Notes on Theme paper/prov. exam/ Preview notes on Synthesis paper IN CLASS JUNE 14TH

Dear 12s,

Congratulations on your graduation. While, I can imagine you are already very ready to be finished and starting your life after high school, there are a few things left for us to do ahead of the provincial exam.

With affection- Ms. S

• Synthesis essay/test in class June 14th There are notes/help for you to preview re: synthesis lower down in this post.
• Provincial Exam June 25th 9:00am UHill Study past exams and more:Exam site
• Terms/verbs asked on essay questions and what they ACTUALLY want from you.

You wrote an in class quiz weight theme paper this week. (Please review this blog for policy re: missing said write). What follows here is my advice based on the work you did on this essay.

Please note that this essay task is in essence, what you will do on the first write on your provincial. It is very like what you did on your Pecha Kucha, indeed it is what you have been doing in English class since grade 10. It is important that you understand the following corrections prior to the exam.

Correction/feed back notes

Re: Theme essay (and first two essays on provincial)

·      Embed the language of the question asked in your thesis! Have a thesis! Ex. If it is your intention to discuss the theme of victimization in a particular text, you must use the word in your thesis statement. Without using the language of the question, you either stray off topic, are unclear or worse, have NO THESIS!

·      Echo the language of your thesis/question throughout the essay. Basically, this is PEEc. You need to create unity and continuity by referencing the thesis/purpose of your essay in every paragraph. (Synonyms may be used but must be introduced as such)

·      Avoid synopsis. Do so by cleaving strongly to having a clear thesis, then topic sentences and only place those parts of the story in each paragraph that support the specific topic of that paragraph/serves the purpose of your thesis. PEEc

·      Don’t forget to conclude. Conclusions introduce no new information, but restate/reinforce/recap what has come before.

·      Avoid editorializing. A literary essay ought not include any info. from outside the text. It is not a place for the writer to express their opinions. Indeed the writer ought not call attention to themselves or to the writing at all. Ex. DO NOT say, “I will show in this essay.” Use 3rd person and literary present tense,

·      Don’t declare things you cannot or do not prove/demonstrate

·      If you forget to make/indicate paragraph breaks, go back in and add // in front of where ever a break should be. This is very important because paragraphing indicates organized thought. If you miss this, you will lose 2/12 marks on your essay on the provincial.

·      Use the tools/techniques you have studied (critical theory, hero’s journey) to enrich your analysis. Answer “So what?” Why do we care? What has the text/author to offer their reader? This is what distinguishes A papers from others.

Synthesis essay and Exam Prep:

     You will be reviewing and writing a synthesis paper next week. What follows here is some support for that effort. Again, you have written this sort of thing this year and in other years. It shares things structurally with a comparison essay but goes further to explore the impact of the comparison thematically. We will practice on Tuesday and you will write it Thursday. Please take a little time to take a look at the following before then.

    

     Scoring guides for written portions. I'll use the synthesis rubric  

     Student samples of synthesis essays provincial scored 2-6 

     General advice about doing well on this exam (see synthesis)

     Step by step advice on how to organize your synthesis paper

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"Grade 12 Provincial Exam Prompts (Newest to Oldest)

The “Original Composition” section of the English 12 Provincial Exam is a major component of the whole grade. Luckily, it is one that we can prepare for! 
The writing prompts below can be roughly divided into 4 different themes. Think “Hero’s Journey/monomyth”

·       Change ­­­

·       Experiences

·       Life Lessons

·       Our Influences

1.      With independence comes increased responsibility (Change, Life Lessons)

2.      Each generation has something valuable to offer. (Life Lessons, Influences)

3.      Confidence comes from the support of others. (Life Lessons, Influences)

4.      Self-awareness leads to meaningful change. (Change, Life Lessons)

5.      Role models influence our lives. (Influences, Change, Life Lessons)

6.      Certain events change our impressions of life. (Influences, Change, Life Lessons).

7.      Our views of the past change as we mature. (Influences, Change)

8.      The best gifts are the simplest ones. (Life Lessons).

9.      We learn the most from those closest to us. (Influences, Life Lessons)

10.    Our journey into the future begins in the past. (Influences, Change)

11.    Certain experiences can mark the beginnings of maturity. (Change, Influences, Life Lessons).

12.    Challenging circumstances lead to positive actions. (Influences, Change, Life Lessons)

13.    Forming meaningful connections may enrich lives. (Influences, Life Lessons).

14. People can be influenced by their environment. (Influences, Change). 
15. Sometimes people are unable to control the directions their lives take. (Change).

16.People can create their own reality. (Life Lessons, Influences).
17. Taking advantage of opportunities can be beneficial. (Life Lessons).
18. Each stage of life brings new choices. (Change, Life Lessons).
19. A good life does not have to be complex. (Life Lessons).
20. It is important to have a realistic view of life. (Life Lessons).
21. Surprises can make life interesting. (Influences, Life Lessons).
22. Adapting to new situations in life is essential. (Change, Life Lessons).

23. Taking charge of your own life is worthwhile. (Influences, Life Lessons).

24. Being sincere is important. (Life Lessons).

25. The pursuit of freedom involves change. (Change, Life Lessons).
26. Keeping an open mind allows for growth. (Influences, Change, Life Lessons).
27. The important things in life endure over time. (Change, Life Lessons).

Exam Preparation

We might use our stories which fit into each of these “categories”. Using all that we have learned about conveying stories/themes/ideas in light of the monomyth cycle.