Major Reading Project Heuristic
In order to plan a good essay, a series of questions often helps to organize thoughts and ideas. By following the heuristic below, you will be able
to write a well-planned essay about your Major Reading Project. These questions are not to be listed and then answered!
The writing project must be written in paragraph form, and there must be five paragraphs in your essay. You will be writing a descriptive essay that
describes important parts of the story. You may use the questions below to assist you, or you may develop your own questions to write your essay.
However, you are required to turn in a well-developed five-paragraph essay about the book you choose to read.
Should you have any questions
about this assignment, please ask Mrs. Wishart for assistance.
This assignment must be turned in prior to taking the final exam.
For other heuristics and lists of questions that can help you with all of your writing assignments for Reading and English courses, you may decide to visit some of the sites listed below:
The questions below are recommended to guide your writing for this assignment:
- In the introduction:
- make certain to identify the title and author of the book
- provide a thesis statement that states what the next three paragraphs will cover. The thesis should explain that the paper will discuss the main character of the story,
the main problem of the story, how the problem occurs, and how the problem is solved
- In paragraph #2:
- describe the main character; explain what you think of the main character and why you feel that way
- In paragraph #3:
- explain the main problem that occurs in the story
- why is this issue a problem?
- for whom is it a problem?
- In paragraph #4:
- If there was one particular character or one circumstance that caused the problem, explain the relationship between that character/circumstance
and the problem
- explain if and how the main problem is solved.
- explain if the problem and solution are meant to teach the reader and lesson. State what the lesson to be learned is.
- In the conclusion:
- describe what you liked most about the book
- describe what you liked least about the story
- explain what your lasting impression will be of the book
- explain whether or not you would recommend this book to someone else to read and why or why not
- restate the thesis is a creative way.
Also note: the paper should be written in present tense. Whenever writing about literature write as if the story is being written right now.