Page |1 NOTES DECSRIPTIVE/NARRATIVE The descriptive or narrative essay- this type of essay topic draws on your personal life

experiences and asks you to show (describe) and tell (narrate) a significant event in your life. The descriptive or narrative essay emphasizes a written reaction that expresses your personal thoughts or feelings about a situation, person, memory, or experience. Responses are vividly describes through the writers own personal perspective. The writer tells a story that paints a sensory picture for the reader through the senses, seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, feeling. The events in this type of essay are usually in chronological order. For example, look at the example essay below. The story essay: Setting: the location of the story Main Characters: the people in the story Plot: the problem in the story or crisis to be overcome Climax: the turning point in the story Resolution: the ending, or how you are now as result of the experience

Three Approaches to Essay Writing: Using one of the three formats will help you responds to certain types of questions. The three types are the Story Essay, the Why Essay, and the Compare and Contrast Essay.

ESSAY STRUCTURE Paragraph 1: introduce the setting/location, time, and the main characters of the story Where When What Who

Paragraph 2: write about the plot, problem, or crisis to be overcome. Build up the conflict Paragraph 3: Describe the climax or catalyst Final Paragraph: provide the resolution to the problem.

Page |2 ANALYTICAL / EXPOSITORY ESSAY The Why Essay One good way to approach a question thats asks you to explain, analyze, or evaluate is to use the Why Essay format. A Why Essay is built around a thesis sentence. The thesis sentence begins with your opinion followed by the word because and then a list of the most important reasons why the opinion is valid, reasonable, or well founded. For example, in the following sample Analytical/Expository essay, the thesis statement is: I am against the Back to Basic movement because it inhibits creativity, fails to recognize the important of the arts, and restricts the curriculum. The thesis statement comes at the end of the introductory paragraph and is followed by paragraph that explains each supporting point. The paper ends with a summary of the reasons and a restatement of the thesis sentence. Each paragraph should contain approximately three to five sentences.

The introduction invites the reader to read on. The following reasons (three are usually sufficient) should give supporting examples or evidence. Your concluding paragraph summarizes your reasons and restates the thesis statement. The why essay format begins with your opinion followed by a list of the most important reasons your opinion is valid and reasonable. It looks like the following table in outline form: Paragraph 1 Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Paragraph 4 Paragraph 5 Introduction- Write your thesis statement or opinion reasons Use the first reason from your introduction as the topic sentence and provide relevant examples Use the second reason from your introduction as the topic sentence of this paragraph Use the third reason from your introduction as the topic sentence of this paragraph Conclusion- Write a summary, recommendation, or prediction

Page |3 Compare and Contrast Essay In the compare and contrast essay you are asked to recognize and discuss the similarities and differences of a topic. In other words, you will be comparing the qualities of a topic that are alike and contrasting the qualities of a topic that are different. You may find it helpful to draw a visual graph (Venn diagram) depicting the overlapping similarities and differences. Once you have discussed the similarities and the differences, your conclusion should include a basis for your analysis of comparison. The following illustrates this process. Compare a time in your life when a teacher helped you and a time a teacher hindered you. Explain which teacher you learned the most form as a result of these experiences.

When writing an essay on a question that asks you to compare or contrast two things, you can this framework as a basic outline for your paper:

Paragraph 1: Introduction 1. Introduce the reader to the topic 2. Restate the question and state your opinion and reasons (thesis) Paragraph 2: Body 1. Describe one teacher and his or her attributes 2. Tell how the teacher helped you 3. Include your feelings about the experience Paragraph 3: Body 1. Describe the second teacher and his or her attributes 2. Tell how this teacher hindered you 3. Include your feelings about the experience Paragraph 4: Conclusion 1. Tell how and why one teacher was the better one for you 2. Restate your thesis

Page |4 DESCRIPTIVE/NARRATIVE ESSAY STORY ESSAY QUESTION: Students can look back on their years in school and pinpoint one particular course or one particular teacher that was most instrumental in shaping their lives. Reflect on your own school years and focus on one such instructor or course. Describe the conditions or qualities that made that particular experience or teacher special.

By the time I was a junior in college, I had developed criteria for good teaching and bad teaching, criteria based on my experiences during those first years of college. The good teachers were always models of enthusiasm and curiosity about their subject, interested in students fulfilling their own potentials and not trying to please the instructor, and friendly as well as scholarly. Of the few good teachers I enjoyed, Mr. Amar (a speech professor) was the best. Four times a week sluggish and yawning from listening to my History professor talk about the Fall of Rome, I slumped into Mr. Amars class on how to deliver a perfect speech. And always he would he would lift my sprits with his own spirited approach: his was a remarkable talent for making connections between the experiences of Koby Bryant, Lamar Odom and many other athletes who feared public speaking. He showed that good teachers make their subjects part of their own life and time and that practicing how to deliver a good speech can helps us understand that learning has no limit. But Mr. Amar never imposed his viewpoints on us. The importance of practicing oral speech was ours to decide. We kept journals in which we wrote speeches intended for a variety of audiences and by sharing those speeches with our class which allowed receiving constructive criticism. All this came about because Mr. Amar was more interested in what the subject meant to us that what it meant to him. His attention to our learning didnt stop at the end of class meeting. Always willing to make himself available for further instruction, Mr. Amar even invited us to one of his motivational speech seminars. These uncommon occasions, sharing the professors natural habitat, helped us to learn that teachers are people too, and that the best teachers are those who transform their studies into a community not just a bunch of anonymous paper pushers. Each day of my own training in education and practice in teaching, I try to remember what Mr. Amar taught me. Good teaching takes energy, commitment, and good humor; it is a product of people, not merely of books and papers.

Page |5

DESCRIPTIVE/NARRATIVE ESSAY

QUESTION: Reflect upon a good friend and select the one character trait that you feel to be the most important. Describe and explain why that particular trait is more important that any other.

When forming a friendship, I dont consciously evaluate the possible friends character traits. It is usually a case of something that simply clicks. Over the long run, however, when I reflect on my best friend, Blanca, I realize that the character trait most important to me in a friend is loyalty. By loyalty I mean a staunch support of me through thick and thin, regardless of whether or not the friend agrees with me. Loyalty can be tricky. Should a friend support you, even when she doesnt actually approve of what you are doing or planning to do? This is a situation that arose between Blanca and me. I wanted to quit school for a year and work to save money to help my mother, who had recently lost her job. Blanca disagreed with my pan completely. She told me that if it would be better for me to finish college and to borrow money from other relatives to help my mother. We argued about it, but our conversation never became angry. In fact, I appreciated the points she made, even though I chose to leave school temporarily. Blancas loyalty to me, once Id made my decision, was invaluable. She helped me investigate job possibilities, gave me some good leads, and sympathized when job hunt led to disappointments. This is the kind of loyalty thats counts: a truly loyal friend is able to disagree with you and speak his mind and then remain your supporter when you make your own decisions. Blanca has other great characters traits, of course, like a sense of humor, an easy-going manner with me and my family, self-confidence, and integrity. When I place her loyalty at the top of the list, it isnt to suggest that Blanca is basically like a good girl. She has loaned me money, loaned me her car, loaned me her ear, and even when I know that helping me has been an imposition on her, she has never made me feel that it is. Basically, she is there for me, and this kind of loyalty is more important to me than any her other traits.

Page |6

QUESTION: You are preparing a speech to a given to a group of educated adults. Select a person who has a major influence in shaping your life and formulating or reaching your goals. Give specific details or examples in your speech.

Many people have had an effect on my life. But the person who had the greatest influence in helping me formulate and reach my goals was my oral speech teachers, Mr. Amar. It was his sound advice that helped me choose the career oath that has served me well. As a young adult I had dreams of making great waves in this planet. I thought that the field of teaching was one where I could make my mark. I decided to complete my lower division courses that would allow me to enter a teaching credential programs, and went to Mr. Amar to share my decision with him and seek his advice. Mr. Amar was one of those teachers with a special gift. He would always listen, smile, ask a few questions and suddenly the person who had come to him would find their answer. Mr. Amar rarely said you should, rather he would offer a well, if I were in your shoes I might And in this crafty way he would offer a few options that were soundly based upon his knowledge and personal experience. I dont remember exactly how our conversation went on that particular day when I sought his counsel. I only remembered he agreed. He was well aware of my dedication in teaching children and helping our community people and thought that I would be an excellent teacher. I took his advice and completed all my lower division courses. My goal of entering a teaching credential programs came to me as the most important day of my life. Mr. Amars manner and advice certainly helped me shape my life and formulate my goals.

Page |7

WHY ESSAY QUESTION: When school districts face budget constraints district proposal often surface as movements in education to teach only fundamentals disciplines. To attach an air of sophistication to the proposal, supporters label it Back to Basics. Its proponents argue that the curriculum should concentrate only on reading, writing, and mathematics skills and completely ignore such courses as sociology, art appreciation, music, and drama. Imagine that you are a school principle faced with the task of making policy for your school with severe budget cuts. Present your argument either for or against the issue of adopting a Back to Basic educational movement.

As a principle of your school, I have seen many educational movements come up and go. Some are worthy of the attention given to them, and others should be ignored because of their devastating effect on the education system. One such movement that falls into the latter category is the Back to Basic movement. Its proponents argue that education should concentrate on reading, writing, and mathematics skills and completely ignore such courses as drama, art appreciation, and sociology. I am against the Back to Basic movement because it inhibits creativity, fails to recognize the importance of the arts, and restricts the curriculum. The enhancement of creative thinking is primal to the advancement of any educational system. To create, to invent, or to discover, one needs not only have freedom of thought but the exposure and application of that creativity to all areas of the curriculum. To concentrate on only reading, writing, and mathematics would restrict thinking to a narrow focus. The future needs thinkers who can create in the widest spectrum so as to be able to meet the challenges of a global society. The Back to basics proponents also fail to see that a restrictive curriculum of only mathematics, reading, and writing fails to support the many great advancements made in our culture by those whose first exposures to art, drama, or sociology took place in the schools. The great artist who have changed the way people see: the great dramatist who have told their stories worldwide; and the great sociologist who have helped us to understand social relations, organization, and changes I our culture have all been products of an education that included the arts as basic to a well-rounded education. Finally, the Back to basic supporters fail to see their narrow view of education that the basics include art, drama, and sociology as well as music, dance, and computer literacy. Basics by definition, means that knowledge which is needed by children in our society in order to compete and simply survive in that society. The Back to Basic movement is an attempt to take education back to a time thats has long since passed. The narrow focus of the movement also overlooks the integrative value of reading, writing, and mathematics throughout all curriculum areas and especially in the arts.

Page |8 The Back to basics issue is a sad attempt to restrict the information that children need for their future. It will stifle creativity in those knowledge areas upon which our society is dependent. So, as your principle, I hope that you on the school boards continue to support and education for the futureand education that define the basics as those curriculum areas beyond the courses of reading, writing, and mathematics. We must meet the future with an education that includes art, drama, and sociology.

Page |9

QUESTION: High school is a period in life when, in addition to being given opportunities to learn, a person can master important social skills, make a lifelong friend, and have carefree good times. Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with this opinion. Support your views with specific reasons and examples from your own experience and observations.

When I entered high school in a suburb of San Francisco, my parents told me I could expect to have the time of my life. My father emphasized that I would make the best friends I would ever have and my mother told that, in addition to taking aim at a future career, I would have good old-fashioned fun, with football games, proms, and parties. To some extent, they were right. I worked on the school newspaper and have a good time with the other staff members, some of who are still among my closer friends. I loved cheering at the football games and choosing dress for my senior prom. But the idea thjt6 high school presents carefree good times is, in my opinion, out of date or just too simple. With the pressure to get into a food college, it took advance classes in several subjects and had to compete with other college-bound students, which mean that many weekend I was bent over my books or computer, feeling anything but carefree. I took subjects I didnt like rather than ones I did (calculus rather than drama, for example) because they would look good on my transcript. I think that in todays world, the focus on getting into a good university trumps your chances o changing out after classes at the local pizzeria. In addition, some of the social skills I mastered were problematic. For example, I learned how to turn down offers of alcohol and pills and yet maintained a friendly relationship with the classmate who offered them at east most of the time. Sometimes I was branded a geek and had to withstand bullying. And, at least twice, I had to convince suicidal friends to seek the help of a counselor. I certainly didnt feel carefree. To blame todays world for complicating high school life, however, is not entirely fair. I dont thinks that period of life has ever been as idyllic as nostalgia sometimes paints it. If pressed, even my parents would probably agree with that. (My father, for example, had to help support his family when he was in high school.) But many teenagers today are affected by strong negative forces in societydrugs and violence, for example-as well as by economic pressures and the need to succeed. Also, while access to the world through the internet and living in a more open and tolerant society provide great possibilities for todays high school students, the provide problems and dangers as well. My experiences in high school were a mixed bag. I had good times and bad times, probably much like most people have had. But no emphasize the idea that those years present carefree good times is, I think, a mistake. High school provides opportunities and challenges, happy times and sad times, but I believe, those years are never carefree.

P a g e | 10

QUESTION: an important issue in todays world is improving our environment and preserving the planet. However, some people believe that individual efforts to combat pollution, global warming, and depletion of natural resources are not likely to make difference. Discuss the intent to which you agree or disagree with this opinion. Support your opinion with specific reasons.

Does each of us have responsibility to the environment and the planet, or are our individual efforts negligible? I believe that though it is essential for government to take action to save the planet, each of us can make difference in the way we live our lives. Government must agree to strict regulations regarding emission, waste disposal, and preserving resources, but we ourselves must not only adhere to regulations but also go a step further. Our personal behavior may seem unimportant in terms of the totals problem, but just our commitment to a better world will influence legislators and corporation executives who are in a position to make major environmental decisions. When we buy environmental friendly products, manufacturers will respond by making more of them. For example, if we choose a hybrid car, such as the Prius, then car manufacturers will see the value in making such cars and make more of them. This is true with a variety of products, from paper towels to kitchen appliances. Supermarket shelves now reflect the consumer interest in buying environmental friendly products, and advertising includes claims relating to a products environmental benefits. These developments would not have occurred without individuals demanding that companies pay more attention to saving the planet. The truth is that the marketplace responds when we as consumers choose to buy green products. In addition, when we choose to support and elect representatives who place environmental issues high on their agendas, we increase the chances that governing bodies will make decisions that favor conservation of resources and preservation of the pant. Groups that work to elect green candidates are made up of individuals, after all. Each of us is responsible for being informed about issues such as global warming so that we can make our decisions about candidates based on facts, not propaganda or campaign slogans. On another level, ones individuals actions can make a significant difference when joined with others individuals actions. My not using an aerosol spray will have little effect on global warming perhaps, but if tens of thousands of people like me give up aerosol spray, who knows what the results will be? The point is that our individual actions may become part of a movement, and the more of us who make a commitment, the greater the effects will be. Recycling, which has increased in the last several years, ahs already has an effect on the size of landfills. It is too easy to decide that our individual actions wont make much difference when it comes to saving the planet. Its what I would call copout. In fact, most things of general value to the world are a result of many individual actions joined together, and this is certainly true when considering the

P a g e | 11 preservation of our planet and the improvement of our environment. With the information we have today, it is irresponsible, in my opinion, to ignore the importance of our actions.

P a g e | 12 QUESTION: SOME American public schools have removed the A to F grading system and substituted Pass- Fail grading, with the instructor adding a written statement about the students progress. Comment on the pros and cons of such system.

Evaluating a student progress is one of teachers major concerns. Although it would be nice to say that a grade doesnt matter as much as the students experience in a class, that simply isnt true. Most People want some measurement of well they are doing. Traditionally, the measurement has been a letter grade, but for many years some public schools have chosen the pass-fail method, which includes a written statement describing the students progress. Using the letter grade is more definitive than the pass-fail option. If a student receives a C, he knows that he is ranked as average in a class. If he receives an A, he knows he is among the top students. And if he receives a D, he knows that he is behind his fellow students and perhaps in danger of failing the class. The pass-fail system, on the other hand, is always open to questions. If he passes, the student doesnt know precisely where he falls in terms of the other students. Even a teachers comment may not make it clear. A student may choose to interpret a teachers comment as favorable when the teachers actually meant that the students progress was simply adequate. Letter grades are also universal understood by schools, so that when a student with a strong B average is applying to university or moving to a different school, the school knows clearly where that student stands in relation to others. On the other hand, letter grades are not as clear but as they may seem. Different teachers and different schools will likely have different standards for a specific grade. For example, a teacher in my high school was notorious for giving nothing higher than a B, no matter how brilliant a student might perform. Experiments have shown that the same student can be ranked differently by different teachers of the same subject. Another problem with evaluating students with letters grades is that a student may feel pigeon-holed, for example, and this may influence his effort or his attitude. When no comment is included with a letter grade, a student may not have a clear idea of his performance or abilities. With a pass-fail system, however, student may have clearer picture of their strengths and weaknesses. A teachers statement, along with the pass-fail designation, can be very helpful in motivating a student. Another advantage of the pass-fail system is that students are more likely to focus on the material being taught than the letter grade they will receive. Too often students struggle more to get a certain grade than to understand what is being taught. This is perhaps the best argument for a pass-pail system: the emphasis is on learning, not on getting an A. The best argument against it is that it can be too vague and can make it difficult for student to understand where he stands in relation to his peers. Also some colleges do not accept the pass-fail designation for applicants.

P a g e | 13 Each system has its good points and its bad points. What may occur is that a student, or an institution, may simply translate what is said in a pass-fail statement to an equivalent letter grade. In my opinion, the better option for evaluation might be a combination of the letter system with a written statement such as is used in the pass-fail system

P a g e | 14