3. AGENDA
S Change teams
S Presentation:
Review: Ngo and Toufexis
Friedman: Anecdotes; Compare and Contrast
Holmes: Illustrations and Examples
Basic Features
Discussion: Ways to begin your concept essay.
S In-Class Writing:
• Focusing your Concept
4. First, briefly summarize the story
What is the concept about which Ngo writes?
Which extended anecdote does Ngo use to
help explain the concept?
What is his thesis?
How does he define and classify his concept?
Which are Categories? What are the
Types?
Find examples of each of his classified
concepts.
How does he define his concept?
5. Toufexis:
Answer These Questions
S First, summarize the story.
S How does Toufexis “Hook the Reader”?
S How does Toufexis focus her plan?
S How does she create a logical plan?
6. In Teams
• Discuss: “Born to Be Happy, Through a Twist of
Human Hard Wire” Richard A. Friedman
7. Take 10 minutes to discuss the
following among yourselves.
• First, briefly summarize the story
• What is the concept about which Friedman writes?
• Which anecdotes does Friedman use to help explain the concept
to his readers?
• What other concepts does Friedman compare and contrast to his
concept? Why does he do this?
• How does he focus his concept?
• Which terms does he define?
8. “In The Blink of an Eye”
Bob Holmes
S First, summarize the story.
S How does Holmes focus his concept?
S Which terms does he define and why?
S How do the pictures and graphs work
to enhance his explanation of his
concept?
9. Get Back Into Your Groups
S Read Aloud “Basic Features: Explaining a
Concept” pages 164-65
S When you finish, discuss each feature, noting
how you will integrate each one into your own
essay.
S Take notes about your own writing while you
discuss.
10. The Basic Features of the
Concept Essay
S A Focused Concept
S An Appeal to Readers’
Interests
S A Logical Plan
S Clear Definitions
S Appropriate Writing
Strategies
S Classification
S Process Narration
S Comparison and Contrast
S Cause and Effect
S Careful Use of Sources
11. A Focused Concept
S Concepts can be approached from many
perspectives (for example, history, definition, known
causes or effects), and you cannot realistically
explain every aspect of any concept, so you must
limit your explanation to reflect both your special
interest in the concept and your readers’ likely
knowledge and interest.
12. S Get out your Post #11. Make a list of two or
three aspects of one of your concepts that
could become a focus for your essay, and
evaluate what you know about each aspect.
S Under each possible focus in your list,
make notes about why it interests you, what
you know about it already, and what
questions you want to answer about it.
13. Remember, choose your concept, and then limit it. For example, if
you are writing your essay about the concept of games, focus on one
kind of game, like playground games.
Then split your limited concept into two or three categories: Using the
games example, we might say games with a ball and games
without a ball.
Then identify two or three types that fall under each of the
categories. For example, you might use kids games with a ball,
teenager’s games with a ball, and adult games with a ball. You
could use the same three type for “games without a ball.”
Focusing your Concept
14. Concept: Games
Limiter: Playground Games
Category 1:
Games with a ball
S Types
S Kids’ games with a ball
S Teenagers’ games with a
ball
S Adults’ games with a ball.
Category 2:
Games without a ball
S Types
S Kids’ games without a ball
S Teenagers’ games without a
ball
S Adults’ games without a
ball.
15. .
Games: Playground
Games:
With a ball (kids, teens, adults);
Without a ball (kids, teens, adults)
S a kids game played with a
ball (kick ball; four square;
tether ball)
S a teen game played with a
ball (basketball, soccer,
baseball or fast pitch)
S an adult game with a ball
(slo-pitch or lawn bowling).
S a kids game played
without a ball (tag, hide
and go seek)
S a teen game played
without a ball (kick the
can, red rover)
S an adult game played
without a ball (cribbage,
chess, checkers at the
park)
16. HOMEWORK
S Read: HG through chapter 22
S Post #12: Finish and post your in-class
writing: Tentative Focused concept, limiter,
categories, and types.
S Find three more examples of your
concept in HG. Endeavor to find examples to
represent your classifications or categories.
S Post #13 Choose another concept to
compare and contrast with yours for the
purpose of demonstrating differences.
