IN CLASS ESSAYS

Student Learning Outcomes

By the time you leave this workshop, we want you to be

able to… Manage your time properly in a

timed essay Analyze the key terms in a writing

prompt Prewrite/brainstorm for your

topic Choose a strong thesis for your

essay Find quotes to bring to your exam

What is an in-class essay?

In a regular essay you may have 10 days to prepare (prewrite, draft, revise, and edit) before turning in your final draft. This is 240 hours of preparation time.

However, for an class essay, you often have between 1 to 2 hours to draft the essay. Therefore, time management is essential.

Relaxing Before a Test

A Simple Relaxation Exercise

Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes

Begin by focusing on your breathing and making it slow and even

Focus on your feet and how they feel. Let them relax and become heavy.

Relax each part of your body the same way. Work your way up the body as you relax your legs, stomach, chest, arms, shoulders, and head.

This should take about 15 minutes, so make time before the test

A Few More Pre-Test Tips

Make sure to get enough sleep the night before the test

Eat a good breakfast on the morning of the test. Try to get lots of protein to give you energy. Avoid caffeine unless you’re used to drinking it every day.

Remember to think positively during the test!

Timekeeping

This is a wristwatch

Get one.

Rule #1

Bring a watch with you when you take the exam or make sure a clock will be in the exam room. That way, you will know how much time you have left to finish writing.

Create a Schedule

Be prepared! Create a schedule for yourself to help manage your time properly.

Give yourself time to prewrite, write the essay, and proofread.

Give yourself as much time for each activity as you think you need.

Prewriting- 10 minutesWriting- 40 minutesProofreading- 10 minutes

Sample Schedules for a 1-Hour Exam

Prewriting- 10 minutesWriting- 45 minutesProofreading- 5 Minutes

Prewriting- 15 minutesWriting- 40 minutesProofreading- 5 Minutes

Prewriting- 5 minutesWriting- 40 minutesProofreading- 15 minutes

Prewriting- 5 minutesWriting- 45 minutesProofreading- 10 minutes

Prewriting

Prewriting Techniques

You should prewrite to organize your thoughts before you begin writing.

There are many ways to prewrite. We will be going over clustering, but feel free to look at the Writing Center’s handout on The Writing Process for more ways to prewrite.

To cluster, begin by writing the prompt in a circle in the center of your page. Then, draw out more concepts in circles and connect them to the center circle. Continue drawing out new ideas and connecting them to existing circles.

An early experience

with language

English

Gifted

SpeechesClass

Class

Ms. M

Spanish

School switch

Essays

“Adam the Apple”

A brief example

Common Essay Prompt TermsThese are terms that you will often see in writing prompts. Look at the explanations to figure out what you are supposed to do.

Analyze- to separate something into parts and then discuss those parts and their meanings.

Classify- to arrange into groups on the basis of shared characteristics.

Compare and contrast- to show similarities and their differences.

Criticize- to judge and discuss the merits and faults of your subject.

Define- to explain or identify the nature or essential qualities of your subject.

Discuss- to consider or examine by argument, comment or debate, or to explore solutions.

Evaluate- to appraise the worth of an idea, comment, etc. and justify your conclusion.

Explain- to make clear or intelligible something that needs to be

understood or interpreted.

Illustrate- to use specific examples or analogies to clarify or explain

something.

Interpret- to define information through an explanation based on personal

opinion.

Justify- showing or proving that something is valid or correct.

Prove- to present evidence that cannot be refuted logically or with other

evidence.

Relate- to show the connections between two or more things.

Review- to reexamine, summarize, or reprise something.

Summarize- to briefly repeat the major points of something.

Support- to argue in favor of something.

Sample Writing Prompts

4

2

3

1

Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of online courses with those of traditional classes.

Compare and contrast

Voting is an important issue in our society, yet many students do not take the time to vote. Discuss why you believe voting is or is not important for students. Include the reasons why you think there is a low voter turnout among college students. In addition, what do you think are some important issues for college students? Illustrate your ideas by using examples from your own experiences/personal life.

Analyze a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

Analyze a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

Analyze a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

Voting is an important issue in our society, yet many students do not take the time to vote. Discuss why you believe voting is or is not important for students. Include the reasons why you think there is a low voter turnout among college students. In addition, what do you think are some important issues for college students? Illustrate your ideas by using examples from your own experiences/personal life.

Voting is an important issue in our society, yet many students do not take the time to vote. Discuss why you believe voting is or is not important for students. Include the reasons why you think there is a low voter turnout among college students. In addition, what do you think are some important issues for college students? Illustrate your ideas by using examples from your own experiences/personal life.

Click again to see these prompts analyzed

This prompt has four parts

Text Based Essays

Evaluate and interpret the story. Support your point with quotes.

Evaluate and interpret the story. Support your point with quotes.

A common text-based essay prompt

Try to find quotes that support the theme in the next slide

The Scarlet Ibis by James HurstSummer was dead, but autumn had not yet been born when the ibis came to the bleeding tree. It's strange that all this is so clear to me, now that time has had its way. But sometimes (like right now) I sit in the cool green parlor, and I remember Doodle.Doodle was about the craziest brother a boy ever had. Doodle was born when I was seven and was, from the start, a disappointment. He seemed all head, with a tiny body that was red and shriveled like an old man's. Everybody thought he was going to die.Daddy had the carpenter build a little coffin, and when he was three months old, Mama and Daddy named him William Armstrong. Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone.When he crawled on the rug, he crawled backward, as if he were in reverse and couldn't change gears. This made him look like a doodlebug, so I began calling him 'Doodle.' Renaming my brother was probably the kindest thing I ever did for him, because nobody expects much from someone called Doodle.