Wright College English Department
In-Class Midterm Essay
Directions: You have read Parker’s essay on “What is Poverty?” and have engaged the topic of poverty on the discussion board various times. Using what you have learned about the topic of poverty and all the various writing strategies acquired and practiced in class, choose ONE of the two prompts below. Then:
1. Brainstorm to help you develop your thesis (topic + controlling ideas.) Choose only two controlling ideas from you brainstorming list. 2. Develop an outline to help you divide the paper into paragraphs. 3. Use the focus freewrite approach to help you start the essay. 4. Use any lead you like (narrative lead, narrative lead with dialogue, flashfoward, flashback, or the double question lead for the descriptive essay.) A lead should be no more than four sentences. 5. Make sure to have a full-circle conclusion. 6. You may use your book, any notes, and review any and all PowerPoints under “Course Resources” to help you develop your sloppy copies.
CHOOSE ONE:
Prompt A
Using the descriptive essay pattern describe the way a child suffers from poverty in Chicago. Make sure to insert a narrative pattern and/or a definition pattern in the essay.
The Rubric for Descriptive essay: 1. MLA format 2. Have a dominant impression 3. Have a clear, one-sentence thesis 4. Have a lead that will hook your reader into your essay 5. Utilize spatial, chronological, or emphatic organization for your description. (See book or power point.) 6. Use sensory language and/or figurative language to enhance your description 7. Have sentence variety 8. Full-circle conclusion 9. Overall, an engaging essay 10. Edit for missing words, tense, fix fragments; use appropriate punctuation
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Prompt B
Using a narrative essay pattern tell of a time either you or someone you knew experienced poverty. Make sure