BRAINSTORMING

EXPLORE:
Where Do You Start?
Your Writing Description Possible Problem
Process
Step 1 Determine the type of Can not decide
essay whether a descriptive
essay and argument
essay would be more
appropriate
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
EXPLORE:
Where Do You Start?
Celebrities Deserve Their Large Salaries
Agree Disagree
- They bring in lots of money to - Doctors and scientists can help
the movie studios, so they should make the world better and save
get their fair share lives. Celebrities’ work is less
important and should earn less.
EXPLORE:
Supporting Details
Agree with Large Salaries
Example
They bring in lots of money to
the movie studios, so they
should get their fair share
Supporting Details
Paramount Pictures or Sony
Entertainment can make more
than 100 million $ on a movie.
A movie star brings the
audience to the box office.
George Clooney, Tom Hanks,
Meryl Streep. Shouldn’t they
receive a significant %?
EXPLORE:
Supporting Details
Disagree with Large Salaries
Example Supporting Details
Doctors and scientists can help Nothing is more important than
make the world better and save saving lives. Why shouldn’t the
lives. Celebrities’ work is less doctor who discovered the
important and should earn less. antiviral for HIV get $ millions?
Participate: Activity 1:
Prepared Examples
Directions: Brainstorm with a partner and come up with “prepared
example” topics you could use in an essay. Think of two topics in
each of the following categories: history, literature, and current
events. The topics should be broad so they can serve as flexible
examples for a standardized test essay.
1. Nelson Mandela
2. The French Revolution
3. Michael Phelps
Participate: Activity 2:
Examples and Themes
Directions: Look at the examples you and your partner chose in
Activity 1. Now list at least two themes that relate to each example. For
example, when discussing World War II, you could apply the themes of
courage, teamwork, loss, and tolerance, as well as many others.
1. Nelson Mandela: Fighting for a cause/ what is right despite
personal sacrifice and adversity.
2. French Revolution: Social injustice can lead to.
3. Michael Phelps: Setting goals and achieving them through
discipline and hard work.
Participate: Activity 3:
In Your Experience
Directions: Come up with two examples from your personal
experience. Discuss what themes these examples deal with, such as
loss, success, conflict resolution, honesty, or others.
1.
- Personal Example: Moving to Istanbul from Beverly Hills,
California.
- Theme: Taking risks and pushing beyond one’s comfort zone can
result in personal growth and development.
Participate: Activity 2:
Write a Thesis
Essay Prompt #4: Did Americans travel into space out of a sense of
discovery or due to competition with the Russians?

1. Discovery thesis:
 Sense of discovery – because Americans value proper and new
ideas.
2. Competition thesis:
- Americans always want to be No.1