The Informative and Surprising Essay

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The Informative and Surprising Essay
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Information, Information, Information
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So whats your motivation?

• Immediate Need for Information
• Curiosity About a Subject

Not Thesis Driven!!
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3 Motivation Surprise Me!

• Brings new surprising info. to reader
• Reader does not necessarily need to know
• Reader must be hooked right away
• Use Surprise Reversal Strategy

THESIS
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Many People Believe X (common view), But I am
going to show Y (new, surprising view)
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Surprise Reversal Strategy

• Spurs Writer to go beyond Commonplace thinking in
  an attempt to Change the readers view of a topic
  by contrasting the original (common) view with
  your new and surprising view TENSION
• Notes
• Youre not debating (common view is not
  necessarily wrong)
• You do not have to be an expert, just know more
  than your reader
• Not everyone in your audience will be surprised
  by your information

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The Guidelines

• Essay 3 The Informative Essay Ethnography Style

An ethnography is a portraita description of a
particular human situation, practice, or group as
it exists (or existed) in a particular time, at a
particular place, etc.
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Brainstorming

• Write a list of all the communities you belong to
  (campus, neighborhood, religious, political,
  ethnic, educational, environmental, etc.)
• What are some of the typical misconceptions the
  general public has of these groups?