Essays in an Hour

Tips and Techniques

Writing an Essay Exam is like…

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Unknown ingredients

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Time Pressure

No Recipe

O http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recipe

Judges

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The 6 P’sO PreparationO PredictionO PromptsO PlanningO ProductionO Proofreading

Preparation: Know Your Stuff

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Preparation

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Prediction: Know the Techniques

Prediction: Know The Thinking Techniques

O I’m studying Deborah Tannen’s theory of genderlect, or male/female speech differences. What sorts of essay questions could I get?

Thinking SkillsO Explain or define _______________

and give an example.O Compare __________ and ___________O Contrast ____________ and ___________O Apply ___________ to a set of data

(Use _______ to interpret data)O Evaluate/agree/disagree/weigh

the merits of __________________

Thinking Skills 2O Classify the types of ____________O Explain the development of _______O Analyze the causes of _____________O Analyze the effects of _____________O Explain the steps in the process of

________O Trace the history of

__________________

So…O Most of the work of writing a

successful timed essay comes BEFORE you ever get to the class.

O “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my ax.” Abraham Lincoln

Prompt: Survey the Situation

What are you working with, and what do you have to do?

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Prompt: Analyze the Job

O Read the prompt carefully. Find out you have to do and what facts you need to work with.

O Explain, define, compare, contrast, analyze, illustrate, classify, apply, evaluate, argue, give reasons, discuss

An Example from History

O Analyze various ways in which technological developments contributed to the expansion of state power in the period 1450 to 1600.

O Analyze the origins and development of slavery in Britain’s North American colonies in the period 1607 to 1776.

An example from PsychologyO For each of the pairs below, use an example to

show how the first term in each pair affects or is related to the second. Definitions alone without examples will not score.

O • Serial-position effect . . recallO • Functional fixedness . . problem solvingO • Operational definition . . replicationO • Double-blind research . . biasO • Operant conditioning . . superstitionO • Reinforcement . . overjustification effectO • Myelin sheath . . neural impulse

An example from English

O In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.”

O Choose a character from a novel or play who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a whole.

Planning: Know the Endpoint

O Take 3-4 minutes to plan:O Answer the question (THESIS): Have

a dish in mindO COVER the requirements of the

prompt: use the ingredients requiredO Be realistic: work within the time

givenO Leave time to re-read: plan for a

taste-test and some final seasoning

If you don’t plan…O You get a “knowledge dump”: you

are asking the professor to find a meal in your mess!

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If you don’t plan…O The essay won’t be finished…

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Production: Stick with The Plan

O Write your essay, following the outline you made at the beginning.

O Develop one point per paragraphO Show the relationships between

ideasO Focus on content and specifics.

Don’t go for flair or style to cover up a lack of substance. Pretty presentation can’t hide a bad flavor!

Finish Well

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Proofread: The Final Taste Test

O Take 3 or 4 minutes at the end of the session to re-read your work.

O Don’t make major changes at this point. Focus on editing and clarifying what you have already written.

O Check spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Final AdviceO Write sample questionsO Practice in short bursts

O 10 minute paragraphsO Use note-cards strategicallyO Make sample outlinesO Use instructor feedback for

improvement