“A
Time I Learned Something” Essay
1. Write an essay on “A Time I Learned
Something.” Tell about a specific
event or time in your life where you learned an important life lesson, and then
explain how it changed you.
2. Maybe one of these
thesis statements (or something
similar) would work for you:
- When I was fifteen, I learned an important lesson about _________. (gossip, safety, etc.)
- When I broke my leg, I learned what a true friend really is.
- Last summer, I learned an important lesson about not judging people
unfairly.
- This past Christmas, I learned that being selfish doesn’t make you happy.
- Never lie to your parents—believe me! I found out the hard way.
- At work one day I learned that the way I treat people makes a
difference in the way they treat me.
- When my brother got hurt, I realized that life is just too short to argue.
- Because of my VB coach, I learned that if I work hard, I can do almost anything.
- When I started school this fall, learned a tough lesson about what
it means to not take myself so seriously.
- Last summer I learned that if I am lazy, I will regret it.
- When my grandfather died, I learned how important it is not take anyone for granted.
- Did you know that the most important things in life can’t be bought with money?
2. Make an outline for your essay. (7
pts.) You might want your three body
paragraphs to be about these topics:
I. INTRODUCTION
II. Before
(What was I like before it
happened?)
III. During (Tell the story of what
happened.)
IV. After (How did this experience change me?)
V. CONCLUSION
3. Your essay should
be double spaced, font size 12, Arial or New Times Roman.
4. Your essay will be
evaluated using the Six Traits of Writing Rubric below:
SIX
TRAITS OF WRITING RUBRIC
- Ideas (Your
creative thoughts about the topic.) – 6 pts.
- Organization (Make
sure you have and introduction, body, & conclusion.) – 6 pts.
- Voice (Let
your personality show in your writing.
Let the reader feel your emotions and convictions.) – 6 pts.
- Word Choice
(Be very specific. Say it in your
own, unique way. Use a thesaurus.)
– 6 pts.
- Sentence Fluency (Vary your sentence beginnings.
Some sentences should be long and some short for emphasis. They should flow together.) – 6 pts.
- Conventions and Presentation (Use correct spelling, punctuation,
grammar, etc.)– 10 pts.
TOTAL = 40 pts.
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A TIME I LEARNED SOMETHING
Thesis: I learned a valuable lesson about life when ________________.
I. INTRODUCTION
II. Before (What was I like before it happened?)
A. Supporting idea
B. Supporting idea
C. Supporting idea
D. Supporting idea
E. Closing sentence
III. During (Tell the story of what happened.)
A. Supporting idea
B. Supporting idea
C. Supporting idea
D. Supporting idea
E. Closing sentence
IV. After (How did this experience change me?)
A. Supporting idea
B. Supporting idea
C. Supporting idea
D. Supporting idea
E. Closing sentence
V. CONCLUSION
