Descriptive Essays

Subject:	Touch:	Sight:	Smell:	Taste:	Sound:
Baking cookies	Soft dough Warm cookies Hot pan	Brown (cooked, vs raw) Different ingredients	Chocolatey smell Sweet smell	Sweet Chocolate	Crunchy Squishing Scraping spoon on the bowl
Haunted house	Gooey blood Rough wood	Spooky shapes Peeling paint Creepy spiders	Moldy, musty Decaying smell	X	Scarping rats Moans, howls Creaking floors
Swimming in the ocean	Cold water Hot sand Strong waves	Huge ocean Colorful fish Sparkling waves White sand	Fresh smelling Fish smelling Smells salty	Salty water Sweet ice cream	Crashing waves Boat motors Screeching seagulls
A circus	Sticky seats	Huge animals Fancy costumes	Smelly animals Cooking popcorn	Buttery popcorn Sweet candy	Laughing crowd Cheering crowd Booming announcer Roaring tigers
The mall	Soft clothes	Bustling people Colorful clothes	Unhealthy food stalls Fresh, clean clothes	Cheap fast food	Crouds murmuring Music in the stores
The subway	Cold, hard, sturdy poles	Rushing people, gross rats, graffiti, ashy grey trains, silver	Stale bodies, sweat	X	People talking, staticy annoucements

The milk is warm and sweet. (touch/taste)

The smooth wrapping paper cricnkled when I bent it. (touch/sound)

The bright, warm sunlight came in through the large windows. (sight/touch)

The loud crowd was sweaty and stinky. (sound, touch, smell)

The small, round coin jangled in my pocket. (sight, touch, sound)

The french fries were crispy and hot. (touch)

Her voice was loud and shrill. (sound)

The trees’ leaves are green and fresh and wet. (sight, touch)

The dog barked loudly and harshly. (sound)

Figurative language:

Simile

He is as smart as a lion.

Metaphor

Your mother is an angel.

Nathan is tall like a mountain.

Personification

My cell phone is suffering because it’s low on battery.

Overstatement (Hyperbole)

I am going to melt in this heat.

Understatement

We didn’t eat a lot, only three trays of french fries.

Sound words (Onomotopoeia)
The rooster crowed “cock-a-doodle-doo!”

The kitten meowed when it was hungry.

Symbol

A candle represents knowledge.



Example introduction and conclusion for the "Summer Escape" essay:

Do you do the same thing every day, or do you try to shake things up every once in a while? I’m from Florida, and though I love it there, it gets hot and humid in the summer, and I start to question my living situation. That’s why my family and I take a trip to upstate New York every year and get a break from our home. Temporary changes in life can be a fun treat and help you appreciate your normal routine.

[Descriptive story from worksheet]

Leaving Florida for a while is always a welcome change after our stifling summers. This adventure helps me to take a break from the every day and also reminds me to apprecaite what I have. When I return home, I’m always happy to be back and am no longer tired of the same thing every day.

ACR 95 Homework - Due Monday

Homework:

Part 1:
Read “Get Real on Healthcare” and find five unknown words. Use context to guess their meaning, explain how you figured this out, and then define the word using a dictionary. Finally, use the word in an original sentence. Label each of these and underline the word.

Part 2:
Name the main idea of the reading and list at least 5 supporting details.

Example (you will not get credit for using this word):

1.       Inference: Indignant – angry. I used the examples in the next sentence to guess the meaning.

Definition: Indignant - adjective: feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment

Sentence: I was indignant at their accusations of my guilt.

2.       Inference:
Definition
Sentence:

3.       Inference:
Definition:
Sentence:

4.       Inference:
Definition:
Sentence:

5.       Inference:
Definition:
Sentence:

Main Idea: ______________________________

Supporting Details (quotes or paraphrase):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Ugg Boots Sample Sum/Resp

Summary:

Source
Main Idea
supporting details

-No quotes (you must paraphrase)

- No small details

Response:

What do YOU think about the reading

Share your opinion

Discuss it

Share experiences, share past learning

Find something specific in the article to discuss along with your ideas

Ugg Boots:

Vocabulary -

Absurd: ridiculous, silly
Incredulous: questioning, unbelieving 
Inevitable: can’t stop it

Source –

“Ugg Boots,” Ellen Connolly

Main Idea –

A public school is banning certain clothes to combat cell phone usage, but parents are angry because they feel the school is wasting their time and crossing a line


Different Viewpoints (Supporting Details) –

The school: whatever works to keep phones out of class
The parents: I should be able to dress my child in the clothes I bought her; this won’t stop cell phone use because the kids have many resources other than boots to sneak in phones, so the school should deal with the problem more directly

Example summary:

                At a public middle school in in Pennsylvania, Ugg boots are being banned from use in an effort to limit students’ ability to sneak cell phones into the school, according to the article “Ugg Boots Banned” by Ellen Connolly. However, many parents are upset at the administration because they believe the school should not be dictating what their children wear. The school believes students will have fewer opportunities to bring cell phones to class with the new ban on boots, but parents believe that their resourceful kids will just find new ways to break the rules, and the school should punish children for cell phone use rather than making new rules in a frivolous effort to prevent the inevitable.

What topics could you respond to here?

What do you want to respond to? What is your opinion of it? Agree/disagree, excited, disgusted, disappointed, I thought it was a great idea, have experienced this before…

Develop your opinion, using –

Past experiences,
Past readings,
Stories you’ve heard
Ideas you’ve been taught…
(expand, explain, give examples…)

Direct reference to the article


Some possible thesis topics and examples:

-Disagree with the school’s policy

While I think the school has the right intentions to ban cell phone use, I don’t think that their methods will be effective.

-Agree with the parents’ ideas

When I heard that parents were upset about the school’s decision to ban boots, I completely understood their position, because students will always find a way to break the rules if they can, so banning boots won’t stop their bad behavior.

- Come up with a new system

I don’t think the school should be banning useful footwear. Instead, I think they should take a more effective approach, such as having scanners to keep students from bringing prohibited materials to class.

- Disagree that phones should be banned

Cell phones can definitely be a distraction, but I believe they are a necessary tool in today’s society to keep people in touch with each other, especially during emergencies.

Topic and what a standard body paragraph should look like (topic sentence with clear opinion, example/support, explanation of the connection between your opinion and your support):

- Talk from a student’s perspective 

If I were a student at Pottsdam Middle School, I would be annoyed at this new rule. It likely wouldn’t stop me or my friends from using cell phones in class, rather, it would just make my boots a wasteful expense. For instance, when I went to high school, we were required to wear uniforms. This is much more strict than the rules at this Pennsylvania school, yet students were always finding new ways to break the rules. This shows how resourceful students are and how rules about what we wear will be ineffective as long as we are determined to do what we want.

My response (I chose to discuss how I agree with the school’s decision)

                As I was reading this article, I couldn’t help but think that these parents aren’t thinking of the big picture. Sure, boots aren’t the only thing kids can hide cell phones in, but I believe that if students see their favorite footwear banned as a result of cell phone use, then maybe they will think twice about pulling their phones out in class, lest they lose another luxury at the school’s discretion. Students are resourceful, and I do think that the parents have a point when they list “bras, pockets, socks” and ask “what’s next?” because we all know that the students will just replace boots with something else to use to sneak their phones into class. However, I still don’t think that this idea is a bad one, because I believe students will slowly see more and more of their favorite things not being allowed at school, and it will eventually discourage them from breaking the rules. In my personal experience, I have seen this sort of rule have an impact on student behavior. For example, at my school in Arkansas, seniors were not allowed to leave campus for lunch (something the previous grades had been allowed to do) because too many of the students would simply not return to school after they left, skipping their afternoon classes. So, the school took that privilege away from us. After about half a year, they slowly gave us the option to leave for lunch again, and almost no one skipped anymore, because they didn’t want to lose the privilege for themselves or ruin it for their fellow classmates. In the same way, I think the Pennsylvania middle schoolers will soon realize that the more they break the rules, the fewer freedoms they have, and they will start to behave in an effort to keep the privileges they have.

                I do understand, though, that these kids are young, and that means that they probably didn’t buy these boots themselves, but rather they are something the parents invested in. I can see how that might make a mother or father angry. In fact, one mother in the article complained that since the school is not paying to clothe her children that means the school has no right to decide what her child wears. I can understand her point, but I totally disagree with her idea. It is that mother’s responsibility to raise and clothe her child, and it is the school administrators’ responsibility to make sure her child is behaving and getting the most out of her time in the classroom. Can you imagine if parents got to dictate all the rules in a school rather than the administrators? When I worked at a kindergarten, I saw first hand how parents can never agree with each other when it comes to their children, and they all want their kids to have special treatment. That is why schools have teachers and principals who make all the same rules apply to everyone, whether all of the parents like it or not. That is why, though I can understand  the points the parent make in this article, I can’t agree with them, because I think the school was totally within its rights to ban Ugg Boots, and I think the ban will eventually lead to fewer students using cell phones in class.

End of Narrative Introductions Wksht + My Uncle and the Bear

Narrative Essay Structure:

Introduction –

General statement(s)

-          Introduce the topic without getting too specific

Thesis (point, main idea, why you are writing this essay (a reason for a stranger to read it))

Body –

Tell the entire story

Conclusion –

Reflect on the meaning of the story

***

Worksheet:

Part 4 –

                Everyone has interesting experiences on the New York City Subway. It is where all sorts of people from all over the world come together and are forced into close proximity, so it doesn’t take much for something unforgettable to occur. Most people complain about their public transit experience, but I think a public commute can have serious value. In fact, one amazing situation I experienced taught me that people aren’t always what they seem.

Part 5 –

                What is your most prized possession? If you ask people this question, you’ll often find that it’s not something expensive or fancy, but something that has sentimental value. That’s why losing something important to you, no matter its monetary worth, can be a really difficult experience. However, when I lost the ring my mom gave me, I learned that sentimental items mean much less than the love of the people who gave them.

Part 6 –

Vacations are always fun. They’re a great way to enjoy quality time with someone you love and have new or different experiences than what you do every day. My favorite vacations were those out in the country with my family. What I experienced out in the woods taught me that there’s so much more to life than collecting modern conveniences.

***

My Uncle and the Bear

We’ve all had the misfortune of having a frightful experience in our lives. When people think their lives are in danger, they will often react in surprising ways. When my uncle had his own frightening experience, he learned that being scared often reveals a person’s true character.

…

In the end, my uncle’s experience was a scary one, but one that taught him a good lesson about who he lets into his life. Meeting that bear in the woods showed him that his friend cared much more about himself than my uncle’s safety, and my uncle learned that not everyone who is friendly really has your best interest at heart. After hearing his experience, I think everyone should be more careful about whom they trust and depend on.

Sum/Resp, An Immigrant, Tongue Computing

Summary – a short description of the reading Source (author, title, published) Main Idea Supporting details -          Only the big details -          No small details (not retelling the story) Paraphrase (put it in your own words) -          No quotes! No opinions Always shorter than the original. 6-8 sentences maximum

Response – Share your opinion of the article/story Focus on one point in the article that you had a reaction to (agree/disagree/shocked/excited/confused…) Discuss your opinion of this point Demonstrate your point using -          Personal experiences -          Things you’ve learned, read, seen, or done in the past Reference a specific point in the article directly and connect it explicitly to your discussion

Prove understanding of the article/story’s concepts

Show your good critical thinking skills and further understanding of the reading

“An Immigrant” Discussion:

Summary –

Main Idea:

·         Hard work and dedication = success

·         Don’t let obstacles keep you from being successful

·         Don’t settle

·         Don’t let anything/anyone hold you back

Supporting details:

·         An immigrant with no skills or literacy (in English)

·         Tried to get a job but was turned down due to illiteracy

·         Continues to work hard anyway and became very successful

·         If he hadn’t had these challenges, he may not have been so successful

Response –

·         I wonder how the president of the synagogue felt

·         It was realistic, people who move to new countries find new and innovative ways to be successful

·         This is unrealistic, you can’t be successful in America without also being literate in English

·         How is this possible?

Source: “Tongue Computing” CNN.com

Main Idea: A new technology exists to help disabled people be more independent

Supporting Details:
                tongue-powered
                gives full control over surroundings
                better than current methods

Example source introduction:

According to the article “Tongue Computing” posted by CNN.com, there is a new important technology to help disabled people have a higher degree of control over their environment.

There is a new important technology to help disabled people have a higher degree of control over their environment, according to the article “Tongue Computing” posted by CNN.com.

The article “Tongue Computing,” posted by CNN.com, explains that there is a new important technology to help disabled people have a higher degree of control over their environment.

Summary:

The article “Tongue Computing,” posted by CNN.com, explains that there is a new important technology to help disabled people have a higher degree of control over their environment. The new system, developed by researchers at Georgia Tech, would be powered by the user’s tongue and is thought to be the most effective tool of its kind so far. Though some think the idea is gross, it is far more advanced and provides many more options and modes of control than existing techniques and is said to be easy to learn.

Response –

                It’s obvious to me that this idea is genius. The fact that users might be able to “manipulate their wheelchairs, manage home appliances, and control computers,” as the article says, is amazing to me. My best friend is quadriplegic, and she is always looking for new ways to be independent and run her home. I couldn’t help but think of her when reading this article and think of how excited she would be to be able to have more control over her environment. Usually, she has to have someone at her house to do everything for her, even just changing the channel on the TV, but with this new “Tongue Computing” method, she and many people like her would have so much more control over their environment. Overall, the researchers at Georgia Tech have done some excellent work here, and I’m excited for this technology to finally hit the market.  

Probabilities Prompt Discussion

What is this article about?

1. He wants us to stop spending our lives scared of things that are unlikely to harm us while appreciating and taking more seriously the real dangers we face daily.

Our fears are easily manipulated to have an inflated idea of certain dangers around us while we completely ignore real threats.

2./3. a. flying (my mom, even me)
         b. terrorism (how Islamophobia has gripped America and is detrimental to its citizens, has removed many freedoms)
    c. the lottery (the recent huge jackpot and how many people bought tickets)

4. Political cartoon about Ebola, the way presidential candidates play on these fears to get us to vote, how we don’t take our health seriously in this country even though the lack of healthfulness is our biggest killer, perhaps people can’t even comprehend such big numbers and it’s impossible, maybe better education and demonstration is key…

                What are you afraid of? According to David Myers, it’s probably not what you should be. In his article “Do we fear the Right Things?” Myers explains how we tend to be afraid of relatively unlikely things such as airline crashes, shark attacks, or terrorism, rather than things that actually kill large numbers of people, such as car accidents, the flu, and obesity. He goes on to say that we simply do not comprehend the thousands of safe experiences people have in the oceans or in the skies, for instance, and instead focus on the very small number (but heavily reported) of dangerous ones. Myers believes we as a nation are bad at probabilities and overestimate false danger while underestimating those things that really threaten us. I have seen this happen to the American people time and time again, and I believe we are actually hurting ourselves by letting ourselves fall victim to this false understanding of the dangers in our lives and we need to educate ourselves better to stop being so easily manipulated.

                One big way I’ve seen the American people overestimate danger is when it comes to terrorism. There’s a word for the fear of people who follow Islam: Islamophobia. This phobia has gripped the American people and it’s a huge problem. We treat many of our fellow citizens terribly simply for being Muslim, as if they are responsible for the actions of terrorists who also happen to be Muslim. When Americans hear the word “terrorism,” they tend to also think of Islam and become very scared. Myers tells us, however, that being afraid of terrorism is generally a waste of time. He mentions that car accidents kill more Americans in one week than terrorism has killed people in all of the 1990s. Additionally, Myers adds that “even with the horrific scale of 9/11, more Americans in 2001 died of food poisoning (which scares few) than terrorism (which scares many).” Though terrorism will affect very, very few Americans directly, we have since become a nation of people scared of the followers of the second largest religion in the entire world (and fellow citizens of our very own country) because of, as the article puts it, “probabilities we hardly grasp.”

                I believe this fear is particularly damaging to the American people. Because of our fear, we have begun to treat certain Americans as second-class citizens. We are making many, many people here and around the world pay for the bad actions of a very small percentage of people.  That being said, this doesn’t negatively affect only Muslims. Because of Americans’ fear of terrorism, the government has taken away many of our rights and privacy that we used to enjoy. The government now can listen to our personal phone conversations and read our personal emails, justifying these actions with telling us they are protecting us from something the article shows is hardly even a threat. The best way I can think of to stop this problem is to better educate ourselves about the reality surrounding our fears. Though the news may cover plane crashes or shark attacks heavily, we need to learn how likely they actually are (that is: not very). Similarly, though the news or politicians may focus on the bad actions of some Muslims, we need to realize that there are millions upon millions of Muslims in the world and we are only hearing about a very few. Only through accurate knowledge and better education can we stop falling victim to things such as “[overvaluing] lottery tickets, [overestimating] flight risk, and [underestimating] the dangers of driving,” as Myers puts it. We will all benefit from learning more about the real dangers in life and worrying less about those things we’re unlikely to ever experience.

                In the end, education is the only way to change the way Americans think. From fearing our fellow humans to allowing the government to scare us into giving up our basic rights, believing these false probabilities is damaging and must stop. Let’s all agree to better educate ourselves before letting false fears take over our minds.

CATW Workshop Class 1 (Boys/Girls + Cheating)

Summary/Response Summary- Name the source Main Idea of the article Supporting details In your own words (paraphrased) Response – Your opinion Can include quotes or paraphrasing Should include information from your life, experience, previous learning, past readings, etc Discuss something specific from the article

Essay Structure Introduction – Hook, general statement Introduce your topic(s) Thesis Body paragraph(s)- Supporting detail (support your thesis) Discussion, evidence, etc Conclusion - reword (your thesis) remind(the reader of your points) relate (make it feel finished)

CATW
Introduction -
Hook or GS
Summarize the article
Thesis

Body paragraph(s) -
Respond to the article
Back up your claims with evidence, discussion, and/or previous learning, etc
You MUST refer to specific parts of the article (quote or paraphrase)

Conclusion -
reword
remind
relate

Source
Multitasking negatively affects our brains
Experiments showed we’re better at doing things one at a time
We’re not as efficient even after we stop multitasking
When we do things all at once, we don’t do any of them well
Your brain has limits to what it can do at one time
We don’t know the effects, but we think they’re bad
There are things you can do to improve your brain function after hurting it with multitasking

Summaries

What is a summary?

Using your own words, briefly describe the writing’s main ideas.

Include: *Main idea(s)    -Talk about the story *Cite (name) your source    - Title, Author, where it was published   (such as the title of a newspaper) *Use your own words (paraphrase) *Longer than one sentence, shorter than original *Only talk about what the author has said *If there are two opinions, you must share BOTH

Don’t Include: *Small details    -Don’t retell the story *Do not quote the author directly *Do not share your opinion

Source?
Boys and Girls Together… Jennifer Medina … New York Times

What is/are the main idea(s)?
Children being taught separated from the opposite gender

What are some of the supporting details?
1. How classes are conducted
2. Not everyone agrees on the new system

3. Implemented to address decreasing test scores and increasing behavioral problems

4. It is an experiment – no scientific evidence of effectiveness

Are there two opinions? What are they?

Some parents see better behavior from their children

Some believe it reinforces bad things

Thesis: Boys and girls should not be separated

-       Discourages healthy interaction (Paragraphs 1 and 2 | Paragraph 4)

-       Won’t be prepared for the future (paragraph 5, line 3)

Some schools are teaching children in gender-segregated classrooms, according to the article “Boys and Girls Together, Taught Separately in School” by Jennifer Medina printed in The New York Times. In classrooms separate from the other gender, boys are taught by a teacher who behaves like he is coaching a sports team, while the girls are taught by a woman who uses a much more sensitive approach. The new approach is an experiment that many schools are trying across the country to address problems in test scores and students’ behavior, but the strategy is getting mixed reviews. While some parents feel that their child is paying more attention without the added distraction of the opposite gender in the classroom, some experts are worried about the future implications of the new teaching strategy, insisting that it will hurt children later in life when they can no longer avoid working with the opposite sex. Research hasn’t yet confirmed whether the teaching method is more effective than more traditional approaches, but I believe that there is no way this teaching style will benefit students. It dissuades students from interacting with and learning about the opposite sex and makes them ill-prepared to face the future when they’ll be forced to work in a mixed environment.

            While I understand the goals of this experiment, I believe they are ultimately misguided. For instance, we see in the article how the teacher for the boys and the teacher for the girls run their classes completely differently. This reinforces the idea that girls and women are one way and boys and men are another, but we know today that not all men are exactly the same, nor are all women. I saw a commercial for a movie the other day that was about how boys are raised being taught that boys don’t cry, and they often have trouble expressing their emotions. Mr. Napolitano treating his group of boys like a basketball coach is exactly the kind of treatment that creates issues like this. I think society has come to the understanding that boys need girls around so that they can learn about a broader spectrum of behavior than simply yelling and roughhousing and sports. Additionally, the girls’ class is being taught as if the students there are all fragile and emotional. This is ridiculous to me, because not all girls respond to this kind of coddling. They need boys around to balance out this treatment.

            Another problem with this program is that it does not prepare students for the future. Sure, Samell Little is quoted as saying that his son is focusing better in school now that there aren’t girls around, but if his son is having that much trouble focusing now, how will it get better without him being taught how to focus and behave. Taking away the distraction is not the same as teaching him how to overcome it. One day he will be forced to work with women, and he will not know how to handle it. In the article, Kim Gandy seems to see this problem as well and states that “a boy who has never been beaten by a girl on an algebra test could have some major problems having a female supervisor.” I remember what it was like being a flirtatious and distracted middle schooler. I think learning how to get past that and focusing is one of the big lessons school is there to teach. Without this lesson, we’ll end up in the working world with men not trusting women’s math skills and women confused why men don’t respond when they don’t treat them like a coach would. This does not help them be successful in the future.

           

            In conclusion, I don’t support separating students by gender. Some students may be more successful in the short run, but in the end it will only cause them problems down the road. I think it’s better to teach our students how to interact with each other rather than trying to keep them apart.

In each body paragraph:
Topic sentence
At least 1 reference to the article (something specific)Discussion of the reference (don't just refer and leave it standing alone)
Evidence (something from your life, example of a similar situation, something you saw or read, something you heard about, etc)
Discussion should always aim to prove your thesis

Source:
“Many Students Say Cheating Is OK” by Kathy Slobogin, published a CNN.U.S.

Main Idea(s):
Many students do not have a problem with cheating

Supporting Details:
Pressure and competition
Getting into good schools
The internet
Poor example set by the adult world
Teachers have started using new methods to fight cheating

Two sides?
Not really, though do mention both the students’ and teachers’ efforts

Possible beginnings:

In Kathy Slobogin’s article, “Many Students Say Cheating is OK” adapted from CNN.U.S, she explains that a large number of …

Kathy Slobogin’s article, “Many Students Say Cheating is OK” adapted from CNN.U.S, explains that a large number of …

In “Many Students Say Cheating is OK,” adapted from CNN.U.S, Kathy Slobogin explains that a large number of …

“Many Students Say Cheating is OK,” written by Kathy Slobogin and adapted from CNN.U.S, explains that a large number of …

According to Kathy Slobogin’s article “Many Students Say Cheating is OK,” adapted from CNN.U.S, a large number of …

According “Many Students Say Cheating is OK,” written by Kathy Slobogin and adapted from CNN.U.S, a large number of …

You CANNOT say:

According to “Many Students Say Cheating is OK,” written by Kathy Slobogin and adapted from CNN.U.S, explains that a large number of …

According to “Many Students Say Cheating is OK,” written by Kathy Slobogin and adapted from CNN.U.S. (Fragment)

In Kathy Slobogin’s article, “Many Students Say Cheating is OK” adapted from CNN.U.S, she explains that a large number of today’s students find no problem with cheating. They are found to cite the pressure of competition and the need to get into a good school as justification. The internet has also made plagiarism so easy that any student willing to pay can have their homework completed in minutes. Finally, some say the adult world sets a poor example for students, which leads to their cheating. Now, teachers are having to work just as fast as students to come up with and use new ways to combat the amount of dishonesty in students’ work these days.