We will finally begin presentations for Stiff this week. A reminder to all -- the topics discussed in these chapters need to be handled in a mature manner. I expect a level of maturity when presenting your chapter and when sitting in the audience as an active participant. I thank you in advance for your cooperation. I hope you have all taken the time to read the nine chapters that will be presented this week and next week.
DUE DATE FOR FINAL ESSAY: The 50 Point Final Essay for first marking period is due Tuesday, October 26. I will hand out the requirement sheet in class. However, I have included the same information below.
Requirements:
The last two months we have written rough drafts dealing with the topics below. You will now use one of these rough drafts to revise and improve for 50 points. Just because you received a good grade on the rough does not guarantee a good grade on a revised copy. You will be handing in all drafts of your chosen topic. If you don’t hand in the original rough draft with the final draft, you will drop a full letter grade. Your chosen essay MUST be typed (12 Font, Times New Roman, and Double-Spaced). Your name, my name, class, and date should appear in the left-hand corner. A title should be centered after the heading. MLA format is a must. All final essays must be at least two pages in length.
Audience and Purpose:
The audience for your final essay is a college admissions officer. Therefore, think about all of the things we discussed last few weeks about writing college essays. The purpose is to show (not tell) who you are as a person – something new that will not be listed/mentioned in the application.
Possible Essay Choices:
• Why I Write and/or Why I Read essay: Take your rough draft on why you read and/or why you write and revise it to be a college essay response. Assume the college has asked you to provide a personal statement about yourself and you decide to share your love for reading and writing. I wouldn’t use this one if you focused too much on why you don’t like to read or write. You want it to be a positive response.
• The Things They Carried poem or essay: Take your poem or writing on the things you carry and revise it to be a college essay response. Assume the college has asked you to write an essay about the “things you carry” in your life on a day to day basis and how you have overcome these challenges.
• College Essay Question # 1: Take the rough draft of the college essay response you did using one of the Common Application essay prompts or one from a college of your own choice. Even if your college has asked you to keep your response to a one page or half of a page response, I still want you to write it for me as a two page minimum.
• Some of you may want to write a second college essay for another college you may want to apply to this fall. If this is the case, you may do this. However, you must show evidence of revisions and editing. This means you must write your own rough draft and do a self-evaluation by writing notes on the rough draft, have a friend or parent also proofread it, and then write your final draft. Save all copies to hand in with the final draft!
Just a reminder: Final essays should be handed in on the due date. However, they can be handed in for a letter grade lower the day after the due date or two letter grades lower on the second day late. I will not accept any papers after that date. If you are absent, you must e-mail me your paper on the due date and provide me a printed out copy and your rough draft upon your return to school.
