Planning for Literacy Essay

Using Ideas from the Assignment Sheet

Idea #1: Start with one of our reading selections

"For example, Frederick Douglass, as we’ve seen, valued literacy as a way to overcome his condition of slavery. Meanwhile, the ruling class of the slave-holding society he lived in used literacy to maintain its position of domination over slaves. If you chose this direction, you might think about how literacy in school and/or out of school has helped you to be free or has been used by others against you, or both."

So then brainstorm:

• How literacy in school has helped you to be "free"
• How literacy out of school has helped you to be "free"
• How literacy has been used against you by others

Then, use the ideas discovered in your brainstorming to begin to shape your first draft.

Example #2: Start with an example main idea (thesis statement)

“Literacy has freed me to consider other people’s viewpoints fairly."

So then brainstorm:

• What are experiences you've had -- with reading and writing -- which have led you to consider other people's viewpoints?
• How has literacy helped you to consider these viewpoints fairly?

Then, use the ideas discovered in your brainstorming to begin to shape your first draft.

Example #3: Start with another example main idea (thesis statement)

“Literacy has freed me to develop myself in a number of directions.”

So then brainstorm:

• How has literacy taken you in a number of different directions?
• How have these directions "freed you"?

Then, use the ideas discovered in your brainstorming to begin to shape your first draft.

Questions?