UNIT 1 --- THE REMEMBERING UNIT OBJECTIVES

 

The purpose of this unit is to help you rediscover a specific situation or event from your past, explore it in depth, develop a particular point about it, and communicate your ideas in an essay of approximately 5 paragraphs.

 

 

Read Pages  XXXV-Xlii  Reading these pages will outline the principles of each technique this book uses within each chapter to help you grasp the various aspects of the writing process. If you are not motivated by the choices from the Ideas for Writing for your journals, you may always choose a topic from Point of Contact prompt on pages 26 and 27.

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Journal Entry # 1  Read “The Thrill of Victory…The Agony of Parents” p. 14

Answer questions

  • 1, 2 and 3 from Exploring Ideas
  • 1, 2, 3 and 4 from Writing Strategies

 

 

Journal Entry # 2  Read “How I Lost the Junior Miss Pageant” p. 6

 

  • Write  answers to questions 1, 2, and 4, of Writing Strategies, page 10
  • Choose a topic from Ideas for Writing or go to the Point of Contact prompts

           On pages 26-27 and use a topic there and write a paragraph or two on the same

           page as the questions above. 

 

 

Journal Entry # 3  Read “The Andy Griffith Show: A Return to Normal” p. 372 

Answer questions

  • 1, 2, and 3 from  Exploring Ideas  
  • What television show, movie or book has taught you a valuable lesson about life? OR
  • What person, place or thing has influenced you to look at yourself and your value in life differently? OR
  • Choose a topic from Point of Contact pages to complete your journal.

 

 

Journal Entry # 4 “The Grapes of Mrs. Wrath” p. 18

  • Answer questions 1 and 3 from Writing Strategies

 

Journal Entry # 5 “The Greatest Gift” p. 20

  • Choose 1 or 2 from Ideas for Writing and develop it into a journal

 

 

Planning Your Essay

  1. When you have completed the above requirements, select one of the entry topics to develop into an essay. For a more thorough understanding of the basic type of essay I expect, please check pages 749-753 of your text.
  2. Complete the Evolution of a Thesis on page 37 by writing your thesis through the five different steps.
  3. Complete the following Essay Plan (Depending on your topic, you may modify the essay plan to four paragraphs instead of five or you may add as many additional body paragraphs as you need to cover your topic.

 

ESSAY PLAN

I.   Thesis statement (a complete sentence)

            I love my grandmother’s house because I can go to my grandpa’s favorite room and remember him in detail.

 

 

II. Topic sentence (first point) Whenever I walk into grandma’s house, I always go directly to my grandpa’s favorite room—the den.

 

            A. Example/Detail----physical description of chair

            B. Example/Detail----emotions associated with sitting in chair

            C. Example/Detail----what I observe about grandpa from the chair

 

III. Topic sentence (second point) Now when I sit in his chair, I look on the mantle and see an old Air Force picture of my grandpa and three of his Air force buddies.

 

            A. Example/Detail---physical description of picture

            B. Example/Detail---memories of grandpa and his character

            C. Example/Detail---feelings shared with grandpa

 

IV. Topic sentence (third point) I also love to play with the pipe stand that sits on the table next to my grandpa’s chair.

 

            A. Example/Detail---physical description of pipe stand

            B. Example/Detail--- sensory description of pipe

            C. Example/Detail---memories of grandpa’s smoking habits

 

V.   Conclusion (leave reader with a sense of finality) I will always treasure this one tiny room, with its smells from the past and its picture of my grandpa smiling.

 

(At this point, I will respond to your essay plan if you wish. I will give my comments about whether or not you are on target and whether you have enough details or not.)

 

Type your rough draft. Remember that an introduction, including a hook to get the reader’s attention, and some background information should precede the thesis statement.  Body paragraphs should have a topic sentence, at least three to five sentences of support, and a statement that leaves the reader satisfied that you have made your point.

 

ALSO REMEMBER THAT USING QUALITY TRANSITIONS (Since our text does not include many transitions for you, you may check the Course Documents for Transitions. I have a very lengthy and useful list there.)

 

IN ADDITION, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE WILL ADD UNITY AND LIVLINESS TO YOUR WRITING.