About Canyon, Texas

Essay Assignment #1 To help you get started on your 1st essay here are some Guidelines: Due: 8 a.m., Monday, October 15th, Week 4. Length: 3 full pages in size 12 font, Times New Roman. Read As Background: "Once More to the Lake" Narrowed Subject: A place you were at during your childhood that you returned to as an adult. Slant of the THESIS STATEMENT: Choose one of the following and place it at the end of your first paragraph of introduction. 1. Things had changed much when I returned as an adult to Rusk, Tx . 2. Things had not changed much when i returned as an adult to Rusk, Tx . *I've already written some because I had to show that I was working on it so if its possible to work with it would be appreciated. "Growing up, my family and I used to travel to Rusk, a small rural town in East Texas, each year for a family reunion. It was an exciting ordeal as a kid, to have a long car ride, lots of food and games, getting to explore unfamiliar places. As I got older the trips decreased but each time we return the place remains nearly unchanged. " Description of the Essay: Paragraph 1: Introduction. You will provide the readers of your essay with some background information. Who, what, when, and why? Who were you with in this place as a child. What were you doing in this place as a child? When were you at this place (years) as a child and when (year) did you return? Where exactly is the place located that you are writing about. We cannot take for granted that our readers are familiar with the subject of our essay which in this case is a place. Description of the Essay: Body Topic Paragraphs Each paragraph you add after the 1st introductory paragraph will bring forward examples of your THESIS STATEMENT. These examples will convince your reader that, yes, what you state in your THESIS STATEMENT that--- Things really did change (if you selected "change" as your THESIS STATEMENT "slant") ---or---- These examples will convince your reader that, yes, what you state in your THESIS STATEMENT has merit. Things really did not change (if you selected "change" as your THESIS STATEMENT "slant"). Some Topics for writing about in describing the return to a place might include: sports & recreation facilities schools shopping centers roads/ highways medical facilities entertainment the neighborhood you were in your family your friends Each one of these TOPICS will form a paragraph about that TOPIC and that TOPIC alone. Do not make a mistake of discussing "sports and recreation facilities" in the "medical facilities" paragraph. In other words, each paragraph gets its own TOPIC. Description of a Topic Paragraph: 1. A topic paragraph begins with a TOPIC SENTENCE. This TOPIC SENTENCE clearly states the TOPIC of the paragraph and connects this TOPIC with your THESIS "slant" that "things have/ have not" changed. Decide that "things have changed/ or have not changed" and then stick to your choice IN EVERY TOPIC PARAGRAPH. Remember this rule--- When a topic changes in an essay a new paragraph begins. 2. You need 2 examples of your TOPIC in each paragraph. 3. For each EXAMPLE of a TOPIC you need 2 DETAILS of each EXAMPLE. here is an example of a Topic paragraph for an essay on when I returned to my birthplace, Canyon, Texas, as an adult. When I returned to Canyon, Texas the road system had completely changed. For instance, there was now a massive freeway through the city (example 1). This freeway had both a loop around the city (detail 1) and an 6 way interchange in the middle of town which both were total changes since I grew up there. Also, the roads were much wider than the two lane roads of my childhood (example). Now, when I returned as an adult, I realized that the roads were made up of 4 lane roads inside town (detail) and 6 lane roads on the loop around the city. How many Topic Paragraphs will I need for Essay #1? You will need as many Topic Paragraphs as necessary to make your case that your THESIS STATEMENT is true as well as you will need enough Topic Paragraphs to fill up 3 full pages, as assigned. This number is usually 5-7 depending on the number of examples and the number of details you provide in each Topic Paragraph. Description of the Essay Conclusion: Restate your THESIS STATEMENT in your Concluding Paragraph. Also, give us any personal reflections of what the subject and slant of your THESIS STATEMENT suggests to you about your past or future.