The Essay in English/History - Typical structure and a discussion of differentiation

In both of my teachable subjects (English/History) I believe that the essay is the predominant writing form. In English the essay is the basic format through which students engage with their readings and express their thoughts about a given topic. In History the essay is used to develop historical narrative by building on evidence they have gathered. In both subjects, there is a standard structure required for the essay, which I would describe as the following:

1. Introduction

Hook – grab the reader’s attention

Funnel approach (general toward the specific)

Thesis statement

Enunciation of the structure/plan in the body of the essay (first we will discuss… then we will… finally)

2. Body

Composition of the body can vary depending on the topic and approach taken by the student.

I would suggest below:

a. 3 main points with 2-3 supporting arguments

Depending on the student’s level of apprehension of a subject, the format could be modified accordingly. For instance if the student only has 2 main points to make, then the body would be adjusted accordingly and if possible they could work to provide more supporting arguments if necessary.

b. I would suggest that they argue both sides of an issue (for/against) and then provide a brief synthesis of each point before proceeding to the next element of the body.

c. Students would be encouraged to incorporate citations in their essays as a way to build their arguments towards their stated thesis.

3. Conclusion

A complete synthesis of the body is made.

The thesis is restated and affirmed.

An opening to further thought can be provided.

I would try to convey this structure of the essay as a living organism which needs all its parts in order to function properly. 

Differentiating instruction:

To support differentiation of instruction in writing the essay I would introduce students to the 6+1 traits of “good” writing. I would teach the students about the various aspects discussed therein (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation). Then I would provide them with the continuum so that they may self-assess their writing abilities in each of these categories. To compliment this I would set up student-teacher conferences as well as peer-to-peer feedback sessions. The focus of these sessions would be to focus instruction on one key weakness so that they may develop effective strategies in order to address these.

One of the principal needs for students with learning disabilities would be to implement effective Planning, production, and revision techniques. For “good” writing to emerge, students must have effective organization. It was noted that planning was often overlooked by students with learning disabilities just as their revision techniques often came down to proofreading rather than a critical analysis of their final product.

To address these needs, I would develop mini-lessons tailored on the needs of the students (as determined by their self-assessments and my assessment of the class as a whole). As needed, methods for planning would be discussed (graphic organizers: fishbone, mind maps) and students would be encouraged to use them for the planning process in order to focus their ideas. Additionally, given the challenge in text production, students would be taught the various conventions of the texts they would be assigned to write; checklists would be provided so that they may ensure that they are meeting all the expectations. It is important for students to know the direction and work with this goal in mind.

Given some students do not put the effort into the writing task, this motivational barrier could be curbed by showing students the value of writing and the ability for improvement. If they can see their writing ability progress, they will be more apt to develop the craft. Most importantly of all would be to develop authentic writing tasks that speak to the students interest; if the passion can be ignited then the students will develop a passion for the power of the written word.