CHANEL ADAMSKATHERINE BULL

CHRIS CACACEMOLLY GENTZEL

Bridging the Gap BetweenHigh School and College

The Five-Paragraph Essay

A template for an essay consisting of five paragraphs – an introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. Introduction – Contains an attention grabber, a thesis

statement and a transitional sentence into the next paragraph. Body Paragraphs – Each is dedicated to part of the argument

made in the thesis. Must have supporting details for each argument and flow into each other with transitional sentences.

Conclusion – Restate your argument, summarize your points. End by connecting your essay to a more abstract idea.

Essay mostly taught and used in middle/high school.Good for short, timed writing (SATs, AP exams), but

isn't up to snuff for extended college papers.

Why It Doesn’t Work

Attempts to unite all subjects under one style of writing, while each subject is dynamic and requires different styles, e.g. a history paper about the War of 1812 is going to be written much differently from an English paper comparing/contrasting two novels.

Too constricting – There shouldn't be a set of rules that every essay must follow, writing constantly changes under different circumstances.

Argument becomes stale and repetitive if the reader can spot a trend in it – Say what you are going to say, say it, and say you've said it.

Too short – College papers which require 10-15 pages of writing will look too cookie-cutter. People are trapped by the five paragraph limit.

The Meaning of Analysis

College writing is held to a higher analytical standard

“The students haven’t sufficiently thought through the topic or issue, and they haven’t developed ‘interesting, original ideas’” (Hjortshoj 57).

Students are not only expected to understand the material they are writing about, but to come up with their own ideas it and/or connect it with another text or theory

The Thesis Statement

“many students ‘don’t have a clear thesis’ or they ‘don’t pose and answer a real question.’” (Hjortshoj 57).

Good thesis statement leads to better analysis

Ask the mentee to “pick a claim” and support it

simply ask them in words what their point is, or what question they want to be answered in their essay

Methods for Mentoring

The high school mentees may not developmentally be able to analyze texts as they will be expected to do in college or they may lack the motivation to do so because their teachers do not expect that of them

Assist the student is “bridging the gap” between high school and college level analysis has potential to improve their writing and lessen the shock during the transition to college writing

suggest a prewriting method (outline, note taking, Venn diagram, etc)

“in general, teachers view the typical [high school] student paper to be comparable to a rough draft that needs further thought, development, revision, and editing” (Hjortshoj 57).

Writing Styles and Subject Matter

Professors will have different expectations depending on the subject of the course

Best way to determine the professor’s expectations is to pay close attention to the assignment sheet and ask questions

Common Differences in Paper Styles

First person pronounsPassive voiceCitation stylesAudience – informed or uninformed?Language – technical or descriptive?

High School Junior Paragraph

Similarly, in Like Water for Chocolate, Mama Elena also advocates family tradition, as she maintains that the youngest daughter, Tita, must look after her mother until her mother’s death and must never marry. “‘If he intends to ask for your hand, tell him not to bother. He’ll be wasting his time and mine too…being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die’” (Like Water for Chocolate pg. 10).Mama Elena ardently intends to uphold the tradition by giving Tita a solemn ultimatum regarding her future. Through this example, it is learned that family tradition inhibits the expression of individuality and freedom to choose who to love and marry. Mama Elena serves as the primary symbol for old-fashioned and cruel cultural traditions. Together, Yaye Khady and Mama Elena exemplify the power that culture and tradition exert over relationships and love.

College Student Paragraph

In Like Water for Chocolate, Mama Elena also enforces family tradition, maintaining that her youngest daughter Tita must look after her mother until her mother’s death and never marry. Mama Elena insists that Tita remain celibate and unmarried, as she explains to her that “being the youngest daughter means you have to take care of me until the day I die” (Like Water for Chocolate pg. 10). Mama Elena intends to uphold this tradition through this solemn ultimatum she gives Tita, and consequently family tradition become the primary repressor of Tita’s individuality and freedom to choose love and marriage. Symbolizing antiquated and cruel family traditions, Yaye Khady and Mama Elena stand as testaments to the power that culture and tradition exert over relationships and love.