Tuesday afternoon, April 3, 2012

Greetings,
below you will find a copy of the Out of Class Essay Assignment #3 that was assigned in class on Monday. You will also find the sample paragraphs we read and discussed regarding Essay 3. See you tomorrow.


English 1A, Spring 2012
C. Fraga, Instructor
Course Theme: The Significance of Home

Out of Class Essay Assignment #3

Assigned: Monday, April 2
Rough Draft due (optional) no later than Wednesday, April 18
Due: Wednesday, April 25

TOPIC: What are the ‘ingredients’ for a successful marriage?


A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. (Mignon Mclaughlin)

Marriage is not just spiritual communion, it is also remembering to take out the trash. (Joyce Brothers)

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong admit it;
Whenever you're right shut up. (Ogden Nash)

Assignment: Even with the current high divorce rate in the United States, couples continue to choose marriage as a way of life. Most couples marry with the intention and confidence that their marriage will be successful and will last forever.

Write an essay in which you explore the ingredients (or elements) required for a marriage to be successful and long lasting. Focus on a minimum of four ingredients/elements.

Conduct research and talk/interview those who you feel might have some helpful, interesting and relevant opinions and experience with this topic.

The most important thing to remember about this essay is that you will need to be very SPECIFIC. Avoid rambling and using mostly vague terms. Your essay will benefit from specific examples from professionals as well as interviewees.

Suggestions for people to interview: your parents; your grandparents; relatives; siblings; teachers; neighbors; marriage counselors, etc.

Information/opinions about what constitutes a successful marriage is quite simple to locate. I spent only 20 minutes doing a cursory search on the Internet and found many intriguing articles.

Your Game Plan:
1. Research and read read read as much as you can about the topic.
2. Interview at least three people about this topic.
3. From your research, reading and interviews select the four elements YOU feel are the MOST ideal and necessary ingredients for a successful, lasting marriage.
4. Write your thesis statement—an assertion based on your findings.
5. Plan the organization of your essay.
6. Write your essay.
7. Proofread and edit very carefully and thoroughly.


Reminders:
• Follow MLA format.
• Double space entire essay.
• Must have in text citations and a Works Cited page.
• Use 12 pt., Times New Roman
• Use at LEAST three outside resources and at LEAST information from three interviews. In other words, these six minimum resources will be found on your Works Cited page as well as cited within your essay.


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English 1A
C. Fraga

Sample introduction paragraph based on the prompt for Out of Class Essay #3


My Uncle Bill was a very formidable man with a rather booming voice and a lust for life. The thing I remember most about him is the way he acted whenever he was near his wife, my Aunt Vangie. Although I was only a child, I could still see how much he adored her; everyone noticed it. When he told a joke, he always looked at her first to be sure she was laughing. He brought her a glass of lemonade before he served anyone else. He complimented her about what she wore and he held her hand when they walked together. When my oldest sister got married, Uncle Bill toasted the couple at the wedding reception and announced that the key to a lasting and happy marriage entailed just being nice to each other.
Although my Uncle Bill’s seemingly simple advice might appear too obvious, many couples today might benefit from his instructive words. Currently, nearly half the marriages in the United States end in divorce (Donaldson 2). Marriage counselors, TV talk show hosts, married couples, divorced couples and religious leaders all seem to have an opinion about what constitutes a successful marriage. After researching the apparent secret to a successful marriage, four main ingredients, or elements, seemed the most logical and sensible. The most important elements of a lasting marriage are: respect, kindness, communication, and devotion.