WRITE THAT ESSAY STUDENT WORKBOOK !"

! PLANNING YOUR ESSAY

SECTION

!

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Brainstorming

Brainstorming: the rules:Write down all your ideasDon’t scrub anything o$Even whacky ideas matterCapture ALL your ideas – so if one thing you write makes you think of something else, WRITE that down too.

Here’s an example of a brainstorming mind map for a question on Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

The question was: Choose a major character from a play you have studied, explain what type of person he or she was, and show how the writer has shown development or change in the character.

Falls for JulietRemains faithful

From gloomy to mature

He is generous

Provoked by

Tybalt

The Capulet’s Ball

Romeo

Meets Juliet

Romeo changesRosaline does not

respond

In love with

Rosaline

Life of exile in

Mantua

For readingPage 30Write That Essay: High School Edition

The first step in preparing to write is to come up with ideas

on your topic.

Brainstorming is the technique we use. The aim is to produce as many ideas as possible on your topic, so that when you come to plan your essay properly, you have emptied your head of all the possibilities.

Juliet is Capulet’s

daughter

WRITE THAT ESSAY STUDENT WORKBOOK !%

Brainstorming Mind Map

My Question:

t

For readingPages 30 Write That Essay: High School Edition

Pick your three best ideas, and list them here:

WRITE THAT ESSAY STUDENT WORKBOOK&'

Collecting Evidence

ActivityHaving a sheet of paper that lists some good evidence about your text can really help your writing. You will have clear, accurate things to say, and won’t fall into the trap of writing lots of general stu$, that doesn’t get you good grades.

Using the text you are studying, see how many of the following you can compile as you gather your evidence. Remember, be specific and detailed:

Name three things unique to the setting of the text.

Name two main characters in the text and describe each of them.

Write a short quote from each character that illustrates who they are as characters or something important to them.

What do you admire the most about the leading character? Why?

What is the message of the text?

Jot down two scenes in the text that powerfully reveal the message.

How do they show it?

Name three language features that the writer uses to reinforce his/her message.

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For readingPages 50-53 Write That Essay: High School Edition

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Your Essay Box PlanMy Question is:

Introduction:

Paragraph 2:

Paragraph 3:

Conclusion:

Paragraph 1:

Each box represents on

paragraph

YBe brief but make some notes to help

you remember

Make a strong statement in your

conclusion