Essaying an Essay

To "essay" means to try, and students have been trying, lately, to write essays! It is a new and challenging writing form for most of them, and I am very proud of what they have achieved so far. We are working on building simple essays that advance a thesis (a thought or claim) and support it with details, examples, reasons, and other evidence. Today we framed our essays using "boxes and bullets" -- a graphic organizer that forms a simple outline. In the box is the thesis, while each bullet represents a supporting idea. Supporting ideas could show reasons why a thesis is true, describe times when a thesis is true, or explain ways how a thesis is true. In the next few days we will explore ways essayists organize their writing, find sources of information and evidence, and present their thoughts in clear ways. I look forward to seeing the final results! If you are able to attend our essay unveiling, held just before Thanksgiving, you are welcome to share in our celebration. More details to come soon.