Writing Essay 2

Throughout Hearts and Hands, Luis Rodriguez discusses problems plaguing todays young people and society as a whole. He also discusses the mistaken approaches parents and communities have been taking to address these problems and gives

Prompt:
For this essay, you are going to make connections between a problem that Luis Rodriguez identifies in Hearts and Hands and your own experiences either at LASC or in your community.

Prompt:
Then, you are going to propose a specific, realistic solution to this problem. For both the problem and the solution, you should be referring back to Hearts and Hands in order to provide specific textual support (with page numbers).

The Problem
Identifying a problem: Rodriguez discusses many problems that are affecting young people in Los Angeles and beyond. Pick the problem that most interests you and that you can connect to specific examples from your own life and observations. Explain how the problem that Rodriquez identifies is also a problem at either LASC or in your community by giving specific examples of people or events from your life that show this being a problem at LASC or in your community.

The Problem
Pay careful attention to Part One in the book because this is where Rodriguez details many problems affecting young people in America today.

The Problem
Use specific people to show that a problem Rodriguez writes about in Hearts and Hands is also a problem either at LASC or in your community.

The Solution
Proposing a solution: The other major part of this essay will involve proposing a possible solution to this problem. Make sure your solution in specific (go beyond Parents need to be more involved) and realistic given the circumstances.
Authority figures should be nicer. There should be a community center on every block.

The Solution
Then, make sure you show how your solution fits into Rodriguezs ideas about what needs to be done by using specific quotes/paraphrasing from the book (with page numbers). For example, if you decide to focus on Rodriguezs claim that part of what young people need is to feel like they have a creative outlet, show how your solution allows them that.

The Solution
You should also explain how you think this solution would help the person/persons you used as examples when writing about the problem. For example, if you write about a problem that affects your cousin Johnny, explain how you think the solution you are proposing could help Johnny.
Pay careful attention to the list of "human to human" principles Rodriguez discusses on page 134. Does your solution address one or more of these principles? Make sure to explain how.

The Introduction
When responding to a reading (as you are in this essay), make sure you introduce the author's entire name and the title of the text in your introduction and briefly state what the book is about. In Hearts and Hands, Luis Rodriguez talks about

Make sure that your thesis statement is directly responding to the prompt. Your thesis should state the problem you are focusing on and your proposed solution.

Body Paragraphs
You have many options when it comes to organizing your ideas into body paragraphs, but make sure that each body paragraph has a specific focus.

Here are some examples of how you could organize your ideas:
Example 1: - Introduction paragraph - One paragraph showing how a problem identified by Rodriguez is also a problem in your community, including specific examples - One paragraph explaining your proposed solution - One paragraph showing how your solution fits into what Rodriguez states is needed for healthy communities and how it could help the person/people you have talked about -Conclusion paragraph

Here are some examples of how you could organize your ideas:
Example 2: - Introduction Paragraph - One paragraph that Discusses/identifies a problem at LASC or in your community and give examples of specific people/situations to show this is a problem - One paragraph Explaining how this problem is related or the same as a problem Rodriguez identifies in Hearts and Hands - One paragraph that proposes a solution and explains how this solution fits Rodriguez's guidelines and would help the people you have identified -Conclusion Paragraph

 Take note of the issues you were having in Essay 1 so you can be sure to avoid those same issues in Essay 2 I encourage you to think about your problem and solution in a meaningful way. The more thought and care you take with this essay, the better your essay will be.