English 9

1. English 9 Grading Period 6 Week 1: England Essay 5/6-5/10

2. 5/6-5/10

3. English 9 How to Write a Killer Thesis

4. What HO! What’s a Thesis? • A statement that can be proven through evidence. • An opinion • A mini-outline of your paper

5. example

6. But soft! A good thesis has two parts • The first part states the main argument • Apples are gross • The second parts sets up the evidence • This is called a planning statement • Apples are gross because they are often bland, mealy, and bruised.

7. Examples • About the plague: • The plague was a major fear for people of the Elizabethan era because it had wiped out many populations, contracting it led to a horrible death, and healthcare at the time offered little hope for a remedy. • About your essay: • The difficulty of life in Elizabethan England led to the popularity of theater, where people could escape from disease and suffering into an exotic world of glamour, drama, and fantasy.

8. Using Quotes & Citing Sources Preventing Plagiarism

9. Remember basic quotation punctuation • You probably won’t use many quotes • You may use quotes from the Giblin article • You may use quotes from the play • If you introduce the quote with a complete sentence, use a colon at the end of the sentence. • Capulet threatens to hit Juliet: “My fingers itch” (Shakespeare). • If you introduce the quote with a phrase (fragment), use a comma. • When Capulet threatens Juliet, he says, “My fingers itch” (Shakespeare).

10. You must give the source of all info • Even when you summarize or paraphrase • If all info in a paragraph comes from the same source, cite the source once, at the end of the paragraph, or after the last summarized info. • If you use different source, identify the source of each piece of info after you present it.

11. How to cite your sources • Example 1: Parenthetical (citation in parentheses, not in the sentence) • Costumes in the plays were extravagant, and often donated by wealthy people (Fishman). • The word “bubonic” comes from “buboes,” meaning swollen lymph nodes (Giblin). • Even the nurse in Romeo and Juliet lost an infant, named Susan (Shakespeare). • Shakespeare himself lost a son to the plague, Hamnet (William Shakespeare: A Life of Drama). • The Globe was an open-air theater ("The Shakespearean Theater"). 

12. Example 2: Citing within the sentence • In her lecture on “Life in Elizabethan England,” Carrie Fishman stated… • In the article “The Black Death,” James Giblin writes… • In the drama Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare writes… • The article “The Shakespearean Theater” describes… • The documentary William Shakespeare: A Life of Drama discusses…

13. Always include in your sentence or paragraph • The title of the source • The author of the source • James Giblin wrote an article on the plague called “The Black Death.”

14. VERB TENSES • Refer to all your sources in the present tense, but talk about history in the past tense. • In “The Black Death,” James Giblinwritesthat the plague wasa terrible disease. • When Capulet threatensto hit Juliet, it shows that times back then werevery difficult for children (Shakespeare).

15. NO PERSONAL PRONOUNS • No I • No YOU • I will destroy YOU if I catch YOU doing this • Use “one,” “someone,” “a person,” or “people” • Remember that “one” and “someone” are singular (can’t use “their” to refer to them—must use “his” or “her” or “his or her.” ) • One must always watch his pronouns. • People must check their pronouns. • A person must check her pronouns.

16. Intros & Conclusion

17. Intros • Ideas for a “hook” (first sentence) • An image • Dirt-covered streets, sewage flowing down the sides; the sounds of horse-hooves; the stench of unbathed people—this was daily life in Elizabethan England. • An idea • When most people think of Elizabethan England, they think of queens, castles, luxurious gowns. The reality of the time was that it was challenging and probably unpleasant.

18. “Context” • A little bit about the situation • People were uneducated. Travel was unusual. Work was hard. Sickness was rampant. • The years were the 1500s. • Theater was a something people could look forward to. • Last 1-2 sentences of the intro are your thesis

19. Conclusion • Conclusion • Sums up ideas • Restate thesis in different words • Reiterate main points • Life was challenging for many reasons: the plague, poor healthcare, the low status of women, lack of education, and difficult family relationships. Drama and comedy were escapes that people could look forward to. The theater helped people forget about their problems.

20. Final Sentece(s) • Leaves readers with something to think about • Final sentence looks beyond essay • May say something about the world/society • May look into future • Unfortunately, theater is not as popular today as it was then, but Shakespeare is still studied by students around the world. • Life today is much more entertaining, but people still like to escape into movies and television. • It is a good thing that relationships between men and women, and children and parents, are better now than they were then.

21. Punctuation: the colon :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

22. Punctuation: the COLON • : • Rule #1: Use a colon between independent clauses (complete sentences) if the second summarizes or explains the first. • EX> Joe won the long-distance race: he came from last place and made a dramatic leap across the finish line. • EX> Mountain climbing is not for weaklings: you must be in perfect shape, and be brave.

23. Punctuation: the Colon • Rule #2: Use a colon after an independent clause (complete sentence) to introduce a list, an appositive (phrase that explains something), or a quotation. • EX> These are my favorite foods: dill pickles, salad and popcorn. • My favorite foods are pizza, salad and cucumbers. NO COLON needed! • EX> Bring these items with you on Saturday: a #2 pencil, your notebook and lunch money.

24. Punctuation: the Colon • #3. There are several other uses for a colon: • Coming after a formal greeting in a business letter. • Dear Sir: • Separating numbers on digital clocks, or Bible verses. • 11:25; Genesis 2:14. • Separating titles and subtitles • I cried at the end of Benji: the Hunted • Showing proportions • That cookie had a chocolate chip-to-nut ratio of 3:1.

25. The Best Version of R&J (transition practice) • You have now seen THREE versions! • 1968: Franco Zeffirelli • 1996: BazLuhrmann • Reduced Shakespeare Company • You will now write a one-paragraph argument that one of them is superior, and support your statement with evidence from the film(s).

26. The Best Version of R&J (transition practice) • Write a thesis: • [Producer's name]'s version of Romeo and Juliet is the best because [reason], [reason], [reason], [reason]. • or • [Producer's name]'s version of Romeo and Juliet is the best because [broad/ general reason]. • Write 3-5 supporting sentences that include specific details from the film(s) that support your thesis. • Write a concluding sentence. • ALL SUPPORTING SENTENCES MUST CONTAIN TRANSITION WORDS OR PHRASES

27. Sample • Franco Zefferelli's version of Romeo and Juliet is superior because of the location, actors, costumes, and time period. First, the 1967 version takes place in Verona, where the play actually takes place, and the streets and building all look very accurate and beautiful. Additionally, the lead actors are very stunning in skill and appearance, and all the actors are excellent at their craft. They really seem to be the characters they are playing. The costumes, furthermore, appear to be accurate, and are so elaborate and gorgeous that they really transport the audience. Finally, the drama is set during the time it is supposed to take place, so the language and behavior seems very believable. Overall, Zerferrelli's version is superior to all other versions of Shakespeare's great play because it seems so accurate, and features such skilled and beautiful actors.