American Writing: Explore the Sites
(SAMPLE LESSON)
During this lesson, we will focus on the following goals:
1. Learn the basic five-paragraph essay structure with smooth transitions between
paragraphs.
2. Create a descriptive entry with attention to the senses.
3. Review common spelling rules.
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It was 1929. Even though the Great Depression had just hit the U.S., millionaire John J. Raskob
had a grand idea. If he could convince the architect, William Lamb, to design and build the
tallest building in the world, offices could be rented out, and jobs could be created. Plans must
be practical and efficient. Raskob wanted his project finished within two years so that he could
start turning a profit as soon as possible.
Lamb amazed the nation and the world. He strategically designed the building, while his
business partner, Richmond Shreve, set up the work schedule. Construction began on March
17, 1930. Everything moved like clock-work. In fact, at the busiest time of construction, over
3,000 laborers were working on the building per day! Temporary tracks were built on each
floor to move equipment and supplies to the workers, and young boys were hired to carry water
so that there would be fewer breaks in the day. During the project, Lamb even added extra
cafeterias into the building’s design to cut time for lunch breaks.
Lamb met Raskob’s goal well before the deadline. In just a little over one year, the project was
finished. The Empire State Building soared to a height of 1,250 feet – the tallest building in the
world at that time. Since then, this building has come to be a key symbol in New York City. It
has appeared in over 90 movies, including King Kong and Sleepless in Seattle. Although it no
longer holds the record for being the world’s tallest structure, the Empire State Building is still
visited by 4 million tourists each year.
Learning about the history and design of famous American landmarks is amazing. God has
given humans the potential to imagine, design, and construct new ideas, and our country has
been a hotbed of this creativity. Consider the following examples that dot the American
landscape:
- Eerie Canal - Hoosac Tunnel
- United States Capitol - Brooklyn Bridge
- Transcontinental Railroad - Hoover Dam
- Golden Gate Bridge - Cascade Tunnel
- U.S. Interstate Highway System - Sears Tower
For your assignment this week, choose one site or structure made in America. You can use the
suggestions above or think of your own. Before you write about that topic, gather some facts
and details surrounding its history, design, construction, and location. Addressing basic
questions like who, what, when, where, why, and how should help you flesh out your ideas,
especially if you map out your ideas first in prewriting. Such questions and other suggestions
are covered under the second step of the writing process on pages 7-8 of Basics.
When writing your response, don’t just dump the facts on your reader. Add descriptive details
to help your audience visualize this structure. Description appeals to the senses through taste,
touch, smell, sight, and sound, and strong, vivid details make an abstract idea more life-like
and believable. Show your readers what the cold steel feels like in mid-winter. Describe that
dizzy, sick sensation if were the one to walk out on the narrow beams with water for the
workers of the Empire State Building. As you can see, the more you put yourself into your
writing, the easier it will be to humanize your subject.
In other words, you might want to jump into the response this week as one of the key
characters. For example, if you had chosen the topic of the Empire State Building, you might
pose as the architect, the millionaire, a water-boy, a spectator, a modern-day tourist, or one of
the many workers – a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter, a bricklayer, a sheet metal worker,
an elevator installer, or a steelworker. As you can see, the possibilities are truly mind-boggling!
With so many different options, you have a wide variety of what to include in your response.
When you write, try to organize your ideas into a five-paragraph essay. If this is a stretch for
you, aim for a minimum of at least three. From this point on, though, our goal is to write at
least five paragraphs. Like our sandwich analogy from last week, there is a formula for writing
an essay. In the first paragraph, you want to introduce your topic. Show your readers the
direction of your paper with a thesis statement. This reminds you of your focus and serves as
the guiding force to steer your paper.
The body of your essay covers any paragraphs in the middle that explain and develop your
ideas. These include specific details, facts, quotes, analogies, and other supporting
information. Remember, though, that each paragraph within the body of your essay must
follow the main idea of your essay. If you become side-tracked on something unrelated to your
main idea, you’ll only confuse your readers. Stay the course, and keep your focus.
Finally, the conclusion ties all of the main points together. Don’t just repeat or rephrase your
introduction. Instead, highlight your main ideas and provide a “clincher” to offer a satisfying
closure. You can read more about the structure of an essay on pages 8-10 of Basics.
To make your writing easier this week, it’s always good to review common spelling rules,
especially as we begin the semester. I realize that most of us use spell-check on our
computers, but there may come a day when spell-check isn’t just a click away. Check out the
“Common Spelling Rules” under number 1 on page 24 in Basics. You might also be interested
in perusing the chart of “Frequently Misspelled Words” on page 30. From there, complete the
exercises at the end of this lesson. Be sure to include your answers when you send me your
essay.
I hope you enjoy a wonderful, sight-seeing week!
Happy writing!
- Mrs. Lee
Spelling Exercises
In this first section, send me the correct spelling of the following words:
1. judgement
2. cancelled
3. uneccessary
4. recieve
5. independance
In the next section, add a suffix to the following words.
6. manage
7. service
8. control
9. happy
10. marry