p 36 or in the Brief Writer’s Handbook with Activities on pp 156-163