Essay Lab Activity

1. What is the purpose of the title of the essay?

A. :-) To indicate what the composition is about. It makes the reader feel interested in the composition.
B. ? To show the author's point of view.
C. ? To advise the reader not to read the essay.

D: ? It does not have any connection with the essay.

2. Which transtion word can you use to add ideas?

A. ? First.
B. ? Consequently.
C. :-) In addition to.
D. ? Thus.

3. Where do you usually find the thesis statement?

A. :-) At the end of the introductory paragraph.
B. ? In the supporting paragraphs.
C. ? At the begining of the introductory paragraph.

D. ? At the begining of the concluding paragraph.

4. What is the thesis statement?

A. ? It's a general sentence.
B. ? It's the title of the essay.
C. ? It is the first sentence of the paragraph. It gives the reader an idea of what the paragraph is going to be about.
D. :-) It's a sentence that contains the main idea of the composition. It identifies the purpose of the paper.

5. What is the purpose of the introduction?

A. :-) The introduction grabs the reader's attention and sets up the topic.
B. ? The introduction lets your teacher get to know you better.
C. ? The introduction restates the assignment exactly as the teacher explained it.
D. ? The introduction gives details about all of the points you will make in your essay.

6. Which transition word can you use to show cause and effect?

A. :-) Therefore
B. ? In addition to
C. ? Also
D. ? Even though

7. Where do you have to write the title of the essay? How should it be written?

A. ? In a separate page, and it has to be written as big as possible.
B. ? In the last page, on the left side. It has to be underlined.
C. :-) It is written in the upperpart of the page and centered. It has to be written with capital letters except prepositions and articles.
D. ? At the bottom of the page. It has to be written with capital letters including prepositions and articles.

8. Which of the following is not a correct function of the thesis statement?

A. :-) It asks a question of the reader.

B. ? It states the main idea of the essay.
C. ? It indicates the organization of the essay.
D. ? It sets limits on the topic.

9. Which of the following is a good example of the thesis statement?

A. ? The aborigines in Autralia tear the young boys from their mother to tell them the mythology of the tribe.
B. ? The earliest evidence of anything like myths is connected with graves.
C. ? The Blackfoot tribe tell of the buffalo fall in a myth about a young girl.
D. :-) The death penalty should be abolished.

10. When do you have to set the title of the essay?

A. ? Before you start writing the essay.
B. :-) After you finish the essay.
C. ? At the same time you are writing the essay.

D. ? At the same time you are writing the conclusion.

11. What is an essay?

A. ? It is an informal kind of letter that people usually send to the Major to complain about the city situation.
B. :-) It is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes, or analyzes one topic.
C. ? It is a personal letter to a friend or to a relative.

D. ? It is a song.

12. Transitions help the essay's:

A. :-) Coherence.
B. ? Unity.
C. ? Citations.
D. ? Introduction.

13. How many paragraphs does an essay contains?

A. :-) It deppends on the topic.
B. ? Just 1.
C. ? More than 5 but less than 20.
D. ? 5.

14. What is the purpose of the conclusion?

A. ? To introduce new information.
B. :-) To tie together all of the main points of the essay.
C. ? To restates the thesis in the exact same words.
D. ? To leave at least one issue unresolved, so the reader can continue to think about it.

15. What is the purpose of a compare/contrast essay?

A. :-) To discuss the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc.
B. ? To persuade the reader to the writer's point of view.
C. ? To provide details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds.
D. ? To explain why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event.

Developmental Paragraphs

Sex Education that Works

“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, but what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk openly about sex to their girls before they reach puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior.
The lack of communication between parents and their daughters is one of the biggest problems girls are facing today; in fact, girls find it very difficult to talk to their parents about issues that are affecting their lives on a day-to-day basis. Many of them really want to talk to their parents on sex-related topics, but the minute anything that has to do with comes out of their mouths, their parents automatically put themselves in a defense mode and turn their girl’s questions into accusations. The first thing parents think when they are asked about sex is that their girls are having a sexual relationship or they are pregnant. Parents automatically jump to conclusions without even thinking about it. Furthermore, these kinds of parents accusations will eventually turn off their girls, and as a consequence they go to the next best thing, their friends, and what parents do not take into consideration is that sex education has to start at home.
Sex education that works start early and at home, but sometimes it can be difficult for parents to know when to talk about sex to their girls. What is important for parents is to maintain an open mind in order to gain their daughter’s trust, and provided them with opportunities to ask questions related to a sexual relation. However, when to start? The precise age at which information about sex should be provided depends on the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of the young girls, as well as their level of understanding. It is important not to delay providing information to girls but to begin when they are young. At this age, girls can be informed about how people grow and change over time, and how babies become children and then adults. It is also important for girls to be in touch with information related to viruses and germs that attack the body. Even if parents believe that young girls should not have sex until they are married, this does not imply withholding important information about sex and contraception. Rather than trying to frighten young girls away from having sex, effective sex education includes work on attitudes and beliefs, coupled with skills development that enables young girls to choose whether or not to have a sexual relationship, taking into account the potential risks of any sexual activity.
Nowadays young girls can get information about sex and sexuality from a wide range of sources including each other, through the media including advertising, television and magazines, as well as books and websites. Society has changed drastically; for instance, it is normal for young girls to see in the streets women who sell their bodies in order to get some money, and it can affect them negatively because they can take it as a concept about what a sexual relation is. Thus, to avoid negatively consequences, sex education has to start at home in order to provide young girls with an opportunity to explore the reasons why people have sex, and to think how it involves emotions, respect for oneself and other people and their feelings, decisions and bodies.

Introductory Paragraph (Final Version)

Sex Education that Works


“I was never told about sex before” said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve-year-old girl from El Limon-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parents said that they had not talked to her about sex because they thought she was not ready to hear about this complex, and for them, embarrassing topic, but what they did not take into account was that she was about to reach puberty, and that was the best age to start. On the other hand, Vanessa said that her parents never gave her opportunities to ask questions related to sex and that was why she decided to search for information everywhere except her own home. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. Therefore, parents should talk openly about sex to their girls before they reach puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior.

Introductory Paragraph (First Version)

"I was never told about sex before" said Vanessa Guzman, a twelve year old girl from El Limón-Maracay, when she was asked the reason why she had decided to have a sexual relation. Her parentes said that they had not talked to her about sex because they consider it as an embarrassment and a topic very complex to explain at this age. It is known that sometimes it can be difficult for parents to know when to talk about sex to their children, but what they have to take into account is that sex education has to start at home, before the young people reach the puberty and after they have developed patterns of behavior, and parents have to provide their children opportunities to ask questions when they have them. Vanessa asked the wrong person and now she is pregnant. For this reason parents should talk openly to their children about sex before they reach the puberty, but after they have developed patterns of behavior.

Parts of an Essay

Parts of an Essay -- traditionally, it has been taught that a formal essay consists of three parts, the introductory paragraph, or introduction; the body paragraphs; and the concluding paragraph.

Introductory Paragraph: The introductory paragraph accomplishes three purposes. It captures the reader's interest. It suggests the importance of the essay's topic. It ends with a thesis sentence. Often, the thesis sentence states a claim that consists of two or more related points.

Tips
Often, writing an introductory paragraph is the most difficult part of writing an essay. Being faced with a blank page can be daunting. Here are some suggestions for getting started. First, determine the context in which you want to place your topic. In other words, identify an overarching category in which you would place your topic. Then, introduce your topic as a case-in-point.

Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph begins with a topic sentence. If the thesis contains multiple points or assertions, each body paragraph should support or justify, in order the assertions made in the multi-point thesis sentence. Generally, if the thesis sentence contains three related points, there should be three body paragraphs, though the number of paragraphs should be based on the number of supports needed. Thus, the topic sentence for the first body paragraph will refer to the first point in the thesis sentence and the topic sentence for the second body paragraph will refer to the second point in the thesis sentence.

Concluding Paragraph: The concluding paragraph usually restates the thesis and leaves the reader something about the topic to think about. If appropriate, it may also issue a call to action, inviting the reader to take a specific course of action with regard to the points that the essay presented.

What is an Essay?

An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes or analyzes one topic. It can discuss a subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or just report information. An essay can be written from any perspective, but essays are most commonly written in the first person (I), or third person (subjects that can be substituted with the he, she, it, or they pronouns).
There are many different kinds of essays. The following are a some of the most common ones:
The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader interested in the plot and theme of the event described.

A definition essay attempts to define a specific term. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such. It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning.
The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept. It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences.

The cause/effect essay explains why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event. This essay is a study of the relationship between two or more events or experiences. The essay could discuss both causes and effects, or it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.
The narrative essay tells a story. It can also be called a "short story." Generally the narrative essay is conversational in style, and tells of a personal experience. It is most commonly written in the first person (uses I). This essay could tell of a single, life-shaping event, or simply a mundane daily experience.
A process essay describes how something is done. It generally explains actions that should be performed in a series. It can explain in detail how to accomplish a specific task, or it can show how an individual came to a certain personal awareness. The essay could be in the form of step-by-step instructions, or in story form, with the instructions/explanations subtly given along the way.
An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion. The essay may argue openly, or it may attempt to subtly persuade the reader by using irony or sarcasm.
A critical essay analyzes the strengths, weaknesses and methods of someone else's work. Generally these essays begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, followed by an analysis of the work's meaning. It should then discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points. A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.

My Greatest Dream

Well, my greatest dream is to become a good teacher. I have always liked helping people, and I think that teaching is a good way to start. Nowadays, I am working as an English teacher in Maracay, and it has been the most beautiful thing has ever happened to me, because I have been able to learn that even though you don't make much money, your spirit increases when you see someone happy becausse of your help; money is important, of course it is! but with this experience, for me, living with my heart happy is better.