Short Story Essay Planning Phase

Over the next couple of days, we have read, A Teacher’s Rewards, by Robert Phillips and The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson. Both of these short stories have a central theme that clearly states the author’s views on our one’s own individualperception.For this essay, you must come up with a central thesis that is evident in both short stories and have evidence to support your main point. Focus on what ways are these short stories similar and even with those similarities, how are they different? Your essay must demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of the both short stories. You must site your sources using MLA format and include a works cited page in MLA format at the end of your essay.

Overarching Question: What are these two authors’ views on one’s individual perception?

Central Theme (Thesis in your essay)

______

Name: ______

Essay Outline

Instruction: Before drafting your essay, use the following outline to organize each key element of your five paragraphs.

  1. Introduction Paragraph (paragraph one) – Remember ACT
  1. Attention Getter (a.k.a. enticing lead or hook) – Begin with a question, an interesting statistic, or a quote that gets your reader’s attention.

______

______

  1. Context (a.k.a. background information) – In a few sentences, summarize the basic idea of what is going on: the general background information for both short stories.

______

______

______

______

  1. Thesis statement – Directly state your claim, in terms of what is the overarching link between “The Lottery” and “A Teacher’s Rewards,” in reference to one’s own individual perception. Note: a couple of the themes have been combined.
  1. Thesis: ______
  1. First Body Paragraph (paragraph two) – Remember PEEC
  1. Point (create a topic sentence for the first statement on the two stories; this is the first category where you make your first claim about the two stories in reference to the past that you listed on your thesis statement’s outline):

______

______

______

  1. Evidence Link: ______

______

______

  1. Evidence with Documentation:______

______

______

______

  1. Commentary: ______

______

______

______

______

  1. Second Body Paragraph (paragraph three) – Remember PEEC
  1. Point (create a topic sentence for the second ; this is the second category where you make your first claim about the two stories in reference to the past that you listed on your thesis statement’s outline):

______

______

______

  1. Evidence Link: ______

______

______

  1. Evidence with Documentation:______

______

______

______

  1. Commentary: ______

______

______

______

______

  1. Third Body Paragraph (paragraph four) – Remember PEEC
  1. Point (create a topic sentence for the final category where you make your first claim about the two stories in reference to the past that you listed on your thesis statement’s outline):

______

______

______

  1. Evidence Link: ______

______

______

  1. Evidence with Documentation:______

______

______

______

  1. Commentary: ______

______

______

______

______

  1. Conclusion paragraph (paragraph five) Remember RSC
  1. Reword your Thesis Statement (Begin with a concluding phrase.)

______

______

______

  1. Summarize your Key Points (Give the short version of the key topics that you covered.)

______

______

______

______

______

  1. Complete the Circle (End with a sense of completion by reminding your reader of how you began – maybe with a clever comment that ties your beginning quote to your points or by answering the question you posed in your attention getter.)

______

______

______

______

______

Step two: Refer to the example essay and your outline in order to construct a rough draft of your essay.

Step three: Set your rough draft down for a while. Go do something else so that you are not still absorbed in your original thoughts whenever you look again at your essay.

Step four: Come back to your essay and quietly read it to yourself. Listen to how it sounds. Now, look over the rubric and read your essay again with a critical eye. How would you score each element of your paragraphs?

Step five: Have a few different people complete step four for your essay.

Step six: Revise and edit your essay. Add any missing elements; take out any unnecessary words or phrases. Correct any mistakes in grammar, mechanics, and usage, and pay special attention to the six traits of writing—make any necessary changes.

Step seven: Write a final, polished draft and submit it to your teacher for a grade.