Essay Helps

   
Skyward Grading: Descriptions of expectations for each part of your essay are on the Skyward assignments, and on this document.

Outsiders Essay Scoring for Skyward.docx

If needed -- see  this example of an argument essay:
Sample Essay -- Two-Bit Charged with Shoplifting

In the introduction you need the book title and author. 
Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis, characters in The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton,  were walking in a city park after midnight.

Use parenthetical citations for your quotations. 
Johnny declared s "we're going to turn ourselves in'' (87).  

  Sherri Valance stated that Bob and Randy and their friends "were drunk and looking for a fight" (86).

Quotes for Citation Practice

Directions: Turn the quote  below into  a proper in-text citation. 
Remember: Introduce + Give + Cite = In-Text Citation.

"Nobody was around at two-thirty in the morning, and it was a good place to relax and cool off. " -- Ponyboy Curtis. Page 53.

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According to Ponyboy Curtis, "Nobody was around at two-thirty in the morning, and it was a good place to relax and cool off " (53). 

or

Ponyboy Curtis said, "Nobody was around at two-thirty in the morning, and it was a good place to relax and cool off " (53).

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"The blue Mustang was circling the park slowly. Johnny swore under his breath, and I muttered, "What do they want?" -- Ponyboy Curtis. "I don't know. But I bet they're looking for us. We picked up their girls." -- Johnny Cade Page 54.

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Ponyboy Curtis reports, "The blue Mustang was circling the park slowly. Johnny swore under his breath, and I muttered, 'What do they want?'"  and that Johnny Cade replied,  "I don't know. But I bet they're looking for us. We picked up their girls"  (54). 

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"Want to run for it?" - Pony boy ‘"It's too late now . . . Here they come."’ -- Johnny Cade. Page 54.

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   When they saw the Socs coming, Ponyboy asked, " Want to run for it?" and Johnny replied, "It's too late now . . . Here they come" (54).

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"Five Socs were coming straight at us, and from the way they were staggering I figured they were reeling pickled. That scared me.”-- Ponyboy Curtis. Page 54.

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 Ponyboy Curtis said, "Five Socs were coming straight at us, and from the way they were staggering I figured they were reeling pickled. That scared me”(54) 

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“Johnny's hand went to his back pocket and I remembered his switchblade. I wished for that broken bottle. I'd sure show them I could use it if I had to.” --Page 54. 
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" Johnny had a blank, tough look on his face--- you'd have had to know him to see the panic in his eyes." -- Ponyboy Curtis. Page 54.

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"I'm drowning, I thought, they've gone too far... A red haze filled my mind and I slowly relaxed" -- Ponyboy Curtis. Page 56.

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"How'd you like that haircut to begin just below the neck?" – One of the Socs who had jumped Ponyboy earlier, pg. 5

Ponyboy reported that the Soc who had a knife at his neck said, "How'd you like that haircut to begin just below the neck?" (5). 

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 "He's as hard as a rock and about as human...he thinks I'm a pain in the neck. He likes Soda--everybody likes Soda--but he can't stand me." Johnny is talking about Darrel, his oldest brother, pg. 42

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Thesis Statements -- Three Pronged

Example of Three-Pronged Thesis Statements:  Each includes a claim and three reasons to support that claim.  

1. We should wear school uniforms because they would help reduce discipline, be cheaper than other clothing, and help create school pride.

2. Zoos should be banned because animals need to remain in the wild, zoos cannot provide natural experiences for animals, and animals in zoos get sick and die.

Here is one with four prongs:  This one includes a claim and four reasons to support that claim.  

3. Middle school sports unquestionably have a positive influence on  students because they teach social skills, reinforce time-management skills, provide exercise. and show the benefits of hard work.

In other essays you could write a thesis sentence with a claim and two, three, four, or more reasons to support that claim.   
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Body Paragraphs

Transitions

1 point per transition, 1 point for effectiveness/appropriateness of each transition

A transition at the beginning of each of the first three body paragraphs

An opposing transition begins the counterclaim/rebuttal paragraph

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A concluding transition begins the concluding paragraph

Topic Sentences for Body Paragraphs
6 = Each of the first three body paragraphs begins with a topic sentence. The sentence will match a topic and its order from the thesis sentence.

4 = Two of the first three body paragraphs have a topic sentence matching the topic and order laid out in the thesis sentence.

2 = One of the first three body paragraphs begins with a topic sentence matching the topic and order laid out in the thesis sentence. 

Evidence and explanation

6 = Each of the first three body paragraphs includes evidence (at least one quote from the book) and explanation of how that evidence proves the reason given in the topic sentence.

4= Two of the first three body paragraphs includes evidence (at least one quote from the book) and explanation of how that evidence proves the reason given in the topic sentence.  Or the evidence and/or explanation in some of the paragraphs are lacking. 

2 = One of the first three body paragraphs includes evidence (at least one quote from the book) and explanation of how that evidence proves the reason given in the topic sentence.  Or the evidence and/or explanation in all of the paragraphs are lacking. 

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1= some attempt at evidence and explanation

Citations

5 or more quotes are correctly cited. There is at least one quote, correctly cited, in each of the first three body paragraphs. At least two others must be found in the essay, in body paragraphs, hook, background information, counterclaim, or conclusion

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Use mostly parenthetical citations.  If you use  informal introductions to the quotations such as “Ponyboy Curtis reports that. . . . “, use a variety of kinds of introductions. 

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