Literature

and the Language Arts

World Literature
Sample Guided Writing Lesson

THE EMC MASTERPIECE SERIES

EMCParadigm Publishing
St. Paul, Minnesota
 I N F O R M AT I V E W R I T I N G

in
“America has been
the
the best sense of
t,
term a melting po
ding
every element ad
ent
its particular elem WRITING A CAUSE AND EFFECT ESSAY
of strength. The As you walk into the lunchroom, the aroma of pizza greets you. It
of
constant infusion smells especially appealing today, so you wait in line impatiently,
riched
new blood has en hoping that there will still be some pizza left for you. Finally you
our cultural life, bite in and taste the piping hot melted cheese and the spicy
erial
speeded our mat pepperoni. Your lunch, whether you are aware of it or not, is based
uced
growth, and prod on a recipe brought to this country many years ago by Italian
st immigrants.
some of our able
merica Cultural diversity affects more than what you eat, however. You
statesmen. . . . A are probably aware that diverse cultural groups influence
d for
has demonstrate advertisements, computer games, music, art, and literature. What
es to
everyone with ey are some effects that awareness has had on your life?
ings
see that those th Television programs, magazines, and newspapers are also highly
les are
which unite peop aware of cultural diversity in America. One effect of that awareness
e
greater than thos is that they regularly feature interesting stories about various
, that
which divide them groups.
war is not the WRITING ASSIGNMENT. For this lesson, you will analyze some effects of
inevitable fate of the media’s awareness of cultural diversity or some effects of your
mankind.” own awareness of cultural diversity. Your writing will take the form
inger of an informative essay.
—Arthur Schles
An essay is a short nonfiction work that expresses a writer’s
thoughts about a single subject. The writer focuses the essay on a
single, controlling idea. An essay is usually organized into an
introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The aim of an informative
essay is to inform, not to persuade.
In this excerpt, Tammy, a tenth grade student, examines some of
the ways her Asian-American culture has affected America. As you
read the first two paragraphs of her essay, look for the effects that
she notes.

Student Model
EXAMINING THE MODEL. Tammy
starts her essay with an intro- “From Familiarity to Acceptance” by Tammy Cha
ductory paragraph that con-
tains the controlling, or cen-
The people who became the American Indians arrived via
tral, idea of her paper. Her
land bridges from Asia and, possibly, from Polynesia. Since
controlling idea is that each
cultural group has made that time, people have arrived from many lands and many
cultures. Each group has brought its cultural traditions and its
continued on page 775
unique perspectives. The contributions of each group are
important because they enrich the lives of all Americans.

774 W O R L D L I T E R AT U R E
 contributions that have
About fifty years ago, my grandparents emigrated from Asia to enriched the lives of all
this country. Like immigrants from many other countries, they Americans. In the first para-
were looking for economic opportunities. Since they strove to graph of the body of the essay,
learn English and be like other Americans, they gradually she explains that because her
became part of the American “melting pot.” They also tried to grandparents strove to learn
retain some of their distinct cultural traditions because those English and be like other
traditions were part of their identity. In order to preserve this Americans, they gradually
became part of the American
sense of identity, my grandmother told my father stories about
“melting pot.” She also notes
her life in China. Those stories were consequently passed on
that they wanted to retain
to me.
some of their distinct cultural
traditions because those tradi-
tions were part of their iden-
Prewriting tity. Tammy uses the words
FINDING YOUR VOICE. For this type of essay, you will need to use a
because, since, in order to, and
respectful, honest, and informed voice. Your voice also needs to be
consequently to show the cause
logical because you are analyzing the causes and effects of a given
and effect relationship.
event.
Look at the two examples below. Although each example contains
a cause and an effect, one of the examples is logical and the other is
not. Can you identify the logical example? Why is the other example
illogical?
Teenagers are lazy because most of them do not have a part-time
job.

When the economy is healthy, a lot of people are employed.

IDENTIFYING YOUR AUDIENCE. Your peers would be a good audience for
this essay. They will want to hear your perspective and think about
how it is similar to or different from their own. As you write,
consider the information that will be important to your audience,
keep their interest, and help them see the value in what you have
to say.
How can you tell a cause
WRITING WITH A PLAN. You may already know a specific effect of from an effect?
cultural awareness you can examine. John, for example, was aware A cause makes something
of one effect of the local newspaper’s interest in various cultures: happen. The effect is what
each week the food section featured recipes from a different ethnic happens.
group. He thought that he would write about that effect in his essay. Turning the volume of a
Carmen was aware of one effect that happened as a result of the radio up makes the music
1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act: louder. Turning the volume
museums started to return cultural items to American Indian tribes. up is the cause. The music
That effect, in turn, became a cause. Some of the returned artifacts getting louder is the effect.
are now presenting health problems to the tribes because of the Sometimes an effect
treatments that had been used to preserve the artifacts. Carmen also becomes a cause. For
planned to consider what new effects that could have on the tribes. example, the music getting
If you are still uncertain about which effect to write about, take louder might cause some-
some time to freewrite so that you generate several ideas. one to say, “Turn it down!”
Although some cause and effect essays start by examining an
effect and analyzing the cause, you will be starting this essay with
the cause (cultural awareness) and following with one or more
effects.
Remember that events that simply follow one another are often
not caused by the previous event. They might just happen to follow

GUIDED WRITING 775

Words that show cause and each other sequentially. The effects that you write about in this
effect relationships essay must not only follow each other, they must be a logical result
after this of the cause. Those effects, in turn, can cause other effects and
as a result create a cause-and-effect chain.
consequently Tammy filled in the graphic organizer below to help her analyze
if the cause and effect relationships.
in order that
since
so Student Model—Graphic Organizer
then Copy the graphic organizer onto your own paper. Fill in the
therefore organizer with the causes and the effects.
thus
while
Cause/Effect Chain

Cause: Americans’ awareness of diversity

Effect(s): Popularity of Chinese stone lanterns, calligraphy, Asian painting

and history classes, Asian meals

Cause: People become familiar and comfortable with new things.

Effect(s): Increased acceptance, tolerance, and enjoyment of unfamiliar

things

Cause:

y and
“In reality, societ
not
the individual are Effect(s):
ture
antagonists. Cul
provides the raw
material of which
their
individuals make
r,
lives. If it is meage
ers.
the individual suff
If it is rich, the
ance
individual has a ch
to rise to the
opportunity.”
—Ruth Benedict

776 W O R L D L I T E R AT U R E
Drafting Self- and Peer
Your essay should contain an introductory paragraph, several body Evaluation
paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. The introduction should After finishing your rough draft,
present the controlling idea, secure the reader’s interest, and lead you can do a self-evaluation of
into the body of the paper. The last sentence of the introductory your work. If time allows, you
paragraph should contain a transitional “hook” that moves the may want to get one or two
reader to the first paragraph of the body. peer evaluations. See the
Each paragraph in the body of the essay should contain one idea Language Arts Survey 1.14 for
of support for your controlling idea. The body paragraphs can be more details about self- and
organized in different ways. You could present your ideas in the peer evaluation. As you evaluate
order of their value. In other words, you could present your most your draft, ask yourself these
important cause and effect in the first paragraph, your next most questions:
compelling cause and effect in the second paragraph and so on. You
could also reverse the order and present your least compelling cause Introduction
and effect first and proceed to the strongest cause and effect in the • Can you clearly identify the
last paragraph. controlling idea? If not,
The conclusion should repeat your controlling idea and summarize why not?
your main points of support. It should also leave your reader • How does the introduction
thinking about what you have said. secure the reader’s
Use the information on your graphic organizer to guide you as interest?
you write the rough draft of your essay. Do not focus at this point • Does the introduction
on the details of spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics. You will contain a transition to the
fix those problems when you revise and proofread your draft. At the body paragraphs?
drafting stage, simply concentrate on getting your ideas down on Body
paper. • How does each body
After finishing the introduction to her essay (shown on page 774), paragraph support the
Tammy continued her essay with a number of paragraphs detailing controlling idea?
the influences of Asian-American culture on contemporary American • What cause and effect
life. Here is part of her draft. words illustrate the
relationships? What
additional cause and effect
Student Model—Draft words are needed to show
the relationships?
misplaced modifier • Are the cause and effect
As a modern American teenager, it is
watch slang relationships logical? Is
so cool to see the contributions that each effect truly a result of
each cause?
Asian Americans have made. Novelist Bette
Conclusion
Bao Lord, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, football
• Does the conclusion repeat
professional Eugene Chung, and film the controlling idea and
summarize the main points
producer Janet Yang have made awesome of support?
contributions that really rock. • Does the conclusion leave
the reader thinking about
It is clear to me that folks across its ideas?
America are hip to Asian culture. I know Do you Entire Essay
really want to mix informal
this because I see folks buying and with • Does the essay use formal
formal English? English?
decorating their gardens with those cool
Chinese stone lanterns. It’s neat the way
Chinese calligraphy is so popular. I

GUIDED WRITING 777

 Language,
Grammar,
and Style
Standard, Formal English
IDENTIFYING FORMAL ENGLISH.
Formal English is the type of
language that is appropriate
for school essays, newspapers
and magazine articles, some
literary works, oral or written
reports, and test answers.
Informal English is
appropriate when speaking
with a friend or writing
personal letters or notes. It is
used in some e-mails, some
newspapers and magazines,
and some types of creative
writing, especially those
including dialogue. Informal
English is enriched by
colloquialisms, dialect, and
slang, which provide color
and flavor. Informal English
allows grammatical
constructions that would not
be acceptable in formal
English. For more information,
see the Language Arts Survey
2.68, “Formal and Informal
English.”
Look at each situation
below. Explain if you should
use formal or informal English
in each situation.
1. You are interviewing for a
job.
2. You are speaking with a
good friend.
3. You are asking a teacher
for more time to complete
an assignment.
4. You are writing a personal
letter to a friend.
5. You are asking for a
refund at a store.
FIXING INFORMAL ENGLISH
ERRORS. Look at the following
examples from Tammy’s
rough draft. Try to identify
continued on page 779
778 W O R L D L I T E R AT U R E
notice that community colleges are
offering classes in Asian painting and
history. I know that many local Change—
American
restaurants are serving up restaurants adapt
menus based on traditional dishes
traditional Asian dishes. These
effects, in turn, cause people to
become familiar and comfortable with
something new. Carry cause and effect further here.
Part of who I am as an American is
due to my heritage. Part of who I am as
an American is due to the contributions
of many other cultures. I think it’s
change—make more formal
fantastic when we enrich each other’s
lives by sharing our cultural
More conclusive language here
traditions. Our cultural diversity in
America benefits everyone.
Revising and Proofreading
As you consider your self-evaluation and peer reviews, think
about the suggested changes. Which changes are needed to
make your essay clearly understood by your readers? Which
changes do you need to make to engage the reader and to help
him or her gain additional understanding? Make revisions
according to your decisions.
Next, proofread the copy for errors in spelling, grammar,
usage, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraph form. Use
formal English throughout your essay. See the Language Arts
Survey 1.16 for a proofreading checklist.
Student Model—Revised
As a modern American teenager, I am
aware of the contributions that Asian
Americans have made. Novelist Bette Bao
Lord, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, football
professional Eugene Chung, and film
producer Janet Yang are just a few
well-known Asian Americans who have
made significant contributions that
enrich American life.
It is clear to me that people across
America are aware of and interested in
Asian culture. I know this because I see
 several errors in formal
people buying and decorating their English. Explain how you
gardens with Chinese stone lanterns. I could remedy these flaws.
see the popularity of Chinese
calligraphy. I notice that community As a modern American
colleges are offering classes in Asian teenager, it is so cool to see the
painting and history. I know that many contributions that Asian-
local restaurants are serving menus Americans have made.
based on traditional Asian dishes. These
effects, in turn, cause people to become Novelist Bette Bao Lord,
familiar and comfortable with new cellist Yo-Yo Ma, football
things. The result of that effect is professional Eugene Chung,
increased acceptance, tolerance, and and film producer Janet Yang
enjoyment. have made awesome
Part of who I am as an American is contributions that really rock.
due to my heritage. Part of who I am as
an American is due to the contributions It is clear to me that people
of many other cultures. We enrich each across America are hip to Asian
other’s lives by sharing our cultural culture. I know this because I
traditions. As a result, our cultural see folks buying and decorating
diversity benefits everyone. their gardens with those cool
Chinese stone lanterns.

It’s neat the way Chinese

Publishing and Presenting calligraphy is so popular.
Write or print a final copy of your essay. You and your class-
mates may want to share your ideas and insights by reading USING FORMAL ENGLISH. Review
them to each other in your classroom. You may also want to your essay for instances of
create a book of essays for others to read. formal English and informal
English. Look carefully—
colloquialisms, slang, and
Reflecting jargon are often difficult to
The experience of logically analyzing a chain of causes and spot because they occur so
effects helps you grow as a writer and a thinker. One of the frequently in everyday
values of an informative essay is that you and your readers have language. Revise any
an opportunity to gain great insights. What have you learned instances of informal English
about yourself through this writing experience? What insights that you find. Make sure that
have you gained from your classmates’ essays? Were the effects you use standard, formal
you and your classmates noted logical results or were they English throughout your
simply events that sequentially followed one another? What essay.
new thoughts do you have about cultural diversity in America?

GUIDED WRITING 779