How does fear define who we become?
Instructions:
Each thought exercise should have:
A clear topic
Evidence
Commentary
Reasoning
A concluding statement
When you have your essential question, the body of your thought exercise should look something like this:
[Introduction sentence that introduces the topic and the author and book that the thought exercise discusses (this is NOT just a restatement of the essential question)].
[Commentary that explains how the book answers the essential question].
[An introductory phrase that provides context for the section of the book that is quoted for evidence and "the evidence in quotes with a citation.," (Last #].
[Commentary that explains or clarifies unclear details about the quote and why it is relevant to the essential question].
[A statement of reasoning that overtly uses the evidence to answer the essential question]. [Another introductory phrase to sets up a second quote for evidence "the quote," and the citation (Last #)].
[Commentary that explains why the second quote is relevant].
[Reasoning to tie the second piece of evidence into the first piece].
[A concluding statement (NOT "in conclusion' that ties everything back to the essential question and shows that it has been reasonably answered].
Each thought exercise will begin with an essential question that you are aiming to answer in your writing. You should develop an essential question based on your topic. An essential question is:
> Open-ended (cannot be answered with yes/no)
> Debatable (reasonable people can disagree with the answer)
> Conceptual (focuses on the ideas found in the Topics List rather than just summarizing plot points)
> Requires evidence and reasoning (you must use evidence from the text to support your thinking)
> Encourages ongoing thinking (can be revisited many times and answered differently as understanding grows)