October 22, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 2
I suggested making flashcards tonight
Essay due Wednesday

Today:
I have a few things I will be looking for on the essay due Wednesday.

We spent many days during the daily drills looking at commas with non-essential information. I told the students I would like to see two sentences highlighted in the essay that contain commas with non-essential information. That information makes the sentences more descriptive. We looked at two examples today. You can see them in the daily drill archive on the main page.

We also discussed six different hooks the students can use in their introductions. I call them handshakes. We reviewed six of the twelve we will eventually study. I would like the students to use one of these six for the essay. On the back page, I would like them to explain why they chose that technique. What was the intended effect on the reader? The techniques are Question, Quote, Amazing Fact or Statistic, Anecdote, Humor, and Bold and Challenging Statement.

I would also like the students to make sure their introductions match their conclusions. I will discuss that idea more Tuesday. Ideally, the essay has similar bookends. They resemble each other, but they do their specific job.

On Wednesday, five volunteers (or victims) will read their essays to the class.