AP Language and Composition

1. AP Language and Composition “It’s a Tropes and Schemes Tuesday!” 3.16.2010 Mr. Houghteling

2. Agenda • Notes on Essay Introduction and Leads • Begin writing your thesis and your lead. • Review tropes and schemes from the handout.

3. AP Writing Prompt 1. Read the provided prompt carefully. -Unpack it: what is it really asking? 2. Brainstorm on the topic at hand (5 minutes). 3. Write your thesis statement (3 minutes). 4. Create a brief outline or graphic organizer of the essay.

4. Thesis statement: Make sure that your thesis statement includes: • Your argument. • A preview of your three main reasons – YOUR EVIDENCE.

5. Introductions and Leads When we write, keep in mind that writing an introductory paragraph is like greeting someone. The paragraph should be short and to the point like saying, “Hello!”Also, you don’t want to get into the meat of the essay. Simply give the audience a concise idea of your essay’s purpose.

6. How can I start the introduction? 1. Begin with a quotation.

7. 1. Begin with a quotation • Find a quote that seems to get at the problem you're dealing with. • State it at the beginning of your introduction and discuss how it relates to what you're trying to prove. • Make sure you explain its relevance.

8. Quote Example: St. Augustine famously wrote that “…an unjust law is no law at all.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. embraced Augustine’s message and used it to motivate people to join the civil right movement of the 1960s.

9. 2. Begin with a very short narrative or anecdote that has a direct bearing on your paper. • The anecdote - This works particularly well for a historical essay, and even better if you have some ability at creative writing. Pick a specific incident that represents the underlying conflict of your piece, and briefly narrate it like a story. Explain afterwards how the instance reflects a problem you're attempting to solve.

10. 3. Begin with an interesting factor startling statement On September 15, 1963, a white man placed a box underneath the stairs of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. A short time later, four girls attending Sunday school were killed and twenty-four others were injured in the blast. The assailant, Robert Chambliss, eventually was found not guilty of murder but had to pay a hundred-dollar fine for owning dynamite.

11. StartlingorSurprising statement Have a minute? Good. Because that may be all it takes to save the life of a child—your child. Accidents kill nearly 8000 children under age 15 each year. And for every fatality, 42 more children are admitted to hospitals for treatment. Yet such deaths and injuries can be avoided through these easy steps parents can take right now. You don't have a minute to lose.

12. Statement Examples • Almost every time that you turn on the television you will find a number of shows which are extremely violent. • Many public schools have decided that their students should use uniforms.

13. 4. Begin with an opinion • After being criticized for inciting hatred and violence, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. created his own open letter that dissected the clergymen’s opinions and the men themselves, and he also proved to the world that his nonviolent approach to achieving civil rights for all Americans was a true fight for justice.

14. Begin with an opinion Many people believe that college athletes should get paid while others believe they should not. College athletes should be paid because they practice long hours, the schools are profiting through the athletes’ efforts, and this would make college life much less stressful for the athletes.

15. 5. Begin with a question • Throw out a broad question of universal interest, and demonstrate how a possible answer can be related to your thesis. Examples: In the United States, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday as a federal holiday. Have you ever wondered what his achievements were that our country has chosen to honor him?

16. 5. Begin with a question • Throw out a broad question of universal interest, and demonstrate how a possible answer can be related to your thesis. Examples: Are you ever bothered by the excessive violence on prime time television? • Do you think that to improve our public school education the students should be required to wear uniforms?

17. 5. Begin with a question • Keep in mind that for an AP or ACT essay prompt, this is the least effective way to start your essay. Some of the other leads reflect more mature (read: more points) writing.

18. CLASSWORK Write a Complete Introduction that includes a strong lead, a thesis statement, and a preview statement. Lead: Quotation, Anecdote, Interesting Fact, Startling Statement, or Opinion. Using a question is your last resort! Use your graphic organizer as you create your introduction.