Topic:
Compare and contrast your life at your age with someone in your family when they were the same age.
For example, if you’re 20 years old, maybe you will compare and contrast your life with one of your parents when they were the same age.
Specifics:
Thesis statements:
- Your Thesis statement will be your response to the given topic and prompt.
In this case, your thesis should be a statement/position about how your life is either similar or different to the person you’re comparing it to when they were the same age. That way, your three supporting ideas can developing and focus on that one main area.
- E.g. Thesis statements: “My life is very similar to my father’s life when he was 20-years-old.”
- “My life is very different to my mother’s life when she was 20-years-old.”
Each thesis statement would be a different essay. You should NOT be combining these ideas, saying that your lives are both similar and different. Remember, your task is to choose a position and stay there, proving and defending it.
- E.g. thesis statement: “My life is very different to my mother’s life when she was 20-years-old.”
Now that you have that position to focus on, you can create your three specific supporting details, that is, the main ideas that will be the Outline in the Intro as well as the supporting paragraphs in the body. So, what could you say that will support this position? E.g. Supporting ideas:
- At the same age, you were both in college.
- At the same age, you were both working similar jobs.
- At the same age, you were both in a committed relationship.
If you’re arguing the opposite position, you would focus on the differences that you and your chosen family member had while being at the same age.
Remember that each body paragraph should return to your thesis and the topic in your Concluding Thoughts. For example, for supporting idea 3, you were both in a committed relationship at age 20, so what have you learned about that comparison? What does that say about you both? Always apply the concepts in the paragraphs to real life when you’re creating those Concluding Thoughts.
This is a very simple example, but I don’t want to influence you too much regarding what you might say, which can be anything as long as you’re showing how it supports/defends/proves your thesis statement.
Everything for your essay needs to be the same as we’ve established:
- 750 – 1000 words
- 5 paragraphs
- Proper labeling (many of you missed these on the Argument essays)*
- Formatting
- Conventions of academic writing: no announcements, first-person phrases; communicate your ideas with concrete language and comparisons.**
- Cohesion and focus on the topic and prompt: “Cohesion” is making sure all paragraphs work together. “Focus” means that everything you write focuses on answering the question you’re given.
Above all, make sure your thesis and your essay respond to the prompt/question above. Essays that do not follow this topic will NOT be accepted for credit. Be sure to adhere to deadlines. Be sure to hand in the highest caliber of work. Grading will become more stringent as we move along in the semester.
Remember also that this first draft and the peer-edit workshop is 15% of your score for the Proposal essay assignment.
Due dates for next week:
- Essay drafts are due to the workshop submission box by the end of Monday, October 16th, that’s the beginning of Week 8. (The workshop will be available starting this weekend–the end of Week 7.) Remember, workshop submissions are hard deadlines***.
- Peer-evaluations are due by the end of Wednesday.
- Final drafts are due by the end of Friday
