What does it mean to be a good citizen?

Citizen: an inhabitant of a city or town; especially : one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman (Websters Dictionary) All one has to do to be a citizen of a town is inhabit, or live in it. If you live in the town, you are naturally afforded the rights and privileges of a citizen of that town. The question that remains isIf you live in a town and are afforded the freedoms and privileges of that town, what can you do to make the town a better place for all?

It is easy to live in a city and not make an impact on it. People do it every day. They wake up, eat breakfast, go to work or school, come home, eat dinner, watch TV, go to bed and do it all over again the next day. How can we be different? How can we find ways to express ourselves and provide meaning to our lives? One answer lies in good citizenship. Citizenship is a broad word, and can mean many things. People throw around the terms good citizen and positive contribution to society all of the time without really understanding what they mean. One persons idea of what citizenship means can vastly differ from anothers. Moreover, a persons idea of citizenship will vary depending on where they fall in the Freedom Box quadrant. One person might think being a responsible citizen means instituting government programs to help individuals; however, another may feel citizenship means less government in the lives of the people. Your first writing unit will focus on the question of what it means to be a good citizen. Additionally, you will learn how to write a Mel Con paragraph and become familiar with the College Readiness Skills of Main Idea and Supporting Details.

Definition of a Citizen
Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Be sure to think about your answers before you write them down. 1. What is YOUR definition of a citizen?

2. What does citizenship mean to you?

3. Tell of a time when you exemplified good citizenship.

4. Why it is important as a community to be good citizens?

Peer Analysis/Evaluation
Writers name: _______________________________________________ Evaluators name:____________________________________________ 1. Underline the main idea. (remember, it can be more than 1 sentence) 2. What is the KEY WORD in the main idea in which the writer must LINK his/her evidence?

3. Find and list at least two of the writers transitions:

4. Does the writer have a good CON statement at the end? Underline it. 5. Are there any assumptions made or evidence used that isnt true? List it here:

6. What is one thing the writer did well? 7. What confused you or do you think needs to be improved? 8. Did the writer follow the guidelines for writing a good MEL-Con paragraph? (check one) ______ Excellent ______ Good ______ Fair ______ Still needs work

Below is for teacher use only Is peer editing sheet filled out thoroughly? If yes, add 5 points to editors essay _____ yes _____ no

A STRONG Mel-Con paragraph

Directions
Read the following example. There is an abbreviation after each type of sentence in the paragraph. Follow the key at the end for an explanation of each type of sentence and why each sentence is effective. One aspect that exemplifies good citizenship is community (TS). The first example of community is sharing with one another. When people in a town or city are willing to share their possessions, time and money with one another it shows that they are committed to the well being of others (EV). Sharing also promotes a sense of bonding and unity among a group and serves a vital purpose in fostering community (EV). Another aspect of community is spending time with members of your community (EV). Members of the community are not only neighbors and friends, but family members too (EV). Spending time with community members is precious, but rare in todays busy society (EV). When a group gathers together for food, music or just to hang out it strengthens the groups relationship (EV). The goal of life is not about acquiring money or possessions; it is about building relationships with others (EV). Taking time out of your busy day to do so helps achieve this (EV). Sharing and spending time with loved ones are examples of good citizenship because they illustrate elements of a strong community (L). When people share and spend time with each other it shows that they care about each other (L). Caring for others is at the heart of community, or good citizenship (L). So, when the topic of good citizenship is discussed, dont forget that the secret lies in community (Con).

TS = Topic Sentence The first sentence should be your topic sentence in a Mel-Con paragraph. It should tell you what the rest of the paragraph will be about. We know that the paragraph will focus on one aspect of citizenship: community. The topic sentence also uses a strong verb, exemplifies, which is better than a be verb. EV = Evidence The sentences labeled EV are the evidence that supports the main idea. Evidence can come in the form of facts, reasons, statistics, or personal anecdotes. Each Mel-Con paragraph should have at least two pieces of evidence to support the main idea. Notice in this paragraph there are eight sentences of evidence to support the main idea. If a students Mel-Con paragraph fails it is usually in the evidence department. Many writers fail to develop their evidence sentences and limit their support to only one, two, or three sentences. Also, your evidence should contain transition words to signal to the reader that you are changing gears or moving on. One example, and another example serve as transitions in the above paragraph. Remember, the evidence section of your Mel-Con paragraph should be well developed and thoroughly support your main idea. L = Link The sentences labeled L serves as the links in the paragraph. The link portion of your paragraph tells how your evidence supports your main idea. The link is the toughest part of the Mel-Con paragraph, and is the place where most students have difficulty. Up until now the writer does not have to think too much to put together the paragraph. Granted, you need a focused topic sentence and developed evidence to support it, but the link is where the writer can strut his or her stuff. The link is the place where the writer shows that she knows what she is talking about because she can explain how the evidence supports the main idea. Notice how the link in this paragraph is not limited to one sentence, but three. Mastering the link portion requires thought and practice, but is vital to the success of a MelCon paragraph. Con = Conclusion This is the concluding sentence of the paragraph. This sentence should wrap up your paragraph. Briefly

review for the audience what you wrote about in the paragraph. If possible, leave the audience with a memorable thought or lighthearted piece of advice. Notice the concluding sentence in this paragraph summarizes what the paragraph is about while playfully reminding the audience that sharing and spending time together are aspects of community.

A WEAK Mel-Con Paragraph

Directions
Read the following example. There is an abbreviation after each type of sentence in the paragraph. Follow the key at the end for an explanation of each type of sentence and why each sentence is ineffective. An aspect of good citizenship is community (TS). Sharing with one another can be considered good citizenship (EV). Sharing time, money, and possessions illustrate good citizenship. Spending time with members of ones community fosters community relations. (EV). These examples show good citizenship because this is what people in a good community do (L). If you are trying to be a good citizen dont forget these two aspects (Con). TS = Topic Sentence This is not a terrible topic sentence because it tells the reader that the paragraph will be about community aspect of citizenship. The writer uses the be verb is which should be substituted for a stronger verb. EV = Evidence The evidence that supports the main idea is limited to two sentences. Remember, the effective paragraph had eight sentences of support and the weak paragraph only has two. This is a red flag that the evidence in this paragraph is probably sparse and underdeveloped. The evidence also lacks transitions, which are vital to an effective paragraph. Dont forget to develop your evidence; it is better to write too much rather than too little.

L = Link The link is only one sentence and is undeveloped. It does not effectively show how the evidence supports the main idea and is vague. Show your audience that you know your stuff by clearly explaining the link. Con = Conclusion The concluding sentence does not adequately summarize the paragraph or leave us with a memorable thought. Dont skimp on your concluding sentence.

Writing Instruction: How to Write a Mel-Con Paragraph

What is Mel-Con?
M= Main Idea (topic sentence) E= Evidence (support/examples/proof) L= Link (Explains how support proves the main idea) Con = Concluding sentence (summarizes main idea and evidence) Why should I care about Mel-Con? 1. Its a requirement of the school. So, you will have to use it in every class for the rest of your high school career. 2. It will help you become a better writer. 3. Most importantly, it helps you to become a clearer and more logical thinker. That is a skill that you will need for the rest of your life.

Applying Mel-Con Lets try answering the following question using Mel-Con: What does it mean to be a good citizen? MAIN IDEA: The first thing you need is a topic sentence. This sentence will answer the question or respond to the prompt. This sentence will always come FIRST. TRANSITION & EVIDENCE: The next thing you need is something that will support or prove your main idea, or evidence. What you can use as good evidence will depend on why you are writing the paragraph. A good MEL-Con paragraph will always have at least THREE pieces of evidence. All pieces of evidence should have a well-chosen transition. LINKS: The third thing you need is a link to go with each piece of evidence. Evidence and links are always coupled together. Links must fully explain how your evidence proves your main idea. One good link is always at least TWO SENTENCES LONG. If

you have three pieces of evidence in a paragraph, then you will have _____ links in one paragraph. CON: The final thing you need is a concluding sentence. This sentence should restate the main idea in a different way and include a summary of the evidence. You SHOULD NOT repeat the evidence and main idea word-for-word; YOU MUST SUMMARIZE. This sentence should also have a well-chosen transition. Your paragraph should include only ONE CONCLUDING SENTENCE. Total it up: At least how many sentences should be in a basic MEL-Con paragraph? 11 sentences Note: A good Mel-Con paragraph will have 12-15 sentences because the links are usually longer.

Guided Practice: Identifying the Aspects of a Mel-Con Paragraph

Read the following Mel-Con paragraph and determine its parts. Underline the main idea (in blue or black ink) Put a box around transitions Highlight evidence/examples Underline the links using a colored ink or highlighter Circle the concluding statement The kids of the 1990s are definitely smarter than the kids of the 1950s. The first statistic to support this idea is a chart created by the U.S. Department of Education which shows ACT scores of kids in 1959 and in 1999. The average score in 1959 was 18.6 and in 1999 it was 21.2. This statistic clearly shows an increase in standard test scores. The ACT is a good measure of a students capabilities and the increase of scores between 1959 and 1999 of 2.2 means the kids in 1999 know more on the same exact test, making them smarter. Another statistic that supports this statement is also from the same chart. The chart shows that over 80% of all females now

attend college in 1999. In 1959, less than 40% went to college. This means that overall, more kids total are going to college. Because more are going, it only makes sense that overall kids in 1999 are smarter than in 1959. The chart shows that more kids are finishing school instead of working or having children. This information is another indication that kids are smarter. When more kids are going to school in 1999 for more time, it can only mean that they would have more education. The extra time has to mean that they will automatically be smarter from more exposure. There is not question then that kids in 1999 are much smarter than kids in 1959 because they have higher ACT score, more girls are going to college, and the high school dropout rate has declined.