Page 118 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook

aCTIvITy 1.17
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• Quote: Find a quote to state an ordinary idea in an extraordinary or provocative way, or state a provocative idea in an ordinary way. Either will grab the reader’s interest. This quote can come from any source: someone you know, someone famous, or a song.
• Intriguing statement: Knock down a commonly held assumption or define a word in a new and startling way.
II. The Bridge: This writing represents the content between the hook and the thesis (the controlling idea of the essay). The purpose of the bridge is to make a clear and concise connection between these two parts. The bridge is also the place where a writer provides necessary background information to set the context for the ideas in the essay.
III. The Thesis: Your thesis is your response to the writing prompt, and it includes information about both the topic and your interpretation of it. The thesis is the single most important part of the essay in establishing focus and coherence; all parts of the essay should work to support this idea. Your thesis should be a clear and precise assertion. It should not be an announcement of your intent, nor should it include the first person (I/my).
A thesis should show a level of sophistication and complexity of thought. You may want to try to create a complex sentence as your thesis statement. Complex sentences contain a dependent clause that begins with a dependent marker, such as because, before, since, while, although, if, until, when, after, as, as if.
Evaluating and Revising Introductions
2. Read the following introductions. For each one, identify, label, and evaluate the three parts of the introduction: hook, bridge, and thesis.
Sample 1
Aristotle said “The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper.” When someone goes though calamity with poise, it is not because they don’t feel anything; it is because they are of a heroic nature. Heroism is being brave and helping other people before yourself, but it does not always have a happy ending.
Sample 2
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” When heroes keep on going and keep battling a challenge or problem, it makes them that much more heroic. Anyone could just give up, but heroes keep going. Instead of stressing over satisfying everyone, heroes know that their best is good enough, and focus on doing the right thing. Heroism is putting others before yourself and directly facing challenges, but not always saving or satisfying everyone.
my Notes
Unit 1 • The Challenge of Heroism 91
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