<p>I'm freaking out about tommorrow's essay write in class. It's a prompt and I don't write as well when I am timed. I feel like I'm going to do horrible, not finish and get a low grade. I really need some tips.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>How long do you get to write the essay? </p>
<p>My English teacher used to give us a prompt at the start of the class, and we were to complete the essay by the end of class; that meant we had less than 1 hour to write it. </p>
<p>She would always emphasize nailing your thesis (must answer the "So what?" as she put it) and using that as your introductory paragraph. Since it's such a short time limit, she wasn't expecting some long, flowery introduction. Also, my teacher recommended spending about 15-20 minutes just planning out the essay. That way it's more coherent, it flows better, and you're less likely to go off on a tangent compared to if you just started writing right away. Also once you get started writing, then you don't have to stop and think about where you want to go next, since it's already planned out.</p>
<p>Hope this helps a little. Good luck!</p>
<p>I don't have any specific tips, just something to make you feel better, hopefully.</p>
<p>I was worried about the exact same thing for my AP US History exam essays. I thought I would definitely not have enough time to finish the essays (they suggested only a half hour for each of two essays, IMPOSSIBLE!) and when I practiced it didn't make me feel too much better. All the topics form previous exams that I was using for practice, I mean all of them, seemed hard and I was scared that there was nothing I could do to make myself do good on them. </p>
<p>When the exam came I was still nervous about the essays. But when I started working on them, I calmed down a little and I just wrote. I wrote what I knew and what came to my mind and I managed to finish all the essays, which I thought were written very well at least for me, with time left. So I recommend that you calm down and not worry too much. When the essay comes you'll probably do fine.</p>
<p>:Z Masterus? Not confident in himself? Is he okay?</p>
<p>The advice I can give is to go with the traditional 5-paragraph setup or make a web/outline if that helps. The teacher's going to give the class a reasonable amount of time to finish so don't worry. Concentrate on the topic of the essay and not the time.</p>
<p>I'm so happy, My teacher talked for half the class so we get the whole period tommorrow and I already did the introduction and paragraph 1.</p>
<p>what was it on?!?!?! you can kinda plan it in your head now!!!</p>
<p>Yeah that's why i'm really happy. I know the prompt and she gave us the thesis which is. A book's worth can be measured by what you can take from it. I read To Kill A Mockingbird and Chainfire. I have to use references from both books. I think I had a bad introduction though.</p>
<p>I just gave a little summary of both books in the introduction and then moved on. Is that good? I can rewrite it too.</p>
<p>You probably should redo your introduction, it would be better to write about the topic in general than to start the essay off with a summary. Also you should include your thesis in the intro, which is the most important part of the essay to a lot of teachers.</p>
<p>^ yeah... my freshman english teacher wouldn't give you anything higher than a C if she felt that your theisis wasn't good. </p>
<p>Haven't read chainfire though, but you can get a lot of racial stuff out of TKAMB... and the theme of love that is often overlooked... yay! I got to write a 8 pg paper on how the theme of love is expressed throughout the novel.</p>
<p>My thesis is included and You have to make reference to your books. I said Over the summer, I read two books that was able to convey significant meaning. After this opening I gave a summary of the two books and then I stated something about my thesis and these books ostulating themes for me.</p>
<p>So What should I do? I'm concerned with the introduction. I'm planning the body paragraphs now :)</p>
<p>Personally, I wouldn't say over the summer... </p>
<p>Instead I'd (this is just me though) say something like.... </p>
<p>When an author writes a book, their main point is to allow the reader to take something from it. Both the books of Chainfire and To Kill a Mockingbird successfully completed this task to convey a deeper meaning to the reader in many ways by ________________. </p>
<p>I may be leaving something out... hmm... idk.
Thats just me though... people write differently.</p>
<p>I think I will include summaries of both the books in the introduction.</p>
<p>By the way, I don't think love is a theme in To Kill A MOckingbird. It's all about Innocence/experience and good/evil.</p>
<p>Chaostheory, no offense, that didn't really help, Most of us learned to capture the reader's attention a while back.</p>
<p>no... I'm not going to start another arguement with you, but love is an underlying theme... not the kind you find on sparknotes though... </p>
<p>Basically in the essay we had to choose five characters and show how the show love... </p>
<p>NOT like Romeo and Juliet love, </p>
<p>but like with Atticus : fatherly love</p>
<p>Jem and Scout : sibling love</p>
<p>that kind of thing... trust me it was a hard essay... not so obvious to the eye, but if you really think and anyalize the book it starts to make since. </p>
<p>But yeah, the main themes are what you said... and fear/ignorance.... I actually have extensive notes on them if you want!</p>
<p>What can i take from To Kill a MockingBird? Let us Brainstorm.</p>
<p>RACISM IS THE BIG THING!!!</p>
<p>64 HN to immedietly accuse someone of doing something just because something bad happened, even if you don’t have proof. Scout and Jem automatically think that Boo Radley was the one to kill Mrs. Radley even though they have no evidence. (“Old Mrs. Radley… to our disappointment.”)
64 HN to feel as if younger children are allowed to ask questions that seem dumb. Jem tells Scout to ask her father if he saw Boo Radley b/c she is younger so it would sound innocent coming from her rather than from Jem. (“ ‘Ask him’… ‘I did not’”)
64 HN to feel as if someone knows the real crimes that you have comitted. Jem feels as if Atticus really knows what happened and that he wasn’t really playing strip poker. (“Jem had a notion…confined to strip poker”)
64 HN for the parent to always know the real truth and always know their child and the trouble that they have gotten into. I think that Atticus does really know what Jem, Scout and Dill did that night b/c parents always seem to know everything or find out some way. (“Jem had a notion…confined to strip poker”)
64 HN to feel as if something that you have never seen before is abnormal. Scout thought that there was something wrong because it was snowing, but she didn’t know what snow was. (“Next mornig I awoke… ‘It’s snowing’”)
64 HN to not know how to do things that are common to others in different areas. Jem doesn’t know how to make a snowman, where as any child up north would easily know how to make one. (“Jem asked, ‘How do you make a snowman?’”)<br>
65 HN to feel as if you may be wasting something if you have very little of it. Jem and Scout didn’t want to walk on the soggy snow or that Scout couldn’t stick out her tounge and eat the falling snow b/c they would be wasting what little of it they had. (“When we ran… ‘let it come down’”)
65 HN to blame something on someone else rather than admitting that it is no one’s fault. Mr. Avery blames the winter and snow on Jem and Scout as if it is their fault. He should just admitt that it is b/c of nature and not any misbehaving kids fault. (“‘See what you’ve done… the seasons change’”)
65 HN to hate something b/c it is change and messes up your life. Miss Maudie doesn’t like the snow b/c it messes up her daily schedule and may cause a freeze and her flowers do die, which will make her mad! (“‘Beautiful my hind foot!… all my azaleas!’”)
65-66 HN to feel attached to an inadamite object. Miss Maudie really loves those flowers. In order to keep them alive she will cover them even though it is already snowing… which means the temperature is below freezing. (“‘Beautiful my hind foot!… Is that clear?”)- Pg. 65-66
67-68 HN to think it is funny to make a figure resembling someone. Jem and Scout make a snowman of Mr. Avery, but b/c he will get mad if he sees it Jem and Scout must change it slightly by disguising it. (“Gradually Mr. Aver turned… that would be fine.”)-Pg 67-68
68-69 HN to feel as if something is wrong when you are quickly woken up and given orders. Atticus wakes up Scout and immedietly begins to tell her to do things. At first Scout thinks that it is morning, but quickly realizes that something is wrong. (“Minutes later… with helpless dread.”)-Pg 68-69
69 HN to put the oldest child in charge. Atticus tells Jem that he is in charge and to watch over Scout b/c she is younger and weaker. (“‘Not yet son…out of you sight.’”)<br>
68-69 HN for others to help out. The whole community in Maycomb is trying to help out in some way. (“We stood watching… get outta there Mr. Avery.’”)
70-71 HN to begin to freak out or panic when something horrible is happening. Scout is freaking out b/c the book that Dill let her borrow may catch on fire. (“smoke was rolling… I could feel my feet”)-Pg. 70-71
70-71 HN for the one who is stronger to comfort the weaker one. Jem is trying to warm up Scout and make her feel comfortable. (“Jem tried to… I coulf feel my feet”)-Pg. 70-71
72 HN to feel as if you must return something. Atticus says that they should return the blanket. (“‘Jem theres some wrapping… covering her up.’”)
72 HN to be so involved w/ something that you are only focused on what you are looking at and not at what is aroung you. Scout was so focused on the fire that she didn’t realize that Boo Radley had given her a blanket. (“Boo Radley… blanket around you”)
74 HN to offer to help others. Jem and Scout offered to help Miss Maudie clean up after the fire. (“‘Or Scout’n’me, we can help you’”)
63 Setting- before this dumb global warming stuff with the constant weather changes of hot then warm and then cold again. The seasons were a gradual change and they usually just skipped winter… so basically they had spring, summer, fall and then spring again. (“For reasons… to winter that year.”)
63 &65 Mr. Avery- mean, blames the snow on the misbehaving children (hinting at Jem and Scout) (“Mr. Avery said…discomfort to ourselves.”)-Pg. 63 (“‘See what you’ve done… the seasons change’”)-Pg. 65
65-66 Theme: Life isn’t fair! While Jem and Scout like the snow and are enjoying playing in it, it show that life isn’t always fair b/c obviously both Mr. Avery and Miss Maudie don’t like the snow. MissM: (“‘Beautiful my hind foot!… Is that clear?”)- Pg. 65-66 Mr.A: (“‘See what you’ve done… the seasons change’”)-Pg. 65
68-69 The entire community helps with the fire by all waking up and showing their support and helping Miss Maudie with her stuff. This shows that the people in Maycomb are genuinely nice people and are willing to help others by giving some of their time. (“We stood watching… get outta there Mr. Avery.’”)
72 Theme: RUMORS: I think that Boo Radley and the whole Radley family as a whole don’t come out b/c of the rumors about them. (“‘…Mr. Nathan put cement… ever hurt us, Atticus’”)</p>
<p>can you understand that?!?!?</p>
<p>It is something I found from last year.</p>
<p>I'm going to do understanding of the racial tension back then. Then, I will do love from Chainfire and To Kill a Mockingbird. I have no clue on the last supportting paragraph and the conclusion.</p>
<p>Hmmm... idk I could help more if I read chainfire... </p>
<p>were you given the books to write about or you chose your own?</p>
<p>I chose, I was going to do Dune, but the library wasn't open.</p>
<p>It is an excellent book. I believe you will enjoy it.</p>