Gettysburg Address Bellwork • Grab a textbook from the cart.• In your notebook, write and answer the following questions. Use

complete sentences and cite evidence from the text to support your answers (10 min).

1. What was the main — central or most important — idea in the Gettysburg Address?

2. Identify Lincoln’s purpose in writing the Gettysburg Address.

Informative Essay Notes

5 Steps to Writing a Perfect Essay1. Pre-Writing• Brainstorming, Clustering/Idea Mapping, Freewriting

2. Organizing and Planning• Choosing an organizational strategy and mapping out points

3. Drafting• First stage of writing — pencil/pen to paper

4. Revising and Editing• Reread, share, revise

5. The Final Copy

Organizational Strategies• Definition• Describing the most important

characteristics or features of a subject. Used to explain what something is.• A good teacher is someone who

helps students reach their fullest potential.

Organizational Strategies• Classification• Grouping people or things into

categories. Used to break a larger topic into smaller parts or groups (e.g., breeds of dogs, types of stars, movie genres)• Some parents challenge their

children at every step, while others just shake their heads and say nothing.

Organizational Strategies• Comparison/Contrast• Examining similarities and

differences between two or more subjects. Used to show how two or more things are alike or different (e.g., vegetarians vs. meat eaters, cars vs. bicycles)• Both solar and wind power aim to

produce clean energy. However, solar power utilizes panels to harness energy, while wind power uses turbines.

Organizational Strategies • Cause/Effect• Explaining why something

happened, why certain conditions exist, or what resulted from an action or condition. Used to show how an event, main idea, or trend is the direct result of another.• The Titanic sank because it hit an

iceberg. The iceberg punctured the ship, causing it to take on water.

Organizational Strategies• Main Idea and Details• Introducing an important idea and

details, such as facts, statistics, or examples.• A lack of sleep can lead to many

problems. Over time, it can weaken the immune system. It also causes moodiness. Perhaps most dangerous of all, sleep loss leads to serious accidents.

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Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Essential Components

of the Informative Essay

Introduction• Hook/Grabber — Begin your essay in a creative way that grabs the reader’s

attention. • A quote — “As a rule, men worry more about what they can’t see than about what

they can.” Julius Caesar said this…• Fact — Cigarette smoke has been called ‘a lethal cocktail’ of paint stripper, toilet

bowl cleaner, lighter fluid, mothball chemicals, death chamber poison and rocket fuel.

• Open-ended question — Most teens have money to spend thanks to an allowance or after-school job, but do they have the money management skills to go along with that income?

• Anecdote — Until a disaster catches a community off-guard, most people never stop to think about what they would need to survive away from the comforts of home.

Thesis Statement• A single sentence at the end of your intro paragraph• Tells your opinion on the topic (what you’re discussing or trying to

prove) — what’s your point?• Directs reader to your main pieces of evidence

Thesis Machine• Step 1: Topic _________________________________________• Step 2: Issue _________________________________________• Step 3: Position + Rationale__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Body Paragraphs• Contain supporting details/subtopics of essay.• Include facts, definitions, concrete details, and examples to explain

the topic. Body paragraphs elaborate on your subtopics in order to support your thesis statement.• To be effective, your elaboration must be well-chosen, relevant

(related to your topic), significant, and sufficient (enough to make your point).

Body Paragraphs Thesis Statement: While fossil fuels continue to be an important resource, the use of biofuels is becoming more common in the field of transportation.

As the threat of global warming grows and the cost of gasoline and diesel increases, the use of biofuels as an alternative energy source becomes more and more attractive. The potential for biofuels to both help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to save on fuel costs has spurred many companies to adopt greener policies that involve changing over to biofuel-powered forms of transportation.For example, one trash collection company in Houston has begun running their trucks on methane from decomposed organic trash. Another company in Massachusetts began running their trucks on biodiesel to save money when conventional diesel prices started to soar. Even the aviation industry has started to investigate the possibility of using biofuels in plane travel.

Biodiesel is a type of biofuel made either from oily plants like soybean or from used cooking oil. Being a biofuel, it is nontoxic and, therefore, not harmful to the environment.

Another type of biofuel is ethanol, which is made primarily from sugarcane or corn. The United States and Brazil are the largest producers of ethanol.

A third type of biofuel is methane, which comes from the decomposition of biomass.

Effec

tive

Ineffective

Transitions• Transitions are words or phrases that help connect ideas in a piece of writing.

First, I think that she is studying hard.

Second, I believe that she is a bright student.

Finally, I know that she has great potential.

In conclusion, I feel that she deserves to win the scholarship.

In summary, we should offer her some financial help.

More Transitions• Adding information — Not only did my brother break his leg, but he

also bruised his rib.• Giving Examples — He often eats strange foods. For instance, he once

ate cow brains. • Showing a similarity — Houseplants require much care and attention.

Similarly, outdoor plants must be cared for properly. • Explaining or Emphasizing — The bookstore sells cards. In fact, they

have the best cards around.

Brainstorm List of Transitions

Conclusion• A good conclusion:• Follows from and supports the information or explanation presented

in the introduction.• Explains why the information is important or what effects might

follow.• Zinger — thought that makes the writer remember your essay; it

should remind the reader of the most important thing you want her/him to remember. Surprises, evokes an emotional response, or provokes the reader to think.

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Introduction

Body

Conclusion

• Hook• Thesis Statement

• Idea #1 ______________________________

• Idea #2 ______________________________

• Idea #3 ______________________________

Transition

Transition

Transition

Transition

• Restatement of thesis• Zinger

Gettysburg Address EssayWrite an informative essay in which you explain:• Lincoln’s purpose in the Gettysburg Address• How he supported his purpose using rhetorical devices (e.g. allusion, repetition,

parallelism, ethos, pathos, logos)

• Requirements:• MLA style (we will discuss this next class)• 5 paragraphs (intro, 3 body paragraphs, conclusion)• Use one sentence that contains parallelism (must be your own sentence, cannot be

a quote from the speech)• A well-written and clear thesis statement• A hook/grabber and a zinger• Effective use of transitions

• In Class: complete the cluster mapping chart for your essay.

Homework: Complete the research paper graphic organizer that includes the following: • Hook/Grabber• Thesis statement• 3 main points (different rhetorical devices used and how they

supported his purpose(s))• Zinger

Both the cluster chart and thesis statement graphic organizer are due next class.