ela-20-reflective-essay-assignment

1. Some of the student assignments were handed back today. We got right back into where we left off yesterday on the powerpoint – body paragraphs. Some of the slides were not relevant to this type of essay so we pushed through them but focused again on what should be included in an Introductory paragraph and a Conclusion one.It may seem awkward to write an essay outside the order it appears as a whole (some have been taught to write the intro, then each of the body paragraphs, and then the conclusion. Instead, though, I ask the students to do their outlining so they plan where they are going, but to begin writing the body paragraphs (the bulk and content of the essay) and Then write the introduction and Then write the conclusions. (The repetition of the word “then” is included for emphasis, fyi!)
2. I gave students a handout with five boxes on it that had written in each the most basic of functions or roles for the sentences in that box (or paragraph). For example, the first sentence of the Intro paragraph (box) should be the Opening Statement (or attention grabber). We read through it to make it clear the format each paragraph should follow.
3. Students were given a copy of an essay written by another student of mine from last year. We read through it in parts and they highlighted and wrote in the margins of their copy to show exactly where the key sentences were, such as the thesis. Looking at essays and identifying specific sentences and their roles is as helpful in understanding essays as practicing writing them, and possibly less painful for some!
4. After all this, they had half an hour’s worth of class time to continue with their brainstorming and preparation for writing their own reflective essay. The actual assignment sheet is attached at the top of this post. They were also given copies of the Rubric for how their essay and oral presentation of their essay will be evaluated. *In having their rubrics before they begin the assignment, they can be careful to focus on the areas to be evaluated, such as having a well-developed “attention grabber”. This should help them get full marks for their work.*