Tuesday afternoon, February 15. 2011

Hello,

below is a copy of the handout I distributed in class on Monday. It is a sample intro paragraph and first supportive paragraph for out of class essay 1.

and thank you to the person who left the valentine rose on the podium yesterday!
hope all of you had a memorable day...:-)

Dave Matthews

Prof. Fraga

English 1A, 1

1 October 2010


Lessons of Home

Much has been written about the importance of reading to young children beginning from the moment they are born. In fact, many parents insist that starting the pattern of reading aloud to one’s child should begin while the child is still in the womb. Besides for the need to expose young people to books and the joys of reading in their early years, the subject matter of these books should also be considered as significant. Exposing children to a wide variety of topics certainly aids in feeding their imaginations. For example, the theme of home is found in hundreds of children’s picture books and it is a compelling theme that invites a wide variety of approaches and sensibilities.
Beloved children’s author, Beatrix Potter, wrote about a little rabbit who ventures away from home, gets into mischief, and when he arrives back home, is exhausted and ill and falls directly to sleep. Certainly young listeners learn about right and wrong and what happens when a parent’s words are not heeded. Yet, even though Peter knows his mother will be disappointed in his behavior, he still wants to go home. Potter suggests that home is a safe place, away from Mr. McGregor. Potter writes, “Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir tree. He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole and shut his eyes” (27). David Jorgensen’s pastel and watercolor illustrations depict Peter as content and rather relieved as he sleeps on the floor, and later in his bed. Peter is out of harm’s way at home and he is obviously loved by his mother, who feeds him chamomile tea to soothe his upset stomach and tucks him into bed. Potter’s message about home is very clear and very comforting for children to learn: home should be a safe and forgiving place of solace and love.


THIS IS A SAMPLE ESSAY: INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH AND FIRST SUPPORTIVE PARAGRAPH ONLY.