Write essays on your own!

Everyone—even the President of the United States—gets nervous when they have to speak in front of a crowd. But it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. The more carefully you prepare, the better you’ll feel when it’s time to make your presentation.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand the task at hand and know exactly what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When are you scheduled to give your presentation?
How much time will you be allowed?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your presentation?

Task 2: Topic

Typically, teachers assign an oral presentation as a component of another assignment, such as a research paper or a science experiment. In these cases, you’ve recently become an expert on your topic, or you soon will be. If you’re starting from scratch, consider giving a presentation on a special interest or hobby.

1. Pick a broad topic that you know well and that fits within your teacher’s guidelines. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, think about your favorite things. Example: You’re required to give a 10-minute oral presentation on a topic of your choosing. You love to go camping with friends so you decide to give your presentation on camping.

2. Narrow your point of focus. No one in your audience wants to hear every word of your 10-page research paper, or every detail about your model car collection. Your goal is to pick one aspect of your topic to focus on. What do you need or want to tell people about your topic? Example: You’ve already got a topic—camping, but this topic is too broad to cover in a 10-minute presentation. You decide to narrow your focus to how to pack for a 3-day camping trip.

3. List the key concepts you want to introduce to your audience. Keep it short: more than five main points will make your audience’s eyes glaze over. Example: For your oral presentation on packing for a 3-day camping trip, you decide to cover three key concepts:
Gear
Clothing
Food

Task 3: Audience profile

You discuss a movie differently with those who have seen it than with those who haven’t. This same principle applies to public speaking.

Take a few minutes to think about your audience:
Who is your audience?
Is everyone in the audience as familiar with your topic as you are?
How can you make your topic interesting to everyone?

Task 4: Outline

A speech consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Plan what you’re going to cover in each section of your presentation.

1. List the things you want to cover in each section. You may choose to translate your outline to note cards or slides later, or you may want to work directly from your outline. Be sure to write legibly—you don’t want to get up in front of the class and find out you can’t read your own writing.

2. Introduction. Plan to introduce your presentation with an attention-grabber, like a joke or an anecdote about your topic. Telling it will help you relax and warm your audience to the presentation. Also in the introduction, tell the audience what they’re about to hear by summarizing the most important parts of your presentation

3. Body. Use the body of your presentation to make your main points. In your outline, list each main point and two or three supporting facts. When you’re finished, take a minute to consider the flow—are your main points presented in a logical sequence?

4. Conclusion. Use your conclusion to remind the audience what they’ve heard. Restate your most important conclusions and reiterate your most convincing evidence. Give the audience a sense of closure by wrapping up your presentation.

Task 5: Visual Aids

Remember the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words?” It’s true.

1. Go over your outline looking for opportunities to illustrate your presentation visually. Collect pictures, maps, charts, and other visual aids to reinforce your main points.

2. Sort through the collection and select the very best candidates. Limit yourself to one visual aid for the introduction, one or two for each main point, and one for the conclusion. Make sure each visual aid is clear and easy to read and that it reinforces an important aspect of your presentation. Plan to briefly discuss each visual aid that you display. You want your audience to understand what they’re looking at and why you’re showing it to them.

3. Note in the outline where you will show each visual aid to the audience. List the key things about the visual aid that you intend to call out. This will help you remember to display the right visual aid at the right time, even if you’re nervous.

4. Make arrangements with your teacher for any special equipment you require, such as a laptop computer, overhead projector, or slide projector.

Task 6: Rehearse

Practice, practice, practice. Repeat your presentation speech over and over again. Give it to your family. Give it to your friends. Give it to your pets. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camcorder. Practice in your imagination.

1. Time yourself to make sure your presentation fits in the allotted time.

2. Practice with your visual aids. Make sure they’re easy to see and understand, and that they illustrate your points without detracting from them.

3. Speak slowly, clearly, and not too softly. Be careful not to say “um” or fidget.

4. Ask your friends and family if your presentation is interesting. Do they get the main point?

Task 7: Live presentation

Relax! You know your material well and you’ve practiced it relentlessly. Have faith in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT!
Keep your thoughts on what you are saying rather than on how you are feeling.
Speak informally and conversationally. Be friendly. Smile!
Make eye contact with a friend you trust, or focus on a spot at the back of the room and imagine someone you love is sitting there, cheering you on.
Have fun!

Research Paper

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:54:00 +0000

Sooner or later, everyone has to do a research paper—undoubtedly one of the most daunting homework projects teachers assign. The best way to tackle the research paper beast is to break it up into manageable tasks.

Task 1: Requirements

Verify that you know exactly what is expected of you. Review all the information you have about your assignment and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know the answer to a question, ask your teacher.
When is the paper due? Will you be expected to hand in preliminary work, such as your thesis statement or your outline? If so, when are they due?
Is there a requirement for length?
Which types of sources are you allowed to use in your research (library, Internet, personal interviews)? Are any required?

Task 2: Topic

Selecting a topic is one of your most important tasks. Your topic needs to be narrow enough to cover in a paper, but not so specific that you can’t find research sources. And most important—you have to be interested in it, or you won’t be motivated to work on your paper.

1. Choose a broad topic that interests you and that falls within your teacher’s guidelines. Example: Your teacher assigned a research paper on a scientific subject; you select Genetics as your broad topic.

2. Do some digging to get a feel for your topic. Skim an encyclopedia article and read a few newspaper articles that relate to your topic. This will introduce you to the major areas of interest in your topic. Example: After skimming the encyclopedia article on Genetics, you discover that this broad topic covers human, animal, and plant species, and that it’s also a cutting-edge scientific and medical discipline.

3. Narrow your focus. Start by applying the same principles you did before—pick an aspect of your broad topic that interests you and fits with your assignment guidelines. Example: During your preliminary research you discovered that you are especially interested in cloning—more specifically, the techniques used in human cloning.

4. Put your topic to the research test. Do a quick Internet search and find out how much material the library has on your topic. Can you find several credible sources? If not, you’ll need to narrow your focus on another topic.

Task 3:Working thesis statement

Every research paper begins with a main point—a working thesis statement. Your job is to come up with a main point, then use the facts you turn up in your research to argue for or against it. Developing a good working thesis statement now will make your life much easier later.

A good thesis statement is:
Interesting to you and your audience.
An opinion about your topic. If your thesis statement is a fact instead of an opinion, there will be nothing to argue.
A complete sentence that summarizes your point.

1. Use what you learned in your preliminary research to select your main point—the position you intend to argue. Example: You have already selected a topic—the techniques used in human cloning.

From your preliminary research, you’re pretty convinced that the techniques currently available aren’t advanced enough to produce a real, living human clone. That’s your main point.

2. Make your topic and your main point into a complete, opinion-based sentence. This becomes your working thesis statement. Example: Put your your topic and main point together:

techniques used in human cloning/won’t produce a living human clone

Next, make it into a sentence:

The techniques used in human cloning won’t produce a real, living human clone.

3. Make sure your thesis sentence expresses your topic and your point accurately, and that it’s clearly based on opinion, not fact. If necessary, fine tune it. Example: The techniques currently used in human cloning are unlikely to produce a real, living human clone.

4. To make sure your thesis is an opinion, try to write an antithesis—a statement taking the opposite position. If you can come up with an antithesis that makes sense, you're on the right track: Example: Antithesis—The techniques currently used in human cloning will produce a real, living human clone.

Task 4: Research

Your next job is to make yourself an expert on your topic.

1. Begin your research by tracking down information about your topic. Look for library books, periodicals, Web sites, and any other good sources of information. Tip: If any of the books you need are already checked out, talk to your school librarian about how to proceed. You might be able to reserve the book, or even request it from or a nearby public or university library.

2. Read, read, read. Start with general background sources to get better handle on your subject, then move to more specific sources. Soon, you’ll begin to find bits of information that support your working thesis.

3. As you read, note any information you find that supports your thesis. These are the facts you’ll use to make your argument later. Every time you take a note, cite the reference—that is, jot down exactly where you found the information, including the title of the source, its author and publisher, the publication date and location, the type of source it is (book, newspaper article, Web page), and a page number if appropriate. You’ll need this information to compose your bibliography later. Tip: Take a few minutes now to determine what information on each source that you’ll need for your bibliography. For example, does your teacher require you to list your source’s publisher and where it was published? Knowing exactly what you need now will save you the hassle of having to go back to look up additional information later.

4. Read even more. Continue to gather specific information that support’s your thesis statement. Take as many notes as you need. It’s better to have too much material to choose from when writing your paper than to have too little.

Task 5: Outline

A carefully organized outline will make writing your paper much easier, so plan to spend some quality time on it.

1. Go through your notes again to identify the major themes that emerged during your research. These will form the skeleton of your paper later, so consider them carefully. Example: While researching your paper on the techniques of human cloning, a few major themes emerged:

Triggers for cell divisions are not completely understood

Humans have so much DNA that it’s difficult to determine if a clone is really a clone.

No embryo produced using the techniques of human cloning has grown to more than a few cells.

2. Sort your notes into groups according to your major themes. Arrange your major themes in a logical sequence, then list them in order. This list forms the main structure of your outline.

3. Read through each group looking for sub-themes. Sort your notes into smaller groups according to sub-themes. Arrange the sub-themes into a logical sequence, then list them under the main theme they support on your outline. Voilà! You have an outline.

Task 6: Body

Writing your research paper can be an intimidating task. But remember, you’ve already learned an incredible amount about your topic. Let the tools you’ve amassed so far—your thesis statement, your sorted notes, and your outline—do the heavy lifting for you.

1. With your outline as a guide, turn each of your major themes into sections or paragraphs, using your sub-themes and the facts from your notes to fill in the details.

2. Go back and connect your paragraph themes into a cohesive narrative. Be sure to use strong transitions between paragraphs—your goal is to make clear to the reader why you presented the information in the order that you did. Tip: Be sure to cite any information you borrowed from another author.

3. Read through your paper with a critical eye. Does each topic sentence clearly summarize the point of the paragraph? If not, use this opportunity to fine-tune it. Does the organization work? Don't be afraid to swap sections or paragraphs to present a stronger argument.

4. Pat yourself on the back and take a break—the hardest part is behind you. If you can spare the time, don’t even think about your paper for a day or two. This will help you approach the next step with a fresh eye.

Task 7: Final thesis statement

It isn’t uncommon to veer off course a bit when you actually write your paper. That’s why you’ve referred to your thesis statement as a working thesis statement.

1. Read your paper and ask yourself the all-important question: Do I make my point?

2. Refine your thesis statement if the facts you’ve dug up don’t support it. You can broaden your thesis, narrow it, or restate it altogether. Just be sure that your final opinion-based thesis statement is supported by the facts you discuss in your paper.

Task 8: Introduction and conclusion

Your paper’s introduction and conclusion reinforce the key points you make in your paper.

1. Write the introduction. Think of your introduction as the opening statement an attorney would make at a trial. In one to three paragraphs, tell the jury—or in this case, your readers—what they are about to learn (your thesis statement) and briefly summarize the key facts you'll use to convince them.

2. Write the conclusion. Think of your conclusion as the attorney’s closing statement. In one to three paragraphs, summarize the point you made—your thesis statement—and the major themes you used to support it. You want the reader to walk away convinced.

Task 9: Bibliography

A bibliography is a list of the sources you used in your research. It is usually included as a separate page or pages at the end of your assignment and titled “Bibliography,” “References,” or “Works Cited.”

1. Gather all the source information you jotted down when you were taking notes.

2. Assemble your sources into a single list, alphabetized by author’s last name. Sources that don't have authors (encyclopedia articles, for example) should be alphabetized by title.

3. Properly format each item in your source list according to an accepted bibliographic style. One common bibliographic style is provided below, but there are many acceptable styles for bibliographies. Be sure to use the format that your teacher specified. Common Bibliographic Style

This bibliographic style follows the MLA Handbooks for Writers of Research Papers, 5th edition, written by Joseph Gibaldi and published in 1999 in New York by the Modern Language Association of America.

Book

Author Last Name, Author First Name. Book Title. Publication Location: Publisher, Publication Year.

Encyclopedia article

"Article Title," Encyclopedia Name. Edition Year ed.

Newspaper, magazine, or journal article

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Article Title" Publication Title Publication Date: page numbers.

Book review

Reviewer Last Name, Reviewer First Name. Rev. of Book Title by Book Author First and Last Name. Publication Location: Publisher, Publication Year.

Film, movie

Movie Title. Dir. Director First and Last Name. Studio or Distributor, Movie Release Date.

Internet source

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Article or Page Title." Site Name. Institution or organization affiliated with the site. .

Task 10:Final draft

Put the final touches on your paper. Don’t be tempted to skip these steps—nothing detracts from a good paper more than grammar or spelling errors.

1. Run a spell-check on your paper.

2. Print your paper out and read it from start to finish, just the way your teacher will. Note any typos or grammar problems, and correct them right away.

3. Print a corrected copy and ask a parent or another trusted person to give it a critical read. Make any changes you think are necessary.

4. Read it one more time to make sure you didn’t introduce any other errors.

5. Hand it in. Congratulations!

Book Report Oral Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:54:00 +0000

Everyone—even the President of the United States—gets nervous when they have to speak in front of a crowd. But it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. The more carefully you prepare, the better you’ll feel when it’s time to make your presentation.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand the task at hand and know exactly what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When are you scheduled to give your presentation?
How much time will you be allowed?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your presentation?

Task 2: Topic

You’ve been assigned to give an oral presentation of your book report. This means you already have a general topic—your book.

1. Read through your book report and make a list of the information you feel must be included in your presentation. Most book reports cover information about the book’s author, publisher, and a summary of the important elements and themes.

2. Narrow your point of focus. No one in your audience wants to hear every word of your written book report. Your goal is to limit your discussion to the most important information in your report and the key elements of the story.

Task 3: Audience profile

You discuss a movie differently with those who have seen it than with those who haven’t. This same principle applies to public speaking.

Take a few minutes to think about your audience:
Who is your audience?
Is everyone in the audience as familiar your book as you are?
How can you make your report interesting to everyone?

Task 4: Outline

A speech consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Plan what you’re going to cover in each section of your presentation.

1. List the things you want to cover in each section. You may choose to translate your outline to note cards or slides later, or you may want to work directly from your outline. Be sure to write legibly—you don’t want to get up in front of the class and find out you can’t read your own writing.

Introduction. Use the introduction to tell your audience the general information about your book, such as its title, author, publisher, and year of publication. You may choose to start with an attention-grabber, like a joke or an anecdote about your experiment. Telling it will help you relax and warm your audience to the presentation.

Body. Use the body of your presentation to describe key elements of the story, such as its setting and time period, an overview of the main characters, and a very brief summary of the plot.

Conclusion. Use your conclusion to describe any recurring themes or symbolism in the book and how the author uses them to reinforce important messages. At the end of your presentation, tell your audience what you thought of the book. Would you recommend it? Are you planning to read additional work by this author?

Task 5: Visual Aids

Remember the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words?” It’s true.

1. Go over your outline looking for opportunities to illustrate your presentation visually. Collect pictures, such as a photocopy of the book jacket, a photograph of the author, or pictures of the setting. Consider examples of things used in the book, or even music characters listened to if it played an important role, to reinforce your main points.

2. Sort through the collection and select the very best candidates. Limit yourself to one visual aid for the introduction, one or two for each main point, and one for the conclusion. Make sure each visual aid is clear and easy to read and that it reinforces an important aspect of your presentation. Plan to briefly discuss each visual aid that you display. You want your audience to understand what they’re looking at and why you’re showing it to them.

3. Note in the outline where you will show each visual aid to the audience. List the key things about the visual aid that you intend to call out. This will help you remember to display the right visual aid at the right time, even if you’re nervous.

4. Make arrangements with your teacher for any special equipment you require, such as a laptop computer, overhead projector, or slide projector.

Task 6: Rehearse

Practice, practice, practice. Repeat your presentation speech over and over again. Give it to your family. Give it to your friends. Give it to your pets. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camcorder. Practice in your imagination.

1. Time yourself to make sure your presentation fits in the allotted time.

2. Practice with your visual aids. Make sure they’re easy to see and understand, and that they illustrate your points without detracting from them.

3. Speak slowly, clearly, and not too softly. Be careful not to say “um” or fidget.

4. Ask your friends and family if your presentation is interesting. Do they get the main point?

Task 7: Live presentation

Relax! You know your material well and you’ve practiced it relentlessly. Have faith in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT!
Keep your thoughts on what you are saying rather than on how you are feeling.
Speak informally and conversationally. Be friendly. Smile!
Make eye contact with a friend you trust, or focus on a spot at the back of the room and imagine someone you love is sitting there, cheering you on.

Have fun!

Book Report Creative Project

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:53:00 +0000

A creative book report typically presents information about a book—its author, publisher, and a summary of the important elements and themes—in a visually appealing display.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have about the assignment and verify that you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When is your creative book report due?
Are you required to report on a specific book?
Did your teacher provide any guidelines regarding your visual display?

Task 2: Select a book

If your teacher didn’t assign a specific book, your first task is to select one.

Choose a book that interests you and complies with any guidelines your teacher provided. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, ask your school librarian, a knowledgeable staff member at a book store, or your public librarian for recommendations.

Task 3: Read the book

Find a quiet place and start reading. As you read, answer the following questions:
What is the setting?
When does the story take place?
Who are the main characters?
What is the plot of the story?
Does the story include a problem or a conflict? How is it resolved?
Does the author use any recurring themes or symbolism? How do these literary devices contribute to the story?

Task 4: Design mockup

Now that you’ve read the book, it’s time to organize your ideas and create a design mockup of your project.

1. Put the title of the book at the top of a sheet of paper, then list the key elements of the story you plan to include in your report. Example:

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Setting and time period
Characters
Plot summary
Recurring themes; symbolism

2. Create a design mockup. Make a rough sketch of your project and plan how you’ll convey the key elements visually. Example: You’re required to create poster reporting on the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. To create a mockup of your poster, you cut a piece of newsprint to match the dimensions of your poster. You divide the newsprint into visual regions, center, top, bottom, left, and right. You decide to use the center region for the book’s title, author, and publication information, then use each remaining visual region to convey one of the key elements about the story.

Task 5: Final display

1. Make a list of the materials you’ll need for your display (pictures from magazines, construction paper, pens, glue, fabric, etc.) and gather them in your workspace.

2. Using your mockup as a guide, create your display. This is your chance to let your creative side take over. You might want to draw on the following rules of thumb about visual presentation, but don’t let convention limit your creativity.
Keep it simple. Cramming too much information into your visual display will detract from your most important information.
Use contrasting colors to make your display more readable. If you’re using light-colored paper, choose a dark color for your graphics and text.
Draw attention to important information by drawing a border around it or using a different background color.
Give your display a professional, polished look by trimming jagged edges, securing loose pieces with glue or double-sided tape, wiping away excess glue, and erasing any pencil guidelines.
Don’t forget to check your spelling.

3. Give your display a final once-over. When you’re sure it represents your best effort, hand it in!

Book Report

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:52:00 +0000

A book report is a factual account of a book’s contents. It typically includes information about the book’s author, publisher, and a summary of the important elements and themes.

Task 1: Verify project requirements

Verify that you know exactly what is expected of you. Review all the information you have about your assignment and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know the answer to a question, ask your teacher.
When is the book report due?
Are you expected to do your report on a specific book or a particular type of book?
Is there a requirement for length?

Task 2: Select a book

If your teacher didn’t assign a specific book, your first task is to select one.

Choose a book that interests you and complies with any guidelines your teacher provided. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, ask your school librarian, a knowledgeable staff member at a book store, or your public librarian for recommendations.

Task 3: Read the book

Find a quiet place and start reading. As you read, answer the following questions:
What is the setting?
When does the story take place?
Who are the main characters?
What is the plot of the story?
Does the story include a problem or a conflict? How is it resolved?
Does the author use any recurring themes or symbolism? How do these literary devices contribute to the story?

Task 4: Create an outline

Now that you’ve read the book, it’s time to organize your ideas—that is, to outline your book report. A carefully organized outline will make writing your report much easier, so plan to spend some quality time on it.

1. Put the title of the book at the top of a sheet of paper, then list the key elements of the story you plan to include in your report. Example:
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
-Setting
-Time period
-Characters
-Plot summary
-Conflict and resolution
-Recurring themes; symbolism

2. Read through your elements and consider the order in which they appear. Does the sequence of your points work? Could your report be stronger if you presented the elements in a different order? If necessary, rearrange the order of your outline.

Task 5: Body

Writing your book report can be an intimidating task. Let the tools you’ve amassed so far—your knowledge of the book and your outline—do the heavy lifting for you.

1. With your outline as a guide, turn each of the elements into sections or paragraphs.

2. Connect your paragraphs into a cohesive narrative. Be sure to use strong transitions between paragraphs—your goal is to make clear to the reader why you presented the information in the order that you did.

3. Read through your book report with a critical eye. Does each topic sentence clearly summarize the point of the paragraph? If not, use this opportunity to fine-tune it. Does the book report’s organization work? Don't be afraid to swap sections or paragraphs to present a stronger argument.

Congratulations! The hardest part is behind you. Pat yourself on the back and take a break. If can spare the time, don’t even think about your book report for a day or two. This will help you approach the next step with a fresh eye.

Task 6: Introduction and conclusion

The introduction and conclusion reinforce the key points you made in the body of your book report.

1. Introduction. Think of your introduction as the opening statement an attorney would make at a trial. Tell the jury—or in this case, your readers—what they are about to learn. Be sure to include the book’s title and author’s name, along with the name of the publisher, date of publication, and number of pages.

2. Conclusion. Think of your conclusion as the attorney’s closing statement. Emphasize the most important information you want the reader to know about the book. You may also choose to use include a brief discussion of your impressions of the book.

Task 7: Final draft

Put the final touches on your book report. Don’t be tempted to skip these steps—nothing detracts from a good book report than grammar or spelling errors.

1. Run a spell-check on your book report.

2. Print out your report and read it from start to finish, just the way your teacher will. Note any typos or grammar problems, and correct them right away.

3. Print a corrected copy and ask a parent or another trusted person to give it a critical read. Make any changes you think are necessary.

4. Read it one more time to make sure you didn’t introduce any other errors.

5. Hand it in... Congratulations!

Science Experiment Oral Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:51:00 +0000

You’ve been assigned to give an oral presentation of your science experiment. Everyone—even the President of the United States—gets nervous when they have to speak in front of a crowd. But it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. The more carefully you prepare, the better you’ll feel when it’s time to make your presentation.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand the task at hand and know exactly what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When are you scheduled to give your presentation?
How much time will you be allowed?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your presentation?

Task 2: Topic

1. Read through your laboratory report and make a list of the information you feel must be included in your presentation. Most scientific presentations include a brief description of an experiment’s purpose, hypothesis, and procedure. The remainder of the presentation is devoted to presenting key results and conclusions.

2. Narrow your point of focus. No one in your audience wants to hear every detail of the procedure you followed or every data point in your results tables. Your goal is to limit your discussion to the key aspects of your procedure and results.

Task 3: Audience profile

You discuss a movie differently with those who have seen it than with those who haven’t. This same principle applies to public speaking.

Take a few minutes to think about your audience:
Who is your audience?
Is everyone in the audience as familiar with your topic as you are?
How can you make your topic interesting to everyone?

Task 4: Outline

A speech consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Plan what you’re going to cover in each section of your presentation.

1. List the things you want to cover in each section. You may choose to translate your outline to note cards or slides later, or you may want to work directly from your outline. Be sure to write legibly—you don’t want to get up in front of the class and find out you can’t read your own writing.

2. Introduction. Use the introduction to tell your audience about the purpose and hypothesis of your experiment. You may choose to start with an attention-grabber, like a joke or an anecdote about your experiment. Telling it will help you relax and warm your audience to the presentation.

3. Body. Use the body of your presentation to describe your experimental procedure and the key results you achieved.

4. Conclusion. Use your conclusion to summarize your conclusions, restating your key results as evidence. At the end of your presentation, restate your most important conclusions and reiterate your most convincing evidence. Give the audience a sense of closure by wrapping up your presentation.

Task 5: Visual Aids

Remember the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words?” It’s true.

1. Go over your outline looking for opportunities to illustrate your presentation visually. Collect tables, graphs, charts, and pictures to reinforce key aspects of your procedure, results, and conclusion.

2. Sort through the collection and select the very best candidates. Limit yourself to one visual aid for the introduction, one or two for each key result, and three or less for the conclusion. Make sure each visual aid is clear and easy to read and that it reinforces an important aspect of your presentation. Plan to briefly discuss each visual aid that you display. You want your audience to understand what they’re looking at and why you’re showing it to them.

3. Note in the outline where you will show each visual aid to the audience. List the key things about the visual aid that you intend to call out. This will help you remember to display the right visual aid at the right time, even if you’re nervous.

4. Make arrangements with your teacher for any special equipment you require, such as a laptop computer, overhead projector, or slide projector.

Task 6: Rehearse

Practice, practice, practice. Repeat your presentation speech over and over again. Give it to your family. Give it to your friends. Give it to your pets. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camcorder. Practice in your imagination.

1. Time yourself to make sure your presentation fits in the allotted time.

2. Practice with your visual aids. Make sure they’re easy to see and understand, and that they illustrate your points without detracting from them.

3. Speak slowly, clearly, and not too softly. Be careful not to say “um” or fidget.

4. Ask your friends and family if your presentation is interesting. Do they get the main point?

Task 7: Live presentation

Relax! You know your material well and you’ve practiced it relentlessly. Have faith in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT!
Keep your thoughts on what you are saying rather than on how you are feeling.
Speak informally and conversationally. Be friendly. Smile!
Make eye contact with a friend you trust, or focus on a spot at the back of the room and imagine someone you love is sitting there, cheering you on.
Have fun!

Book Report Oral Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:51:00 +0000

Everyone—even the President of the United States—gets nervous when they have to speak in front of a crowd. But it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. The more carefully you prepare, the better you’ll feel when it’s time to make your presentation.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand the task at hand and know exactly what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When are you scheduled to give your presentation?
How much time will you be allowed?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your presentation?

Task 2: Topic

You’ve been assigned to give an oral presentation of your book report. This means you already have a general topic—your book.

1. Read through your book report and make a list of the information you feel must be included in your presentation. Most book reports cover information about the book’s author, publisher, and a summary of the important elements and themes.

2. Narrow your point of focus. No one in your audience wants to hear every word of your written book report. Your goal is to limit your discussion to the most important information in your report and the key elements of the story.

Task 3: Audience profile

You discuss a movie differently with those who have seen it than with those who haven’t. This same principle applies to public speaking.

Take a few minutes to think about your audience:
Who is your audience?
Is everyone in the audience as familiar your book as you are?
How can you make your report interesting to everyone?

Task 4: Outline

A speech consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Plan what you’re going to cover in each section of your presentation.

1. List the things you want to cover in each section. You may choose to translate your outline to note cards or slides later, or you may want to work directly from your outline. Be sure to write legibly—you don’t want to get up in front of the class and find out you can’t read your own writing.

Introduction. Use the introduction to tell your audience the general information about your book, such as its title, author, publisher, and year of publication. You may choose to start with an attention-grabber, like a joke or an anecdote about your experiment. Telling it will help you relax and warm your audience to the presentation.

Body. Use the body of your presentation to describe key elements of the story, such as its setting and time period, an overview of the main characters, and a very brief summary of the plot.

Conclusion. Use your conclusion to describe any recurring themes or symbolism in the book and how the author uses them to reinforce important messages. At the end of your presentation, tell your audience what you thought of the book. Would you recommend it? Are you planning to read additional work by this author?

Task 5: Visual Aids

Remember the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words?” It’s true.

1. Go over your outline looking for opportunities to illustrate your presentation visually. Collect pictures, such as a photocopy of the book jacket, a photograph of the author, or pictures of the setting. Consider examples of things used in the book, or even music characters listened to if it played an important role, to reinforce your main points.

2. Sort through the collection and select the very best candidates. Limit yourself to one visual aid for the introduction, one or two for each main point, and one for the conclusion. Make sure each visual aid is clear and easy to read and that it reinforces an important aspect of your presentation. Plan to briefly discuss each visual aid that you display. You want your audience to understand what they’re looking at and why you’re showing it to them.

3. Note in the outline where you will show each visual aid to the audience. List the key things about the visual aid that you intend to call out. This will help you remember to display the right visual aid at the right time, even if you’re nervous.

4. Make arrangements with your teacher for any special equipment you require, such as a laptop computer, overhead projector, or slide projector.

Task 6: Rehearse

Practice, practice, practice. Repeat your presentation speech over and over again. Give it to your family. Give it to your friends. Give it to your pets. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camcorder. Practice in your imagination.

1. Time yourself to make sure your presentation fits in the allotted time.

2. Practice with your visual aids. Make sure they’re easy to see and understand, and that they illustrate your points without detracting from them.

3. Speak slowly, clearly, and not too softly. Be careful not to say “um” or fidget.

4. Ask your friends and family if your presentation is interesting. Do they get the main point?

Task 7: Live presentation

Relax! You know your material well and you’ve practiced it relentlessly. Have faith in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT!
Keep your thoughts on what you are saying rather than on how you are feeling.
Speak informally and conversationally. Be friendly. Smile!
Make eye contact with a friend you trust, or focus on a spot at the back of the room and imagine someone you love is sitting there, cheering you on.

Have fun!

Essay Oral Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:50:00 +0000

You’ve been assigned to give an oral presentation of the ideas you wrote about in an essay or a paper. Everyone—even the President of the United States—gets nervous when they have to speak in front of a crowd. But it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. The more carefully you prepare, the better you’ll feel when it’s time to make your presentation.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand the task at hand and know exactly what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When are you scheduled to give your presentation?
How much time will you be allowed?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your presentation?

Task 2: Topic

1. Read through your essay and make a list of its most important points.

2. If necessary, narrow your point of focus for your presentation. No one in your audience wants to hear every word of your essay. Your goal is to pick one or two aspects of your essay topic to focus on. What do you need or want to tell people about your topic?

3. List the key concepts you want to introduce to your audience. Keep it short: More than five main points will make your audience’s eyes glaze over.

Task 3: Audience profile

You discuss a movie differently with those who have seen it than with those who haven’t. This same principle applies to public speaking.

Take a few minutes to think about your audience:
Who is your audience?
Is everyone in the audience as familiar with your topic as you are?
How can you make your topic interesting to everyone?

Task 4: Outline

A speech consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Plan what you’re going to cover in each section of your presentation.

1. List the things you want to cover in each section. You may choose to translate your outline to note cards or slides later, or you may want to work directly from your outline. Be sure to write legibly—you don’t want to get up in front of the class and find out you can’t read your own writing.

2. Introduction. Plan to introduce your presentation with an attention-grabber, like a joke or an anecdote about your topic. Telling it will help you relax and warm your audience to the presentation. Also in the introduction, tell the audience what they’re about to hear by summarizing the most important parts of your presentation.

3. Body. Use the body of your presentation to make your main points. In your outline, list each main point and two or three supporting facts. When you’re finished, take a minute to consider the flow—are your main points presented in a logical sequence?

4. Conclusion. Use your conclusion to remind the audience what they’ve heard. Restate your most important conclusions and reiterate your most convincing evidence. Give the audience a sense of closure by wrapping up your presentation.

Task 5: Visual Aids

Remember the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words?” It’s true.

1. Go over your outline looking for opportunities to illustrate your presentation visually. Collect pictures, maps, charts, and other visual aids to reinforce your main points.

2. Sort through the collection and select the very best candidates. Limit yourself to one visual aid for the introduction, one or two for each main point, and one for the conclusion. Make sure each visual aid is clear and easy to read and that it reinforces an important aspect of your presentation. Plan to briefly discuss each visual aid that you display. You want your audience to understand what they’re looking at and why you’re showing it to them.

3. Note in the outline where you will show each visual aid to the audience. List the key things about the visual aid that you intend to call out. This will help you remember to display the right visual aid at the right time, even if you’re nervous.

4. Make arrangements with your teacher for any special equipment you require, such as a laptop computer, overhead projector, or slide projector.

Task 6: Rehearse

Practice, practice, practice. Repeat your presentation speech over and over again. Give it to your family. Give it to your friends. Give it to your pets. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camcorder. Practice in your imagination.

1. Time yourself to make sure your presentation fits in the allotted time.

2. Practice with your visual aids. Make sure they’re easy to see and understand, and that they illustrate your points without detracting from them.

3. Speak slowly, clearly, and not too softly. Be careful not to say “um” or fidget.

4. Ask your friends and family if your presentation is interesting. Do they get the main point?

Task 7: Live presentation

Relax! You know your material well and you’ve practiced it relentlessly. Have faith in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT!
Keep your thoughts on what you are saying rather than on how you are feeling.
Speak informally and conversationally. Be friendly. Smile!
Make eye contact with a friend you trust, or focus on a spot at the back of the room and imagine someone you love is sitting there, cheering you on.
Have fun!

General Oral Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:50:00 +0000

Everyone—even the President of any country—gets nervous when they have to speak in front of a crowd. But it doesn’t have to be a miserable experience. The more carefully you prepare, the better you’ll feel when it’s time to make your presentation.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand the task at hand and know exactly what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have and make sure you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When are you scheduled to give your presentation?
How much time will you be allowed?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your presentation?

Task 2: Topic

Typically, teachers assign an oral presentation as a component of another assignment, such as a research paper or a science experiment. In these cases, you’ve recently become an expert on your topic, or you soon will be. If you’re starting from scratch, consider giving a presentation on a special interest or hobby.

1. Pick a broad topic that you know well and that fits within your teacher’s guidelines. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, think about your favorite things. Example: You’re required to give a 10-minute oral presentation on a topic of your choosing. You love to go camping with friends so you decide to give your presentation on camping.

2. Narrow your point of focus. No one in your audience wants to hear every word of your 10-page research paper, or every detail about your model car collection. Your goal is to pick one aspect of your topic to focus on. What do you need or want to tell people about your topic? Example: You’ve already got a topic—camping—but this topic is too broad to cover in a 10-minute presentation. You decide to narrow your focus to how to pack for a 3-day camping trip.

3. List the key concepts you want to introduce to your audience. Keep it short: more than five main points will make your audience’s eyes glaze over.

Example: For your oral presentation on packing for a 3-day camping trip, you decide to cover three key concepts:
-Gear
-Clothing
-Food

Task 3: Audience profile

You discuss a movie differently with those who have seen it than with those who haven’t. This same principle applies to public speaking.

Take a few minutes to think about your audience:
Who is your audience?
Is everyone in the audience as familiar with your topic as you are?
How can you make your topic interesting to everyone?

Task 4: Outline

A speech consists of three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Plan what you’re going to cover in each section of your presentation.

1. List the things you want to cover in each section. You may choose to translate your outline to note cards or slides later, or you may want to work directly from your outline. Be sure to write legibly—you don’t want to get up in front of the class and find out you can’t read your own writing.

2. Introduction. Plan to introduce your presentation with an attention-grabber, like a joke or an anecdote about your topic. Telling it will help you relax and warm your audience to the presentation. Also in the introduction, tell the audience what they’re about to hear by summarizing the most important parts of your presentation

3. Body. Use the body of your presentation to make your main points. In your outline, list each main point and two or three supporting facts. When you’re finished, take a minute to consider the flow—are your main points presented in a logical sequence?

4. Conclusion. Use your conclusion to remind the audience what they’ve heard. Restate your most important conclusions and reiterate your most convincing evidence. Give the audience a sense of closure by wrapping up your presentation.

Task 5: Visual Aids

Remember the old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words?” It’s true.

1. Go over your outline looking for opportunities to illustrate your presentation visually. Collect pictures, maps, charts, and other visual aids to reinforce your main points.

2. Sort through the collection and select the very best candidates. Limit yourself to one visual aid for the introduction, one or two for each main point, and one for the conclusion. Make sure each visual aid is clear and easy to read and that it reinforces an important aspect of your presentation. Plan to briefly discuss each visual aid that you display. You want your audience to understand what they’re looking at and why you’re showing it to them.

3. Note in the outline where you will show each visual aid to the audience. List the key things about the visual aid that you intend to call out. This will help you remember to display the right visual aid at the right time, even if you’re nervous.

4. Make arrangements with your teacher for any special equipment you require, such as a laptop computer, overhead projector, or slide projector.

Task 6: Rehearse

Practice, practice, practice. Repeat your presentation speech over and over again. Give it to your family. Give it to your friends. Give it to your pets. Practice in front of a mirror. Practice in front of a camcorder. Practice in your imagination.

1. Time yourself to make sure your presentation fits in the allotted time.

2. Practice with your visual aids. Make sure they’re easy to see and understand, and that they illustrate your points without detracting from them.

3. Speak slowly, clearly, and not too softly. Be careful not to say “um” or fidget.

4. Ask your friends and family if your presentation is interesting. Do they get the main point?

Task 7: Live presentation

Relax! You know your material well and you’ve practiced it relentlessly. Have faith in yourself because YOU CAN DO IT!
Keep your thoughts on what you are saying rather than on how you are feeling.
Speak informally and conversationally. Be friendly. Smile!
Make eye contact with a friend you trust, or focus on a spot at the back of the room and imagine someone you love is sitting there, cheering you on.
Have fun!

Play

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:48:00 +0000

Writing a play gives you the opportunity to let your imagination soar—freedom some students love and others find intimidating. Breaking your creative writing project into manageable tasks can make it a little easier.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have about the assignment and verify that you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know an answer, ask your teacher.
When is your play due?
Are you required to write your play on a particular topic?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your assignment?

Task 2: Topic

Whether you’re starting from scratch or your teacher gave you a starting point—such as a general theme or setting—your first job is to decide what to write about.

1. Start by brainstorming. Don’t censor yourself—write down any ideas that come to mind. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, consider using something that you know, such as a hobby or a special interest.

Once you have a few ideas down on paper, pick the one that most appeals to you. Example: Your teacher asks you to write a play from the perspective of a teenager. You’ve learned a lot about children from your after school job at a day care, so you decide to write about a teenager who is raising a younger sibling by himself.

2. Define the goal of your play. Every story has a reason for being told. What is yours? Example: Your play will illustrate the difficulties that a teenage boy and his younger brother experience in their life without parents.

Task 3: Plot and elements

Writing a play is a lot like writing a story. Once you’ve come up with an idea and a goal, it’s time to flesh out the elements of your story—that is, the theme, setting, point of view, characters, and plot.

1. Write a brief plot summary. Include a beginning, middle, and ending, as well as any possible plot twists. Example: You’ve decided to write about a day in the life of a teenager who shoplifts a gold bracelet and intends to sell it to a classmate for enough money to buy his younger brother a baseball glove. On the way out of the department store, the teenager is detained by store security, who calls the police. The police take the teen to the police station.

2. Identify the elements of your piece. These components may vary depending on the kind of fiction you are writing, but they typically include:
-Theme
-Setting
-Point of view
-Characters
-Plot

3. Once you’ve identified the main elements of your play, begin to flesh them out. Example: Your play portrays the difficulty of two brothers’ life without parents (theme) by looking at a day in the life of a teenage boy (main character). Also appearing are the teen’s younger brother, the little brother’s Little League coach and teammates, a store security guard, and police officers and personnel at the police station (supporting characters). The action takes place at a baseball diamond, at a department store, and at the police station (setting). The story is narrated by the teen (point of view).

Task 4: Rough draft

Now that you’ve laid the foundations for your play, it’s finally time to start writing.

1. Take a few minutes to map the plot sequence of the story. That is, figure out what is going to happen in your play, when it happens, and how it happens. (Hint: In 50 words or less, summarize the action.) Example: The teen’s younger brother needs a baseball glove, but the brothers don’t have any money. The teen decides to steal a mall-store bracelet to sell to a classmate. The teen is caught; the police are called. The police proceed with punishing the teen; but they also take up a collection for a baseball glove for the little brother.

2. Write. Tell your story through your characters. As you write, let your imagination roam freely. Think about how your story will unfold on stage. Don’t get distracted by spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Right now your job is to have fun and be creative. Pay attention to each of the play’s elements and expand on them as you write. Example: Set the scene. When you place the teen at the baseball diamond, take time to describe it. Is the diamond part of a park? What sounds can our teen hear at the park?

Develop your characters. Let the reader know who these people are. Give them personality traits that will come through on a stage. Describe how they dress, talk, or act. Hint at their personalities. Make them real.

Focus on dialogue. Tell your story through your characters and stage scenery. Writing dialogue is one of the biggest challenges for playwrights. Though we all know how to talk, writing words that will sound natural or credible when spoken is no easy feat. For direction, listen to how others speak. Try taping a conversation you have with friends to get a feel for the rhythm and flow of language.

3. Relax! The hardest part is behind you. If you can spare the time, don’t even think about your play for a day or two. This will help you approach the next step with a fresh eye.

Task 5: Rewrite

As any playwright will tell you, rewriting is one of the most important parts of the creative writing process.

1. Read your play again with a critical eye, asking yourself the following questions:

Does your opening grab attention?
Did you tell your story? Will viewers understand it?
Did you develop your characters and scenes sufficiently?
Have you provided enough detail to give viewers a sense of what’s to come without giving the plot away?
Does it have an ending, or will your audience be left hanging?

2. Rework any parts of your play that don’t work well. Don’t be afraid to change a setting, introduce a new character, or even cut characters that don’t play significant roles.

Task 6: Final draft

You’re almost done.

1. Run a spell check on your play.

2. Read your play from start to finish, the same way your teacher will. Fix any grammar mistakes or other errors you find.

3. Once you’re satisfied your play represents your best effort, get a second opinion. Ask a parent or other trusted person to read your piece with a critical eye and to give you feedback. Make any changes you think necessary.

4. Read the play one last time to make sure you didn’t introduce any new errors.

5. Hand in your work. Congratulations!

Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:47:00 +0000

Writing poetry is an opportunity to let your imagination soar—freedom some students love and others find intimidating. Breaking down the process of writing your poem into manageable tasks can make it a little easier.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have about the assignment and verify that you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know an answer, ask your teacher.
When is your poem due?
Is there a requirement for style or length?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for your poem?

Task 2: Topic

Whether you’re starting from scratch or your teacher gave you a starting point—such as a poem about nature or love or humor—your first job is to decide what to write about.

1. Start by brainstorming. Don’t censor yourself—write down any ideas that come to mind. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, consider using something that you know, such as a hobby or a special interest.

Once you have a few ideas down on paper, pick the one that most appeals to you. Example: Your teacher assigned you to write a poem on any subject, so you started by taking stock of the world around you. You considered writing about your best friend, your pet cat, or the madness of the city at rush hour. Instead, you settled on writing about your second-best friend: your violin.

2. Now take a look at your subject and determine what makes it special. Poetry draws pictures with words. Pick out the elements you wish to draw. Pay special attention to the little things, the details of your subject. Example: Your violin is secondhand, smooth to the touch, familiar, aggravating, out of tune, surly, twangy, shrill, mellifluous, comforting, never out of your sight.

Task 3: Write

Find a quiet spot and start writing—now, don’t put it off. Most writers will tell you that the hardest part of their craft is simply applying “seat of pants to seat of chair.”

1. Write down your thoughts about your topic—even if you don’t think you have anything to say. Start with paragraphs of gibberish if you have to. Let the words come to you. As you write, let your imagination roam freely. Poetry is all about mood, feelings, and word pictures. Tip: Don’t get distracted by spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Right now your job is to have fun and be creative. Pay attention to the moods and feelings the words create, but don’t dwell on finding the perfect words. Get your thoughts and feelings down now, you can refine them later.

2. Rewrite your thoughts, this time breaking them into lines. Devote one line to each thought.

3. Relax! You’ve done it—you’ve written a poem. The hardest part is behind you. If you can spare the time, don’t even think about your poem for a day or two. This will help you approach the next step with a fresh eye.

Task 4: Rewrite

As any poet will tell you, rewriting is one of the most important parts of the creative writing process.

Read your poem, line by line. As you read each line, ask yourself:
What is the main point of this line?
Do I use vivid imagery to show my readers the main point, or am I simply telling it to them? If it’s the latter, rework the line to paint a visual picture.
How does the rhythm of the words sound? Are my lines fairly uniform in length and complexity? Shorten any unwieldy lines by simplifying them or breaking them into two lines.

Task 5: Final draft

You’re almost done.

1. Run a spell check on your poem.

2. Read your poem from start to finish, the same way your teacher will. Fix any grammar mistakes or other errors you find.

3. Once you’re satisfied your poem represents your best effort, get a second opinion. Ask a parent or other trusted person to read your piece with a critical eye and to give you feedback. Make any changes you think necessary.

4. Read your poem one last time to make sure you didn’t introduce any new errors.

5. Hand in your work. Congratulations!

Short Story

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:47:00 +0000

Short-story writing gives you the opportunity to let your imagination soar—freedom some students love and others find intimidating. Breaking your short story into manageable tasks can make it a little easier.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have about the assignment and verify that you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know an answer, ask your teacher.
What are you expected to hand in?
When is your assignment due?
Is there a requirement for length?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for the assignment?

Task 2: Topic

Whether you’re starting from scratch or your teacher gave you a starting point—such as a general theme or setting—your first job is to decide what to write about.

1. Start by brainstorming. Don’t censor yourself—write down any ideas for your short story that come to mind. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, consider using something that you know, such as a hobby or a special interest. Pick the idea that most appeals to you as your topic. Example: Your teacher asks you to write a short story from the perspective of a teenager. You’ve learned a lot about children from your after school job at a day care, so you decide to write about a teenager who is raising a younger sibling by himself.

2. Define the goal of your short story. Every story has a reason for being told. What is yours? Example: Your story will illustrate the difficulties that a teenage boy and his younger brother experience in their life without parents.

Task 3: Plot and elements

Once you’ve come up with a story idea and a goal, it’s time to flesh out the elements of your piece—that is, the theme, setting, point of view, characters, and plot.

1. Write a brief plot summary. Include a beginning, middle, and ending, as well as any possible plot twists. Example: You’ve decided to write about a day in the life of a teenager who shoplifts a gold bracelet and intends to sell it to a classmate for enough money to buy his younger brother a baseball glove. On the way out of the department store, the teenager is detained by store security, who calls the police. The police take the teen to the police station.

2. Identify the elements of your piece. These components may vary depending on the kind of fiction you are writing, but they typically include:
-Theme
-Setting
-Point of view
-Characters
-Plot

3. Once you’ve identified your story’s elements, begin to flesh them out. Example: Your story portrays the difficulty of two brothers’ life without parents (theme) by looking at a day in the life of a teenage boy (main character). Also appearing are the teen’s younger brother, the little brother’s Little League coach and teammates, a store security guard, and police officers and personnel at the police station (supporting characters). The action takes place at a baseball diamond, at a department store, and at the police station (setting). The story is narrated by the teen (point of view).

Task 4: Rough draft

Now that you’ve laid the foundations for your story, it’s finally time to start writing.

1. Take a few minutes to map the plot sequence of the story. That is, figure out what is going to happen in your story, when it happens, and how it happens. (Hint: In 50 words or less, summarize the action.) Example: The teen’s little brother needs a baseball glove. The brothers don’t have any money, so the teen decides to steal a mall-store bracelet to sell to a classmate. The teen is caught. The police are called. They punish the teen, but also help him pay for his brother’s glove.

2. Write. As you write, let your imagination roam freely. Don’t get distracted by spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Right now your job is to have fun and be creative. Pay attention to each of the story’s elements and expand on them as you write. Example: When you place the teen at the baseball diamond, take time to describe it. Is the diamond part of a park? What sounds can our teen hear at the park? What’s the temperature outside? Set the scene for the reader.

How about your supporting characters? When discussing your supporting characters, give them more than just a name. Let the reader know who these people are. Describe how they dress, talk, or act. Hint at their personalities. Make them real.

What about point of view? Make sure the reader knows who is speaking at any given time.

3. Relax! The hardest part is behind you. If you can spare the time, don’t even think about your story for a day or two. This will help you approach the next step with a fresh eye.

Task 5: Rewrite

As any poet, author, or playwright will tell you, rewriting is one of the most important parts of the creative writing process.

1. Read your rough draft again with a critical eye, asking yourself the following questions:
Does your opening grab attention?
Did you achieve your original goal?
Have you provided enough detail to give a sense of what’s to come without giving the plot away?
Does it have an ending, or will your reader be left hanging?

2. Rework any parts of your rough draft that don’t work well. Don’t be afraid to change a setting, introduce a new character, or even cut characters that don’t play significant roles.

Task 6: Final draft

You’re almost done.

1. Run a spell check on your piece. Nothing will detract more from your work (and possibly lower your grade) than misspelled words.

2. Read your short story from start to finish, the same way your teacher will. Fix any grammar mistakes or other errors you find.

3. Once you’re satisfied the story represents your best effort, get a second opinion. Ask a parent or other trusted person to read your piece with a critical eye and to give you feedback. Make any changes you think necessary.

4. Read the story one last time to make sure you didn’t introduce any new errors.

5. Hand in your work. Congratulations!

General Creative Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:46:00 +0000

Creative writing gives you the opportunity to let your imagination soar—freedom some students love and others find intimidating. Breaking your creative writing project into manageable tasks can make it a little easier.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have about the assignment and verify that you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know an answer, ask your teacher.
What are you expected to hand in?
When is your assignment due?
Is there a requirement for length?
Did your teacher provide any other guidelines for the assignment?

Task 2: Topic

Whether you’re starting from scratch or your teacher gave you a starting point—such as a general theme or setting—your first job is to decide what to write about.

1. Start by brainstorming. Don’t censor yourself—write down any ideas that come to mind. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, consider using something that you know, such as a hobby or a special interest.

Once you have a few ideas down on paper, pick the one that most appeals to you. Example: Your teacher asks you to write a short story from the perspective of a teenager. You’ve learned a lot about children from your after school job at a day care, so you decide to write about a teenager who is raising a younger sibling by himself.

2. Define the goal of your piece. Every story has a reason for being told. What is yours? Example: Your story will illustrate the difficulties that a teenage boy and his younger brother experience in their life without parents.

Task 3: Plot and elements

Once you’ve come up with a story idea and a goal, it’s time to flesh out the elements of your piece—that is, the theme, setting, point of view, characters, and plot.

1. Write a brief plot summary. Include a beginning, middle, and ending, as well as any possible plot twists. Example: You’ve decided to write about a day in the life of a teenager who shoplifts a gold bracelet and intends to sell it to a classmate for enough money to buy his younger brother a baseball glove. On the way out of the department store, the teenager is detained by store security, who calls the police. The police take the teen to the police station.

2. Identify the elements of your piece. These components may vary depending on the kind of fiction you are writing, but they typically include:
-Theme
-Setting
-Point of view
-Characters
-Plot

3. Once you’ve identified your story’s elements, begin to flesh them out. Example: Your story portrays the difficulty of two brothers’ life without parents (theme) by looking at a day in the life of a teenage boy (main character). Also appearing are the teen’s younger brother, the little brother’s Little League coach and teammates, a store security guard, and police officers and personnel at the police station (supporting characters). The action takes place at a baseball diamond, at a department store, and at the police station (setting). The story is narrated by the teen (point of view).

Task 4: Rough draft

Now that you’ve laid the foundations for your piece, it’s finally time to start writing.

1. Take a few minutes to map the plot sequence of the story. That is, figure out what is going to happen in your story, when it happens, and how it happens. (Hint: In 50 words or less, summarize the action.) Example: The teen takes his brother to little league practice, but the younger brother doesn’t have baseball glove. The brothers don’t have any money for the glove, so the teen decides to steal a mall-store bracelet to sell to a classmate. The teen is caught. The police are called; the teen is taken to the police station. The police proceed with punishing the teen, but when the police learn of the teen’s reason for shoplifting, they also take up a collection and buy a baseball glove for the teen’s younger brother.

2. Write. As you write, let your imagination roam freely. Don’t get distracted by spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Right now your job is to have fun and be creative. Pay attention to each of the story’s elements and expand on them as you write. Example: When you place the teen at the baseball diamond, take time to describe it. Is the diamond part of a park? What sounds can our teen hear at the park? What’s the temperature outside? Set the scene for the reader.

How about your supporting characters? When discussing your supporting characters, give them more than just a name. Let the reader know who these people are. Describe how they dress, talk, or act. Hint at their personalities. Make them real.

What about point of view? Make sure the reader knows who is speaking at any given time.

3. Relax! The hardest part is behind you. If you can spare the time, don’t even think about your piece for a day or two. This will help you approach the next step with a fresh eye.

Task 5: Rewrite

As any poet, author, or playwright will tell you, rewriting is one of the most important parts of the creative writing process.

1. Read your rough draft again with a critical eye, asking yourself the following questions:
Does your opening grab attention?
Did you achieve your original goal?
Have you provided enough detail to give a sense of what’s to come without giving the plot away?
Does it have an ending, or will your reader be left hanging?

2. Rework any parts of your rough draft that don’t work well. Don’t be afraid to change a setting, introduce a new character, or even cut characters that don’t play significant roles.

Task 6: Final draft

You’re almost done.

1. Run a spell check on your piece. Nothing will detract more from your work (and possibly lower your grade) than misspelled words.

2. Read your short story from start to finish, the same way your teacher will. Fix any grammar mistakes or other errors you find.

3. Once you’re satisfied the story represents your best effort, get a second opinion. Ask a parent or other trusted person to read your piece with a critical eye and to give you feedback. Make any changes you think necessary.

4. Read the story one last time to make sure you didn’t introduce any new errors.

5. Hand in your work. Congratulations!

Collage

noreply@blogger.com (Essayist) — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:44:00 +0000

Collage projects mix research and artistic elements, allowing you to flex both the analytical and creative parts of your brain.

Task 1: Requirements

Make sure you understand what your teacher expects of you. Review all of the information you have about the assignment and verify that you can answer the following questions. If you don’t know, ask your teacher.
When is your collage due?
Are you required to do your collage on a particular topic?
Did your teacher provide any guidelines regarding how you conduct your research or how your final collage should look?

Task 2: Topic and objective

Your goal is to pick a topic that is specific enough to cover in a collage, but not so limited that you won’t be able to find research sources.

1. Choose a broad topic that interests you and falls within your assignment guidelines. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, think about recent experiences you’ve had. Pick up a magazine or skim a newspaper for stories about people, events, or issues that intrigue you. Example: For humanities class, you are required to create a collage representing all of the influences in your life that helped to make you the person you are today.

2. Define your objective—that is, what you intend to accomplish with your collage. Example: Your assignment is to create a collage of the influences in your life. Your objective for your collage, then, is to represent with pictures and other graphical elements the people and events in your life that have influenced you.

Task 3: Research

1. Do some digging to get a feel for your topic. Skim an encyclopedia article or read a few newspaper articles related to your topic. This will introduce you to the major areas of interest in your subject.

2. Move beyond your preliminary investigation to find more specific reference sources. Track down library books, periodicals, and Web sites, then read, read, read. Example: You already know quite a bit about your topic—your life—but there are a few holes that you need to fill in. Your paternal grandmother was from Japan and died when you were very young. You decide to ask your father about your grandmother and the influence she had on your family before she died.

3. As you read, note any information you encounter that supports your objective. Each time you take a note, cite the reference—that is, jot down exactly where you found the information, including the title of the source, its author and publisher, publication date and place, and a page number. You’ll need this information if you’re required to compose a bibliography. Tip: If your teacher requires you to hand in a bibliography with your collage, take a few minutes now to determine what information on each source that you’ll need for your bibliography. For example, does your teacher require you to list your source’s publisher and where it was published? Knowing exactly what you need now will save you the hassle of having to go back to look up additional information later.

Task 4: Design mockup

1. Organize your ideas. Put your project objective at the top of a piece of paper, then, working from your research notes, list the key concepts you must convey in your collage to achieve your objective. Example: Your objective for your collage is to represent with pictures and other graphical elements the people and events in your life that have influenced you. You plan to represent the following influences in your collage:
Your ethnic and cultural heritage
Your activities and hobbies
The people in your life—both those who have had a direct influence on you and those who influence you because you admire them
Experiences that affected you

2. Create a design mockup. Make a rough sketch of your collage and plan how you’ll convey your key concepts visually. Example: To create a mockup of your collage, you cut a piece of newsprint to match the dimensions of your final collage. You divide the newsprint into visual regions, center, top, bottom, left, and right. You decide to use the center region for a picture of yourself, then use each remaining visual regions to convey one of your key concepts. The overall effect will be you surrounded by the people and events that make you who you are.

Task 5: Bibliography

Some collage projects require a bibliography—a list of the sources you used in your research. A creative project bibliography is usually a separate page or pages titled “Bibliography,” “References,” or “Works Cited.”

1. Gather all the source information you jotted down when you were taking notes.

2. Assemble your sources into a single list, alphabetized by author’s last name. Sources that don't have authors (encyclopedia articles, for example) should be alphabetized by title.

3. Properly format each item in your source list according to an accepted bibliographic style. One common bibliographic style is provided below, but there are many acceptable styles for bibliographies. Be sure to use the format that your teacher specified. Common Bibliographic Style

This bibliographic style follows the MLA Handbooks for Writers of Research Papers, 5th edition, written by Joseph Gibaldi and published in 1999 in New York by the Modern Language Association of America.

Book

Author Last Name, Author First Name. Book Title. Publication Location: Publisher, Publication Year.

Encyclopedia article

"Article Title," Encyclopedia Name. Edition Year ed.

Newspaper, magazine, or journal article

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Article Title" Publication Title Publication Date: page numbers.

Book review

Reviewer Last Name, Reviewer First Name. Rev. of Book Title by Book Author First and Last Name. Publication Location: Publisher, Publication Year.

Film, movie

Movie Title. Dir. Director First and Last Name. Studio or Distributor, Movie Release Date.

Internet source

Author Last Name, Author First Name. "Article or Page Title." Site Name. Institution or organization affiliated with the site. .

Task 6: Final project

1. Make a list of the materials you’ll need for your collage (photographs, old magazines, scissors, construction paper, pens, glue, bits of fabric, etc.) and gather them in your workspace.

2. Using your mockup as a guide, create your collage. Refer back to your objective often to keep yourself on track. This is your chance to let your creative side take over. You might want to draw on the following rules of thumb about visual presentation, but don’t let convention limit your creativity.
Draw attention to important elements in your collage by drawing a border around them or using a different background color.
Give your collage a professional, polished look by trimming jagged edges, securing loose pieces with glue or double-sided tape, wiping away excess glue, and erasing any pencil guidelines.
If you use text in your collage, don’t forget to check your spelling.

3. Give your collage a final once-over. When you’re sure it represents your best effort, hand it in!