Task 2 - Essay Scaffold
1. You are to chooseone of the three levels listed below as the focus of your response.
2. Highlight the statement that you will be addressing.
Level One
What I laugh at tells me a lot about who I am and where I come from.
Use some of the texts studied in class and from your investigation to answer the question.
Level Two
What we laugh at shows what was important in society at that time.
Use some of the texts studied in class and from your investigation to answer the question.
Level Three
What we laugh at can change over time and place.
Use some of the texts studied in class and from your investigation to answer the question.
3. Unpack the statement that you chose. Define key terms and concepts - identify your response (answer) to the statement.
4. Rewrite the statement in your own words.
5. Be clear and specific about what you will argue.
Write this argument succinctly below as this will become your proposition (or thesis).
6. Brainstorm/mind map all the ideas that you have in relation to your chosen statement.
Avoid judging the merit of your ideas - just write them down.
Conduct the brainstorming/mind mapping over the page. Feel free to add more paper, if you require it.
7. Once all your ideas are recorded, you can consider their worth and decide on the best three. These big ideas will serve as the topic statements for each body paragraph.
8. Decide which bits of evidence from your studied texts will substantiate your big ideas and note the texts from which these have been taken. See the table.
Body Paragraph 1
Big Idea / Evidence/examples(including quotes from the texts) / Text (sources) / Page(s) or Scene
Body Paragraph 2
Big Idea / Evidence/examples(including quotes from the texts) / Text (sources) / Page(s) or Scene
Body Paragraph 3
Big Idea / Evidence/examples(including quotes from the texts) / Text (sources) / Page(s) or Scene
IT IS CRITICAL TO REMEMBER THAT THE IDEAS DRIVE THE PARAGRAPHS AND NOT THE TEXTS – texts are used to support the ideas.
Introduction
1. General opening statement that captures attention and provides background detail –
eg. define humour and its purpose.
2. State the authors/producers (creators) of your chosen texts and when these texts were produced. Briefly summarise each of your texts: the scene/passage/chapter…noting the elements that make these funny.
3. Provide the linking sentence(s) that introduce the question/statement (level 1, 2, or 3)
4. Proposition sentence (thesis) – this is your one sentence answer to the statement and encapsulates what the rest of the essay will be about.
BULLET your introduction:
Body Paragraph 1
Topic Statement (WHAT):
Elaboration using evidence, examples, and quotes (HOW)
Tieback to the question/statement (WHY)
Body Paragraph 2
Topic Statement (WHAT):
Elaboration using evidence, examples, and quotes (HOW)
Tieback to the question/statement (WHY)
Body Paragraph 3
Topic Statement (WHAT):
Elaboration using evidence, examples, and quotes (HOW)
Tieback to the question/statement (WHY)
Conclusion
1. Briefly sum up your main/big ideas in ‘fresh words’.
2. Re-emphasise your proposition – ram home your argument.
3. Provide a powerful and memorable closing sentence.
BULLET your conclusion
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