This document provides an agenda and instructions for a creative writing class focused on the Harry Potter series. It assigns students to fictional Hogwarts houses and explains how house points will be earned. It discusses analyzing an argumentative essay from the assigned reading and introduces the prompt for Essay 1, which asks students to argue how a marginalized character from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets responds to their marginalization. The document outlines the introduction and thesis statement, emphasizing a focused presentation of the issue, a clear position stated in the thesis, and forecasting of reasons. Homework includes continuing to read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a sample student essay, and two articles on marginalization.

1. EWRT 1A
DAY 3
HOUSES + ESSAY 1

2. AGENDA
• Houses/House Points
• Discussion Chapter 6
• --Arguing a Position. 270- 285 Statsky and Estrada.
• --Basic Features of an argument essay 267-69
• Review Essay #1 Prompt
• Lecture:
• --The Introduction: Presentation of the issue
• --The Thesis: A Clear Position

3. EWRT 1A HOUSES!
Gryffindor
Hufflepuff
Ravenclaw
Slytherin
Gryffinclaw
Ravenpuff

4. HOUSE ASSIGNMENTS
• Everybody up to the front of the room.
• I’ll announce your name and “sort” you into your House.
• Then go sit near your House to make it easier to work together.
• Houses:
• Gryffindor house values bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry. Its
emblematic animal is the lion and its colors are scarlet and gold.
• Griffinclaw house values bravery, daring, knowledge and wit. It’s
emblematic animal is the griffon and its colors are scarlet, gold, and blue
• Hufflepuff house values hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair
play. Its emblematic animal is the badger, and Yellow and Black are its
colors.
• Ravenpuff house values intelligence, wit, hardwork, and fair play. Its
emblematic animal is the beaver, and its colors are Blue and Yellow.
• Ravenclaw house values intelligence, knowledge, and wit. Its
emblematic animal is the eagle, and its colors are blue and bronze.
• Slytherin house values ambition, cunning and resourcefulness. Its
emblematic animal is the serpent, and its colors are emerald green and
silver.

5. • House points will be
earned for correct
answers to questions,
meaningful contributions
to the discussion, and the
willingness to share your
work. Prefects (appointed
and removed by house
members) will track their
own points, but cheating
leads to death (or loss of
25 participation points).
• Answers, comments, and
questions must be posed
in a manner that
promotes learning. Those
who speak out of turn or
with maliciousness will
not receive points for
their teams.

6. AT THE END OF EACH CLASS, YOU WILL TURN IN
A POINT SHEET WITH THE NAME OF YOUR
HOUSE, THE NAMES OF EVERYONE IN YOUR
HOUSE (FIRST NAME, LAST INITIAL) AND YOUR
ACCUMULATED POINTS FOR THE DAY.
IT IS THE PREFECT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE
THE SHEET, TRACK THE POINTS, AND TURN IT IN.
Sit near members in your
house to facilitate ease of
group discussions.
Choose a prefect for
today.
Billy R III
Lan N IIII
Jose S III
Christine L II
Hufflepuff 13 points

7. DISCUSSION:
CHAPTER 6: ARGUING A POSITION.
PP 276- 287: STATSKY AND ESTRADA.
THE BASIC FEATURES OF AN
ARGUMENT ESSAY

8. 1. How does Statsky present the issue in a way that prepares readers for her argument?
2. How does she qualify her position in par. 2?
3. What reasons does she forecast here, and in which paragraphs does she discuss each
reason?
4. How successful is Statsky’s argument in support of her thesis. Consider paragraph
three for our discussion. Is she convincing? Why?
5. How does Statsky try to refute the objection in paragraph 6?
6. How effective do you think Statsky’s argument in par. 7 is? Why?
7. In criticizing some parents’ behavior in pars. 8–9, Statsky risks alienating her readers.
How effective is this part of her argument?
8. How effectively does Statsky conclude her argument?
In your Houses, answer the following questions concerning
“Children Need To Play Not Compete” by Jessica Statsky (SMG pp. 270-273)

9. 1. How does Statsky
present the issue
in a way that
prepares readers
for her argument?
2. How does she
qualify her
position in par. 2?
3. What reasons
does she forecast
here, and in which
paragraphs does
she discuss each
reason?

10. 4. How successful is
Statsky’s argument in
support of her thesis?
Consider paragraph
three for our
discussion. Is she
convincing? Why?
“When overzealous parents
and coaches impose adult
standards on children’s
sports, the result can be
activities that are neither
satisfying nor beneficial to
children.”

11. 5. How does Statsky try to refute the objection in
paragraph 6?

12. 6. How effective do you think Statsky’s argument in par. 7 is? Why?
“80 to 90
percent of
children who
play competitive
sports at a
young age drop
out by sixteen”
(Kutner).

13. 7. In criticizing some
parents’ behavior in
pars. 8–9, Statsky
risks alienating her
readers. How effective
is this part of her
argument?

14. 8. How effectively does Statsky conclude her argument?

15. “Sticks and Stones and Sports Teams Names” by Richard Estrada
(SMG pp. 275-76)
Answer these questions:
1. How does Estrada present his issue? Is it focused? How?
2. What is his position? Where is his thesis? Is it clear?
3. What are his plausible reasons for his position? Does he use statistics, authorities,
or anecdotes for support? Where?
4. Consider what each of the following elements contributes to the story Estrada is
trying to tell about bullying:
--the title
--Estrada’s remembered experience of being upset by the name “the Washington
Redskins” (par. 1–2)
--the anecdote about the Native American father upset about the practice at his son’s
school of celebrating Braves’ victories with Indian costumes and tomahawk chops (par.
8)
5. Notice that in paragraphs 11–13, Estrada offers hypothetical examples of team
names for ethnic groups. How do these examples support Estrada’s position?

16. THE BASIC FEATURES: ARGUING POSITIONS
1. A Focused Presentation of
the Issue
2. A Clear Position
3. Plausible Reasons and
Convincing Support
4. Anticipating Opposing
Positions and Objections

19. 3

20. 4

21. ESSAY #1 INTRODUCTION: THE
ARGUMENT ESSAY
REVIEW ESSAY #1 PROMPT

22. ESSAY #1: THE WRITING ASSIGNMENT
In this essay, you will argue a position. Please consult chapter 6 in the St. Martin’s Guide for a
detailed discussion of the requirements for this type of essay.
The essay topic: identify a character in The Chamber Of Secrets who is marginalized in some
way. In your essay, do the following:
1. Explain how the character is marginalized and provide examples of the marginalization
using quotes from the book and/or from the film.
2. Then discuss ways in which the character responds to the marginalization that you see as
productive or unproductive and why.
3. Finally, extend your insights to contemporary society; how does this character’s
marginalization compare to others you see who are also marginalized?
At some point in your essay, you must include a counterargument and respond to it effectively.

23. TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Your final essay should be 4-6 pages (not including the works cited page). The four-page
minimum means four full pages (with one line onto a fifth page to be safe!).
Primary and outside sources:
Your primary source is the Chamber of Secrets book and/or film. If you took last quarter’s EWRT
211, you are encouraged to use the book. If you are new to the class this quarter, you do not
need to read the book: you can complete this essay based entirely on the film. Regardless of
which source you use, this essay requires at least three direct quotations from the book and/or
film.
Your essay should also include at least one quotation from one of the two marginalization
articles that we read for this unit.
See the complete assignment on Canvas under “Assignments” and “Essay #1”

24. WHAT IS “MARGINALIZATION”?
• What does it mean to be
marginalized?
• “margins”: what are they?
• Who can be marginalized? Why?
• How does it feel to be marginalized?
• Why is marginalization a bad thing?

25. WHAT IS MARGINALIZATION?
Marginalization is the process of pushing a particular group or groups of
people to the edge of society by not allowing them an active voice,
identity, or place in it. Through both direct and indirect processes,
marginalized groups may be relegated to a secondary position or made
to feel as if they are less important than those who hold more power or
privilege in society. People from marginalized groups can be the target
of negative beliefs, behaviors, or judgements from others. Individuals
and groups can be marginalized on the basis of multiple aspects of
their identity, including but not limited to: race, gender or gender
identity, ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, sexuality, age,
and/or religion. Some individuals identify with multiple marginalized
groups, and may experience further marginalization as a result of their
intersecting identities.

26. WHICH CHARACTERS DO YOU SEE AS MARGINALIZED?
• Harry Potter
• Ron Weasley
• Hermione Granger
• Severus Snape
• Tom Riddle
• Draco Malfoy
• Dobby
• Hagrid
• Argus Filch
• Moaning Myrtle
• Nearly Headless Nick
Marginalizations:
• Class
• Gender/gender expression
• Race
• Ethnic origin / Linguistic
• Body type
• Educational status
• Ability
• Age
• Other?

27. IN YOUR HOUSE,
CHOOSE AT LEAST
ONE CHARACTER AND
DISCUSS THESE IDEAS:
• How the character might be
different if he or she hadn’t
suffered from being
marginalized.
• Ways in which the character
responds to the
marginalization that you see as
productive or unproductive
and why.
• Finally, extend your insights to
contemporary society; how
does this character’s
marginalization compare to
others you see who are also
marginalized?

28. The Introduction: A Focused Presentation of the Issue:
A beginning to your essay that orients your readers by
establishing the background for the essay. Often, the
introduction to an essay about a text includes a directed
summary.
The Thesis: A Clear Position
A statement that tells your readers simply and directly what
you want them to think about the issue and why. You might
also forecast your reasons, mentioning them in the order in
which you will take them up in your argument
Today, we will look at the Introduction to your essay and the
thesis statement

29. DIRECTED SUMMARY
• A directed summary provides readers of your paper with the information they need to understand
your argument and explanation.
• State the title and author of the primary text or film near the beginning of the first paragraph,
perhaps in the first sentence. This is essential so that the reader knows which work you are
discussing. If you are discussing more than one novel, you might mention the series or the genre.
Because you will also be discussing the marginalization of a specific character from the novel, you
should introduce both of those as well. Here is an example from the sample essay you will read for
homework.
What do you notice about these first introductory sentences?
J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books depict a world that secretly coexists alongside our own, a delightful world
containing magical spells and fantastic creatures. This world provides readers (and viewers) with an escape from our
everyday experience. Unfortunately, there is one way in which Harry Potter’s world clearly reflects our own, and that
is in the way women and girls are marginalized and traumatized by patriarchy. [. . .] Hogwarts and the wizard world
depicted in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (hereafter referred to as The Chamber of Secrets) is clearly a
patriarchy and its effects on the women in the world are troubling. We can see this most clearly in the treatment of the
character Moaning Myrtle.

30. • Hook the reader, but assume that the reader is familiar with the work about which you are writing. Do
include relevant story context. Do not include too much plot summary in either the introduction or in
the rest of the essay. Do include brief references to the part(s) of the story that will support your thesis.
• Here is another part of the introduction from the sample paper:
Moaning Myrtle is a ghost who used to be a female student at Hogwarts who was killed another
student, Tom Riddle (who is later revealed to be Voldemort, the dangerous and powerful villain who
is focused on exerting fascist patriarchal control over the wizard world and Hogwarts). But while
we might expect Moaning Myrtle’s tragic death and afterlife to elicit sympathy from the residents
of Hogwarts, she instead becomes teased and avoided by students and ghosts alike.
Where is the relevant context?
What reference do you imagine will support the thesis?
Where is the hook?

31. • You will eventually state your thesis near the end of the introduction (your
introduction might be more than one paragraph). Clearly transition from your
introduction into your thesis, which must clearly and specifically state what the
essay will analyze. Let’s look one more time at the introduction to the sample
essay:
But while we might expect Moaning Myrtle’s tragic death and afterlife to elicit sympathy
from the residents of Hogwarts, she instead becomes teased and avoided by students and
ghosts alike. Moaning Myrtle first appears as a character who seems to be a kind of comic
relief;
Which is transition text?
How does the transition text help smooth the way to the thesis?

32. TRY WRITING YOUR INTRODUCTION
1. Title and director; original studio; date of release or the author and title of the
novel.
a. Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets. Directed by Chris Columbus, Warner
Brothers, 2002.
b. Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Scholastic, 1999.
2. State the title and author/director of the primary text or film near the
beginning of the first paragraph, perhaps in the first sentence.
3. Hook the reader, but assume that the reader is familiar with the work about
which you are writing. Do include relevant story context. Do not include too much
plot summary in either the introduction or in the rest of the essay. Do include
brief references to the part(s) of the story that will support your thesis.
4. Use transitions to keep the introduction clear and organized.
5. Transition to your main argument.

33. The Thesis: A Clear Position
Thesis: Identify and argue that the marginalization that you see this
character experiencing is real, and name the outcome(s) of that
marginalization.
Write a few sentences that could serve as a thesis—that is, a statement
that tells your readers simply and directly what you want them to think
about the issue and why. You might also forecast your reasons, mentioning
them in the order in which you will take them up in your argument.
As you draft your own thesis, pay attention to the language you use. It
should be clear and unambiguous, emphatic but appropriately qualified.
Although you will probably refine your thesis as you draft and revise your
essay, trying now to articulate it will help give your planning and drafting
direction and impetus.

34. LET’S GO BACK TO THE SAMPLE ESSAY
• But while we might expect Moaning Myrtle’s tragic death and afterlife to elicit sympathy from the
residents of Hogwarts, she instead becomes teased and avoided by students and ghosts alike. Moaning
Myrtle first appears as a character who seems to be a kind of comic relief; however, by the end of The
Chamber of Secrets, a reader who pays close attention to how she is shamed, isolated, and rejected
cannot help but see her as a symbol of the damage and trauma that patriarchy inflicts and the
position of helplessness that it produces.
Where is the transition again?
Where is the thesis to the essay?
Is it unambiguous?
Is it qualified?
Is it arguable?
What “forecasting words” has the writer used to give the reader hints about the body
paragraphs?

35. WRITE YOUR THESIS NOW
• Here is the one from the sample essay in case you need to take another look at
it:
• [B]y the end of The Chamber of Secrets, a reader who pays close attention to
how [Myrtle] is shamed, isolated, and rejected cannot help but see her as a
symbol of the damage and trauma that patriarchy inflicts and the position of
helplessness that it produces.

36. HOMEWORK FOR THURSDAY
• Read HP POA (Chapters 7-8)
(There will be a quiz!)
• Read Sample Essay #1
• Read two marginalization articles:
• “The Pain of Social Rejection” and “How the
Stress of Racism Affects Learning”
• (The other two articles may be used in Essay
1, but we will not discuss them in class.)
• Discussion #3: Your introduction and thesis. This
should be at least one well-developed paragraph
with a clear thesis at the end.