Language Homework Details
Introductory Paragraph:
Begin with a statement of fact. Should be compelling and draw interest for your reader.
Briefly give three examples that support your thesis and will give the reader some idea of what your three body paragraphs will be about. This information should come from the answers to the question you generated about your thesis statement
THESIS STATEMENT: Topic - year round school/school uniforms; Controlling idea - your opinion regarding the topic.
Example paragraph:
Statistics show that many of schools in the United States are falling academically behind schools of other countries. Perhaps some the discrepancies are due to how the school day and year are configured. Few schools today offer students the ability to attend on a year-round basis. Attending school year-round would enable students to retain information between shorter vacation periods. Additionally, vacations would be spread throughout the year allowing for families to plan time away during off-peak weeks. Students and teachers would also benefit from building changes, such as air conditioning, which would enhance learning not only in the summer, but also during late spring and early fall. Implementing a year-round calendar with evenly distributed vacations will allow for a continuum of instruction and increased student learning.
Body Paragraph One
Use one of the brief examples stated in the introduction and make it into a topic sentence. The remainder of the paragraph should be your explanation of how this statement directly supports the thesis statement.
Example:
Having a two to three week evenly spaced throughout the year rather than the long summer two and a half month vacation would help students retain what they have learned. Often in the fall, teachers must spend much time reviewing what students learned the previous year. Once students' memories are jogged and they are again familiar with information they already learned, they can move on to new topics. It is necessary to build on learning, making the sometimes month long review necessary. If vacations were shorter but more frequent, students would more readily recall past lessons thereby freeing up valuable time to learn new information. Year-round school would ultimately provide for a greater amount of knowledge to be acquired over a shorter period of time.
Concluding Paragraph
Restate the thesis statement
Briefly state the most important fact of your body paragraphs. (3-4) sentences
Conclude with a strong statement of fact or opinion.
Example:
Student learning as seen through test scores would sharply increase if vacations were more frequently and evenly distributed throughout the school year. Material that is learned previously would be easier for students to recall and allow for immediate transfer to new learning opportunities. The physical environment within the school would be conducive to learning during the whole year, not just the cooler months. Families could bond more often during the frequent off periods and actually enhance the learning experience by being able to mix educational trips with pleasure. Taking the courageous step toward a year-round school calendar would be a wise, beneficial, and forward step needed to keep our communities and country competitive within our every shrinking world.
Grading Rubric
1.. Ten facts have been located and restated in your
own words. (30 points) ________
2. One to two well-written paragraphs incorporate
your facts to make a logical, easy-to-read summary.
(50 points) ________
3. Each fact is numbered or highlighted within the
body of your summary. (10 points) ________
4. Work is neat and easy to read. (10 points) ________
TOTAL (100 points) ________