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Writing a Five-Paragraph Essay. Skit. Person 1: Hey! Did you see the game last night? Person 2: What game?
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Skit • Person 1: Hey! Did you see the game last night? • Person 2: What game? • Person 1: Only the most exciting basketball game ever! The Lakers and Kings were tied during almost the entire fourth quarter. Finally, with only three seconds left on the clock. Kobe shot a three-pointer. It flew through the net right at the buzzer! • Person 2: Wow! • Person 1: Really great basketball players play their hardest right up to the very end and take huge risks. I’m telling you, Kobe Bryant is the best player in basketball. He’s ruthless on the court!
Introduction Format • Write an opening sentence that grabs the reader’s attention. • Write a few sentences summarizing the plot or giving background information. • Write a sentence definingany terms. • Write a thesis statement arguing your point.
Weak Opening Sentences • Vague, global statements (Duh!) • Since the beginning of time, perseverance has played an important role in people’s lives. • Dictionary definitions • Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “perseverance” as … • Statements that are not connected to your topic. • There are so many tragedies in the world today like AIDS, poverty, and war. Solving these issues will take a great deal of perseverance.
Strong Opening Sentences • Rhetorical questions • Who would imagine that a small, quiet boy living in a closet would one day become a wizard and end up saving the world? • Shocking/surprising statistic • The Harry Potter films are some of the highest grossing films of all time. • Description of a scene from a book • Imagine receiving an invitation to a school of wizardry straight from the beak of an owl! • Meaningful quote • “After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure” (297).
Opening Sentence • Who would imagine that a small, quiet boy living in a closet would one day become a wizard and end up saving the world?
Summary • In J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter overcomes tremendous obstacles in his quest to become a wizard and save the world. He begins the novel as a poor orphan living with his mean and unimaginative relatives, the Dursleys, but his life completely changes when he receives an invitation to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Learning all of the potions and magic tricks necessary to become a wizard requires perseverance, but Harry must also persevere in defeating an evil plot that endangers his life and the lives of those around him.
Definition of perseverance • Perseverance means never giving up, even if a challenge seems impossible to overcome.
Thesis Statement • Harry shows perseverance in the way that he deals with internal, relational, and external conflict.
Who would imagine that a small, quiet boy living in a closet would one day become a wizard and end up saving the world? In J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter overcomes tremendous obstacles in his quest to become a wizard and save the world. He begins the novel as a poor orphan living with his mean and unimaginative relatives, the Dursleys, but his life completely changes when he receives an invitation to attend the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Learning all of the potions and magic tricks necessary to become a wizard requires perseverance, but Harry must also persevere in defeating an evil plot that endangers his life and the lives of those around him. Perseverance means never giving up, even if a challenge seems impossible to overcome. Harry shows perseverance in the way that he deals with internal, relational, and external conflict.
Body Paragraphs • Topic Sentence: Write a topic sentencethat sums up your point about the play/movie and its effect. • Evidence: Quote, paraphrase, or describe a part of the video that shows your point. • Explanation: Write a few sentences explaining how your quote or paraphrase shows your point (assume your reader can’t make the connection) • Transition: Write a concluding sentence that transitions smoothly into the next paragraph.
Harry shows perseverance in the way that he deals with his relational conflict with Lord Voldemort. The reader learns that Voldemort has been trying to kill Harry since before he was born (12). In fact, at the end of the novel, Voldemort threatens, “you’ll meet the same end as your parents…They died begging me for mercy” (294). Rather than giving up or running away from his destiny, Harry embraces it as he struggles in his quest against the Dark Lord. Harry’s perseverance enables him to defeat Lord Voldemort, which ensures the safety of all wizards and Muggles. Of course, to be able to fight Voldemort, Harry must pass his very difficult classes at Hogwarts.
Conclusion • Write a sentence that restates your thesis. • Write a few sentences summarizing the points you made in your three body paragraphs. • Write a concluding sentence that tells why this information is important. What does this mean for the iconic balcony scene and how it is portrayed in the 21st century.
Throughout Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry perseveres against several struggles with himself, others, and society. He must overcome the sense of inferiority and longing that he feels for his parents as an orphan. He must also defeat the evil Lord Voldemort’s quest for power. Finally, he must learn all of the necessary skills, potions, and magic tricks necessary to become the powerful wizard he was always meant to be.Harry’s example proves that no matter how small or large an obstacle may seem, perseverance is always the key to success.
Work Cited Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. New York: Scholastic,1997.Print.
