1. How to Write Your Essays
2. Grading Criteria for Essays
3. Capstone Assignment
4. Essay Worksheets
5. Paragraph Writing Tips
6. GSP Counts

Demonstrate a complete understanding of the overall topic.

* Each essay question is based on a single overall theme
* Each essay question consists of multiple parts directed toward the theme
* Be sure to write about each of these parts clearly and directly to demonstrate a complete understanding of the theme

State the meaning of each supporting idea, including details and explanatory examples.

* Directly state the answer to each part of the question
* Use descriptions and examples to support each answer

Organize the essay with an introductory paragraph.

* Start the essay with a general introduction to the overall theme of the question
* Be sure to organize this introduction into a separate starting paragraph that begins with a topic sentence

Place and develop each main supporting idea in a separate, complete paragraph.

* Divide the essay into separate paragraphs
* Use each paragraph to answer a separate part of the question
* Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that answers one of these parts
* Support the topic sentence with the descriptions and examples that support the answer

Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

* Use your spelling and grammar checker to reveal any errors
* Fix the errors before submitting the essay

Grading Criteria for Essays

20 Points Great Job

* Demonstrates a complete understanding of the overall topic.
* States the meaning of each supporting idea, including details and explanatory examples.
* Organizes the essay with an introductory paragraph. Places and develops each main supporting idea in a separate, complete paragraph.
* Uses proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

18 Points Very Good Job

* Demonstrates a complete understanding of the overall topic.
* States the meaning of each supporting idea, including details but does not use explanatory examples.
* Organizes the essay with an introductory paragraph. Places and develops each main supporting idea in a separate, complete paragraph.
* Uses proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

16 Points Good Job

* Demonstrates a basic understanding of the overall topic.
* States the meaning of some supporting ideas including details but does not use explanatory examples.
* Organizes the essay with an introductory paragraph. Places and develops each main supporting idea in a separate, complete paragraph.
* Uses proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

14 Points OK Job

* Demonstrates an incomplete understanding of the overall topic.
* States the meaning of some supporting ideas but does not include details and does not use explanatory examples.
* Occasionally fails to organize the essay properly. Fails to include an introductory paragraph or fails to place and develop each main supporting idea in a separate, complete paragraph.
* Occasionally fails to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

12 Points Minimal Job

* Fails to demonstrate an understanding of the overall topic.
* Often fails to state the meaning of supporting ideas.
* Often fails to organize the essay properly. Fails to include an introductory paragraph and often fails to place and develop each main supporting idea in a separate, complete paragraph.
* Often fails to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

10 Points Not Acceptable

* Totally fails to state the meaning of supporting ideas.
* Totally fails to organize the essay properly. Fails to include an introductory paragraph and totally fails to place and develop each main supporting idea in a separate, complete paragraph.
* Totally fails to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

8 Points Off Topic

* Content of essay is off topic.

0 Points Nothing Written

Essays are an important capstone assignment in each lesson.

They are worth 31% of each lesson's points.

Turn them in immediately after completing the other activities in each lesson.

• This is the preferred order of assignments.
• The material from the lesson is still fresh in your mind when you search for information to include in the essay.
• You are more likely to remember the portions of the online notes and textbook reading that pertains to the essay question.
• Turning in the essay in a timely manner also allows you to get some feedback so you can improve on the next one.

Click the link for video instructions on how to download and submit Essay Assignments: Essay Assignment Screencast

Click the link for a slideshow on how to complete Essay Assignments: Essay Assignment Slideshow

Click the link for an Example Essay: Example Essay

Paragraph Review

1. What is a paragraph?
   A paragraph is a collection of sentences expressing ideas, opinions or beliefs about one main
   idea. Most paragraphs are indented.
2. What is paragraph unity?
   A paragraph with unity has ideas that are related to each other and are presented in a
   logical order. Every sentence in the paragraph should be related to the main idea in some
   clear way.
3. What is a topic sentence?
   The main idea of a paragrpah is usually stated in the topic sentence. A topic sentence
   states both the topic and the idea about the topic that is discussed in the paragraph.
4. What are the supporting details in a paragraph?
   One purpose of a paragraph is to provide support for an idea. Examples or reasons explain
   and support a paragraph.
5. What are orders of organization?
   The ideas or supporting details in a paragraph can be related to each other in different ways.
   Here are some orders of organization that you should be familiar with:
   • chronological: the order of events, or time order
   • spatial: looking at how things are arranged in a space (descriptive)
   • emphatic: details presented in their order of importance or for emphasis
   • cause and effect: a certain situation causes--- or results from---another
   • comparison/contrast: examining the similarities or differences between things
6. What are transitional words and phrases?
   Transitional words help signal to the reader shifts in thought or sequence. They help
   present ideas in a clear and organized way. Some transitional words help present the
   sequence of ideas; others are used to clarify the relationship between ideas.

Writing a Perfect Paragraph

1. General
   
   -A paragraph is a series of sentences that are about one topic.
   
   -A paragraph is made up of three parts: a topic sentence, supporting ideas, and a clincher.
2. Topic Sentences
   
   -A topic sentence expresses the main idea of the paragraph.
   
   -The topic sentence answers one or more questions like why, how, or where?
   
   -Every word in a topic sentence is important.
   
   -You must be able to support your topic sentence.
   
   -A topic sentence must be about something you can prove, explain, or show through description
3. Outlines
   
   -Outlines help organize ideas for paragraphs.
   
   -An organized outline can look like this:

A. Topic Sentence

B. Supporting Ideas

1.

2.

3.

C. Clincher

4. Supporting Ideas
   
   -Details give writing flavor.
   
   -Unrelated ideas do not explain or support the topic sentence.
   
   -A transition is a link or a connection between sentences. (Examples: first, next, meanwhile, in conclusion)
   
   -Vary the beginnings of sentences; use words that end in -ing, past tense verbs, or dependent clauses.
5. Clinchers
   
   -A clincher summarizes the main ideas or feelings in a paragraph and lets the reader know when the paragraph is done.
   
   -Clinchers don’t just restate the topic sentence; restating the topic sentence as the clincher is too easy and usually dull.
   
   -The clincher can be the same idea as the topic sentence, a question, an amusing thought, or an unexpected twist.
   
   -The clincher cannot be another support sentence.
   
   -A paragraph must come full circle from the topic sentence to the clincher.

Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation

* Fix the errors before submitting the essay

* Use your word processor's built in Grammar and Spelling Checker

* Download freeware if you do not have a Grammar and Spelling Checker

Grammar Checker Software – Why It’s Badly Needed:

• Grammar mistakes in any document – college essay, business proposal, business email – can spell trouble.
• You can lose out on a promotion, have your resume thrown in the trash, or your college essay ripped to shreds. It needn’t happen, thanks to grammar checking software.
• Top grammar checker software such as WhiteSmoke and StyleWriter provide grammar checking software solutions that work with any word processor
• When choosing a grammar checker, look out for the following key features:
  • Grammar checking in any writing application
  • Spell Checker
  • Writing style checker to improve your writing
  • Writing templates for multiple occasions
  • Grammar forum to ask your most pressing question