Short+story+essay

World Building Essay

Science Fiction

Due beginning of class Wednesday, October 7

How do authors use story building to convey their ideas? Sometimes authors want to tell us about the future, sometimes they tell us something about who we are now, and sometimes they have other purposes altogether.


 * 1) Look at the connections between all the stories and essays we’ve read and the videos we’ve watched. What common themes and concerns emerge? (Use your story charts and class notes)
 * 2) Choose one overarching idea (predictions, warnings, observations, etc.) to frame your **thesis**.
 * 3) Find three different types of this main idea (i.e., warnings about machines, warnings about society, and warnings about individuals) to be the topics of each **body paragraph**. (Use your connections chart)
 * 4) ** Cite examples from two different stories ** for each body paragraph. Stories may be used more than once, but not in the same paragraph.

This is a synthesis essay; it will show that you can read a variety of texts, see what they have in common, and explain your ideas. Use proper MLA style in both the format and the citations. For the sake of grading, this essay must have at least three body paragraphs with at least two different sources cited in each. We all have the same texts so you won’t need a “Works Cited” page, but you will need to mention the author and page # (if available) for each citation. Check your class notes!

Turn in the final essay with the rubric on top for grading.

This will be an interesting essay. I can’t wait to read what you think!

Short Story Essay notes Synthesis essay – coming to a conclusion (thesis) after reading a variety of sources; showing the reader how that conclusion was reached. Intro – Body paragraph
 * Start with a hook: interesting idea, teeny story, non-boring rhetorical question
 * Thesis = topic + opinion
 * Must be arguable
 * Start with a transition word or phrase
 * Topic sentence that declares what is in the paragraph and supports the thesis.
 * Textual example using proper MLA form:
 * Must be one sentence of yours.
 * Starts with a signal phrase.
 * “Textual evidence”
 * (Author last name, page number)
 * or last name, text title, page number
 * period

Conclusion –
 * Explain your example!
 * Second example – same way.
 * Start with thesis restatement
 * Explain why this is important beyond the scope of this essay
 * Does it matter right now?
 * Are there other things like this to worry about?