Terrific Tuesday 9. 25.07

Writing the Essay 3D Essay PIE

Unit Exam Essay Writing

3D - PIE

AKA: How to ace the written response exam

The 3 Ds Decipher- Figure out what you are supposed

to do Diagram- Come up with multiple ideas that

you can use in your response Design- Plan an outline for your response

Part I- Decipher

1. Read the prompt

2. Identify the topic

3. List and detail the active verbs and conjunctions

4. Establish the importance

Read the Prompt

Explain how the ideas found in the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s “The Crisis” helped establish the idea of the American Dream.

Be sure that you understand the prompt

Identify the topic

Explain how the ideas found in the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Paine’s “The Crisis” helped establish the idea of the American Dream.

What is the topic? Hmmm… Establishment of the American Dream

List & detail the active verbs & conjunctions

Active verbs give directions– Sit, Walk, Think, Explain, Describe, List

Explain ideas from the Declaration of Independence helped establish the American Dream

ANDExplain ideas from Paine’s “The Crisis”

helped establish the American Dream

Importance of Conjunctions

‘AND’ means both Prompt is really asking you to Explain how ideas from the Declaration of

Independence helped establish the American Dream

ANDExplain how ideas from Paine’s ‘The

Crisis” helped establish the American Dream

Part II- Diagram

Come up with multiple ideas (items) that you can use in your response

Brainstorm facts, concrete details, specifics that help address the topic– Facts are verifiable and specific– They are accurate– They are not opinion– In this case we’re looking for specific items from

the documents

Bubble Cluster is an easy way

You’ll need to know the specifics facts, or ideas from the two sources

Possible Idea

Possible Idea Possible Idea

Possible Idea

All Men Are Equal

Establish American

DreamThe DOI

D2: Diagram- This might fit our needs better

Establish the American Dream

Declaration of Independence

Thomas Paine’s The Crisis

1st Fact from Crisis that supports the prompt

2nd Fact from Crisis that supports the prompt

1st Fact from DOI that supports the prompt

2nd Fact from DOI that supports the prompt

Part III- Design

Plan an outline for your response The outline includes:

– Introduction with Thesis- or Point– Illustrations = Facts that support your Point– Explanations = Commentary that explains how your facts

illustrate the point– Wrap up sentence

Please avoid the phrase ‘in conclusion’

You’ll get a chance to create an out line next period

PIE-IE

Setting up your essay for successAKA: True Ultimate Power through PIE-IE

Sushi PIE?

If the prompt were: – What is your favorite healthy food?

Point– My favorite food is sushi.

Illustrate– Sushi, a traditional Japanese food of uncooked

fish, tastes good and is healthy. Explain

– Sushi is low in fat and is free from unhealthy preservatives and tastes great.

PIE-IE

We recommend using at least two specifics facts per point

Therefore you get PIE-IE This format will really help direct your writing It gives you the best possible chance to do

well on the exam

PIE?

P= Point (What are you trying to say?) I= Illustration (evidence) E= Explain (commentary, or how your

illustration proves your point and thesis)

PIE-IE in 3D3D is even better!

PIE-IE is what you make to get the grade 3D is how you figure out what kind of PIE to

make Using them together will get you a yummy

grade

PIE-IE Helps you get it right

Point- Set up your THESIS your point Illustrate- Add specific Fact #1 Explain Fact #1 and Connect it to the point Illustrate- Add specific Fact #2 Explain Fact #2 and Connect it to the point Finish- Close it down- (Don’t Babble)

The Thesis

A one or two sentence statement that addresses the topic and the argument that you are making about it.

The thesis statement is very specific. It should only address what is to be discussed or analyzed in the essay. You should not write about anything that is not set out in the thesis statement.

Place your thesis at the end of the first paragraph. A thesis statement that only restates the question

will not be given credit.

Writing the Thesis Statement

1. Subject + opinion

2. It may have: the reasons/evidence that will support this claim (usually three topics)

Thesis Reminders

A strong thesis takes some sort of stand. A strong thesis justifies discussion. A strong thesis expresses one main idea. A strong thesis statement is specific.

Thesis Example

Prompt: What were the motivating factors for Europeans to

explore North and South America?Weak Thesis: Conquistadors were motivated by many factors to

explore North and South America.Excellent Thesis: Conquistadors explored North and South America in

an effort to expand their influence. They desired the riches of possibly finding gold and silver and to spread Christianity to the Native populations.

Develop your Plan

Now you get to plan your essay using the outline format

By doing this you will help ensure that you stick to prompt and answer it

Complete the outline for our first prompt You’ll complete an outline for the other two

prompts as well This is your Written Response Preparation

Written Response Prompts

You’ll see one of these on Thursday’s Exam1. Explain how the ideas found in the Declaration

of Independence and Thomas Paine’s “The Crisis” helped establish the idea of the American Dream.

2. Including information from statements made by Chief Joseph, explain the effects the expansion of America had on the Native Americans.

3. Explain how the dreams of African Americans were inhibited. Use information your history studies, Slavery: A Practice Totally Repugnant and the Life of Frederick Douglass to support your claim.