Module 2

Climax (the middle)

the main character faces his or her ultimate problem & makes a decision to try to solve it. This is often the most suspenseful part of the story, the point where the conflict is most intense.

Definition

-A fresh or unusual way of defining the topic of your essay can cause your reader to keep reading. Do not use dictionary definitions as a hook. -Ex: Equality is a warm quilt wrapped around you on a cold day; it is something everyone needs to experience.

Quotation

-A saying or quotation that ties into your essay's topic can be thought-provoking for your reader. -Ex: Psychiatrist William Glasser showed how important belonging is when he said, "We are driven by five genetic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun."

Facts or Statistics

-A surprising fact or statistic pertaining to your essay's topic can draw your reader into your essay. -Many people do not know that the depression rate among middle-aged men is 40 percent; gender stereotypes result in missed diagnoses and unequal access to help.

Bold Statement

-A surprising or shocking statement connected to the topic of your essay causes your reader to keep reading to find out if the statement is true or how it connects to your topic. -Ex: People who need others to fight for them to have equal rights are weak.

Anecdote

-A very short story that illustrates some aspect of your essay's topic can help your reader connect to your topic. -Ex: Terri could not stop grinning. Her parents noticed a change in her attitude, and her grades improved. After years of trying out for this sport or that team, she had found her place in the band. She had made friends for what felt like the first time in her life.

Description

-A vivid description of some aspect of your essay's topic can get your readers' attention; appeal to as many of the senses as possible to create a powerful image that will keep them reading. -Ex: An elderly man sits in a wheelchair staring at the cold, white walls of his nursing home room. A young child sits, nervously tapping his foot and chewing his nails, as his social worker looks for a new family for him. These two individuals are alone in a world that seems dark, cold, and hopeless.

Plot

-An author may use a happy ending to make you feel hopeful, or an author may use a tragic ending to make you feel outraged. -Either way, the resolution of your novel's plot will tell you a lot about what the author intended. -Remember, all stories mirror real life. The human rights issues you see taking place in your novel are real in many ways, whether your novel is fiction or non-fiction. -How does the author introduce the human rights issue? How does the author resolve the conflict in this novel?

Memorization vs. Experience

-Authors don't come right out and say what they mean because they want you to work to find the deeper meaning -When a writer wants to give you a life lesson, the writer needs you to do some work. You could memorize that as a good rule, but you would not understand the dramatic importance of that lesson until you experienced it through fiction. They need you to experience the lesson in your own mind so that you will learn it for yourself.

Interviews

-Cite interviews by using the last name of the interviewee. You do not use a page number. -"Teenagers need chances to make decisions in order to become more independent" (Jones). [Because there is no signaling phrase, the name of the person interviewed is in parentheses at the end of the sentence.] -According to Jones, teens must make decisions "to become more independent." [Because a signaling phrase with the interviewee's name is used, no further citation is necessary.]

Print Sources

-For a print source such as a book, scholarly journal, magazine, or newspaper, the author and page number should be included. -According to Mark Jones, author of Encouraging Independence, teenagers need many opportunities to make decisions prior to moving out of the family home (16). [Because the author's name is included in the signaling phrase, it does not need to be repeated in the parentheses at the end of the sentence.] -Teenagers need many opportunities to make decisions prior to moving out of the family home (Jones 16). [The author's last name and the page number are included in the parenthetical citation because they do not appear in the sentence.] -Jones explains, "Wise and compassionate parents will prepare their teenage children for independence by allowing them to make their own decisions" (16). [The author's last name is used in the signaling phrase and, therefore, does not need to be included in the parenthetical citation. If the quotation was said by one person but located in a book or article by another person, then the speaker of the quotation should be mentioned in the sentence and the author who published the quotation should be cited in the parentheses.]

Print Sources without Author

-For a print source with no author, the title of the work and page number, if available, should be included. -In "Let Them Decide," teenagers explain how being able to make their own decisions made them feel confident, independent, and prepared to make major decisions in the future (28). [The parenthetical citation contains only a page number because the article title is used in a signaling phrase.] -According to one study, teenagers who were encouraged to make their own decisions felt more confident, independent, and prepared to make major decisions in the future ("Let Them Decide" 28). [Because there is no author, the article title and page number are included in this example of parenthetical citation.]

Websites

-For a website, database, or film, include the information first available: author, article title, website name, or film title. Page numbers do not need to be for these nonprint sources. -Complete URLs or web addresses should only appear in the Works Cited page and not within the text. -According to the website Independent Teen Studies, making major decisions with the support of an adult is an important step toward independence. [A signaling phrase is used to let readers know the source of this information. The website title is used which tells us that there is no author or article title available.] -Making major decisions with the support of an adult is an important step toward a teenager's independence (Independent Teen Studies). [The website title appears in the parentheses because it is not referenced within the sentence. If an author were available, the last name would appear in the parentheses instead.]

Special Circumstances

-More than one author with the same name: (M. Shelley 224) (P. Shelley 321) -More than one work from the same author: (Joyce, Portrait 132) (Joyce, Ulysses 316) -Citing an indirect source: (Taylor qtd. in Hughes 2:40) -qtd. is used to indicate material that is quoted in another source -Citing a work with multiple authors: (Jones, Smith, and Anderson 51)

Analysis

-Once you have identified areas of your novel that pertain to a human rights issue, you need to find out what the author's deeper meaning was. -You do this by analyzing and making inferences to learn what the author believed was important about this issue. Ask yourself: -In my novel, who suffers due to the human rights issue? -What does the wording in my quotations imply? -When this issue becomes most important, what happens? -How is this issue resolved in my novel?

Historical Context Time and Place Obstacles Cause and Effect

-Refers to the time and place in which a story occurs -what would happen if the time and place of the story was moved somewhere else? Significantly impacts how we handle the obstacles we face -Obstacles do not change, people's recation does. -What has caused an obstacle to exist? What specific effects does it have on the person's life? What effects will certain reactions have down the road? Answer depends on Historical Context

Works Cited Formatting Checklist

-Sources are in alphabetical order. -Sources are not numbered. -Within each entry and between entries, lines are double-spaced. -Entries of more than one line have the second line indented five spaces. -All entries are in the same font and size. -Student's last name and page number are in the upper right corner. -The words Works Cited are in a 12-point font, centered, not underlined, not boldfaced, and not in quotation marks.

Facing Conflict

-The characters in our novels usually rely on personal qualities and friends or family to conquer the conflicts that they face. -We also rely on these in real life, and we often turn to the government to support us in our times of need.

Thesis Statement

-The essay must have a clear focus that you state in the beginning. This will prepare the readers for the information you are about to present. -Thesis should be: one sentence, must respond to the prompt, & must provide specific details about what you will cover in your essay.

First Person POV

-The narrator is a character and participates in the action. -This POV uses pronouns like "I," "we," and "me" because the narrator is part of the action. Effect: -Narrator and, therefore, reader have limited knowledge of events or thoughts and feelings of other characters but complete knowledge of the narrator's experience. -Narrator confides in reader; we often feel close to a first person narrator.

Objective POV

-The narrator is unidentified, a detached obserever. Effect: -Like a video camera that follows the characters and the action, this type of narrator reports on events and lets the reader supply the meaning. -We have to draw our own conclusions about what characters are thinking or feeling.

Citations

-We can incorporate our research ethically by giving credit to our sources internally and externally. -In English courses, we use Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines for citations.

Find out what cultural beliefs were important to the people of the area and time of your book. Learn what they valued. Ask yourself whether things would be different in some other place or time:

-When did the author write the book? What important events might have influenced the writer's opinion? -What did the author choose to say or show you? Do these choices demonstrate the author's feelings about the topic?

Think about the time and place in which it was written and the time and place in which it is set:

-When was the book published? What does the date lead you to expect about the characters? -When is the main character living? Is it long ago? Now? In the future?

Internal Citations

-correspond to entries on the Works Cited page; they tell our readers enough information so that they can locate the source on the Works Cited page. -They take the form of parenthetical citation or parenthetical reference and signaling phrases. A single sentences may combine both forms of in-text citations.

How can you use the information from your research?

-direct quotation -paraphrase -summary

Credibility

-essential when it comes to completing research -You must find sources that your readers can trust. These may be experts on a topic, or they may be first-hand accounts from verified survivors of an incident. Do your research thoroughly to determine whether a source is credible before you include it in your essay. Questions to ask yourself: -Does this writer have any expertise on the subject? -Does the writer use proper spelling and grammar? -Does the writer provide supporting evidence?

Point of View

-is how we let our feelings and opinions affect our understanding of something -Not everyone shares the same opinions. Disagreeing is part of being human. Sometimes we may even think of the same things completely differently. -An author's POV shows through in characterization, diction, and plot. -DO NOT confuse an author's POV (opinion) with a story's POV (the relationship of the narrator to the action)

Parallel Structure

-means having the same importance and grammatical styles used for a series of words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. -A writer who makes an error in parallel structure can confuse readers and inadvertently make the story less entertaining. -The experience is similar to getting lost on a twisted highway that intersects and overlaps with other unmarked roads. -Clearly marked streets that run parallel to one another are much easier to navigate—and they give you time to enjoy the scenery. For authors, parallel structure is a serious matter.

Research

-must search for information outside your novel that provides supporting information about this issue, and you will analyze how the issue in your novel relates to the real world. -it is wise to preview possible sources. Previewing sources can save you time. -For websites and databases, look for subheadings, highlighted words, diagrams, graphics, and photos that might help you determine where to focus your efforts. -For books, magazines, and newspapers, use the table of contents and the index to locate chapters and pages that apply to your research. Preview the source for non-text elements such as diagrams, charts, and images that might assist you.

Introduction

-opportunity to get your readers' attention by using a "hook" -must contain the thesis statement

Synthesize

-put your research and notes together into a collection of the most important details -you must review your notes and graphic organizers to decide what information you would like to use. -Many details from your research will have to be left out so that you can write a focused essay, but you can feel confident knowing that the details you do include are the most important and relevant to your topic! -In order to synthesize effectively, you must know the central idea of your essay.

Diction

-refers to word choice -reason we analyze diction is to understand why a writer selected specific words. -Negative diction in certain situations will indicate negative opinion. -Positive diction will indicate a positive opinion. -When an author reveals his or her opinion about a human rights issue, you can start to see how this issue relates to the real world or our time period today.

Bridging Statements

-sentences that provide supporting details and connects your hook to your thesis. -These details help your reader understand how the hook relates to the central idea of the paper.

To challenge your readers

-tell them directly to take a specific action show them the effects of a changed way of thinking or acting

Authors have historical context, too, and this can tells us about their values. Whether the author lived through the events of the book or not, it is likely the author had an opinion about them. Use the historical context of the author to determine:

-the author's purpose -the author's point of view

Omnsicient POV

-the narrator is all-knowing and uses pronouns like "he," "she," and "they" because the narrator is not part of the action. Effect: -The narrator knows what everyone is thinking and feeling and reveals that information to the reader. -An omniscient narrator may provide his or her opinion of events and characters, or he or she may let the reader come to his or her own conclusions. -Thanks to the insights of a third-person omniscient narrator, we might feel sympathy or anger toward another character because we know the other "pieces" of the story.

Limited Omniscient POV

-the narrator knows the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of a single character. -this POV uses pronouns like "he," "she," and "they" because the narrator is not part of the action. Effect: -The narrator shares his limited knowledge with the reader, leaving some things unknown.

To signal closure

-use words such as "finally," "clearly," "from these examples, we can see that..." -make a bold statement using the power of language or structure to influence readers

To synthesize

-walk away from your writing and explain what you have learned about the topic to someone (this will help you to resist the old habit of restating your main ideas) -think of synthesis as capturing your key points and commenting on their significance -ask yourself: What ideas did I analyze throughout my essay and what do those ideas tell me about language, life, or humanity?

Characterization

-writers indicate their opinions about topics through their characters. -Characters fall into different categories. Some are victims, some are heroes, and some are villains. -How do characters suffer from this human rights issue? How does the fight against suffering turn out? Who causes the suffering and why?

Identify and Analyze

-you will focus on analyzing the author's purpose. This means that you must search through your novel for examples of text that demonstrate the author's opinion about the human rights issue in your novel, and you will analyze how this issue relates to human rights issues in the real world or today's time.

What rights created under the provision of Amendment IX, may help the character overcome his or her obstacle in Ender's Game?

A right to be treated as a human being regardless of age, a right to be treated fairly regardless of race.

To contrast

On the contrary, but, however, nevertheless, in contrast, yet, on one hand, on the other hand, rather, or nor, at the same time, while

To emphasize

Above all, indeed, truly, of course, certainly, surely, in fact, really, again, besides, also, furthermore, in addition

Red Light

After we have given an example, fact, or detail we need to stop and explain how that example, fact, or detail proves the point.

To acknowledge a different perspective

Although, even though, while, in spite of, meanwhile

To add

And, in addition to, furthermore, too, also, another, equally important, finally, not only-but also, as well as, similiarly, as a result, consequently, in the same way, therefore

Identify

Ask yourself: -What is the human rights issue in my novel? -Where does this issue first come up in my novel? -Where in my novel does this issue become most important? -How is this issue resolved in my novel?

Module Two Prompt

Based on your research, identify and analyze a human rights issue in your novel and show how it relates to issues and affects people within the United States and one other country.

MLA Citation format

Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Medium of publication. Date of access. -n.p. if no publisher name is available and n.d. if no publishing date is given

These details will help you understand the elements that make up the plot of your book, whether it is fiction or nonfiction.

If it is fiction, what similarities do you notice between this story and the real world? If it is non-fiction, what connections can you draw between obstacles of that time and place and obstacles of today?

Yellow Light

Need to slow down and give specific facts or details.

To show a relationship between ideas

So that, consequently, hence, accordingly, for this reason, therefore, so, because, since, due to, as a result, in other words, then

Character vs. Character

This type of conflict is between at least two characters.

Character vs. Nature

This type of conflict occurs between a character and some element of nature (wind, rain, storms, animals, etc.)

Character vs. Society

This type of conflict occurs between the protagonist and his or her society

Character vs. Self

This type of conflict occurs within a person and might take the form of a psychological struggle.

Punctuating Titles

Use quotation marks around titles of: -magazine or newspaper articles -short poems -chapters -songs -short stories -essays -speeches -episodes of television or radio shows Use italics or underlining for titles of: -books -magazines -plays -newspapers -academic journals -television shows -films -long poems -works of art -websites You may use italics or underlining. Choose one format and be consistent.

Green Light

We begin a paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly states the point of the paragraph. This sentence tells us where the paragraph is going to go

Parenthetical citation

a method of citing sources within a text by putting the main identifying source information in parentheses at the end of a sentence

To give an example

for example, for instance, to illustrate, specifically, such as

Signaling Phrases

short phrases or words such as (according to, person X says, believes, explains, declares, asserts, questions,) used to introduce quotations or paraphrased ideas

Rising Action (the middle)

the author explains the obstacles or conflict the main character has to face in the course of the story It is called "rising" action because the obstacles continue to rise in difficulty. Think of this as having a character climb a set of stairs. It gets harder along the way.

Exposition (the beginning or introduction)

the author introduces you to the setting, characters, & often the main idea of the essay or story

Resolution (Denouement or the end)

the author leaves the reader with the final events of the story, often expressing a lesson learned or giving a new take on the main idea.

Human Rights

the equal opportunities and treatments that many people fight to secure

Falling Action (the middle)

the main character suceeds or fails after facing the ultimate problem. The path to the end of story is not always easy for the character.