Students investigate the essay as a genre of writing. They look at a variety of essay types and determine how they are based in rhetorical tradition. They compare the writing styles of Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass while examining the persuasive appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos. They write an individual essay.

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Grades:

9th - 12th

Students view a presentation designed for beginning writers. It focuses on the introduction, organization, summary, and transitions used to create a well-developed essay. They practice this technique by completing an essay template.

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Grades:

7th

Students explore how to write the five-paragraph essay.

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Grades:

3rd

Students study how essays and speeches as literary threads create an intimate relationship between the author and audience. They discover how speeches of important Americans reflect the hopes and dreams of earlier generations.

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Grades:

8th

Students create a standard outline, using a word processing tool, while they are learning about the basic writing device of the 5 paragraph essay.

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Grades:

5th - 8th