5.5.14

Body Paragraph/Analysis/TLC Practice:


 * Body Paragraph:**


 * Step 1: Identify focus for the paragraph. Ask yourself: What will I prove in this paragraph and how does it help to explain my thesis. A topic sentence should include a reference to the device/traits you’re analyzing and why it/they are important. This should be very specific.**


 * Weak: Odysseus is a strong man and has emotions.**


 * Stronger: Odysseus’ emotional strength helps him.**


 * Strongest: Odysseus’ emotional strength helps him overcome temptations that threaten to distract him from achieving his pivotal goal of making it home.**


 * Step 2: Gather Quotes**

“A fatal plan, but it won my shipmates over. They loosed a sack and all the winds burst out and a sudden squall struck and swept us back to sea, wailing, in tears, far from our own native land. And I woke up with a start, my spirit churning—should I leap over the side and down at once or grit my teeth and bear it, stay among the living? I bore it all, held firm, hiding my face, clinging tight to the decks while heavy squalls blasted our squadron back again to Aeolus’ island, shipmates groaning hard” (10. 51-61)


 * Step 3: Return to topic sentence. What part of this quote will __best__ support the claim I make in it?**


 * Step 4: TLC!**


 * Tag:**


 * Lead:**


 * Citation:**
 * for an epic poem, you use the book number and the line numbers in the following format: (10. ).**


 * Put it all together:**
 * Step 5: Isolate words within quotes that need “unpacking” to prove/support argument. Unpacking a quote is like taking things out of a suitcase—you’re pulling a shirt or pants out and telling your reader why this is important to the overall collection. You’re explaining the steps your brain used to pick this quote as an essential part of your big ideas.**

1) The use of the phrase _________________________ is key because it reveals _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________.

2) It is significant that Homer shows/describes Odysseus as ___________________________ because it makes the reader know that _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

3) Since Odysseus is _________________________, the reader knows that he _________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.


 * Step 6: Transition into “so what” territory. Discuss why these observations are important for the reader to understand—what do they teach us or reveal to us?**
 * What does (this idea) reveal about the text or author’s goals?
 * What bigger ideas or over-aching ideas does this make me understand?
 * What does (this idea) make the reader understand?

EX:

HW: At this point, you should be done with your Introduction, topic sentences, and have evidence for body paragraph #1. For homework, please write you first body paragraph for next class.