1. In the first paragraph, briefly introduce the Essay 2 assignment, using your own

words, and write about what you thought of it (difficult? confusing? interesting?

challenging?) and briefly why. And then, in a sentence, state your overall self-evaluation

about your performance on this essay. “I________________, because

I______________.” This will be your thesis.

2. [transition] In your 2nd paragraph, discuss whether and how effectively you

managed your time in the development of this essay. How could your essay have

improved with a better process? Did you manage to keep up with the class? do the

reading on time? meet with me or someone in the Writing Center? or practice prewriting

skills you learned in earlier classes or the first essay?

3. [transition] Discuss your experience reading Ragged Dick and “Paul’s Case” and the other resources. How did our approach to these works (looking at them comparatively, especially) compare to the approach you have followed in other English classes? Was it challenging? If so, how did you meet those challenges with specific strategies or in your group work in class? When you began writing, did you feel you understood what you were going to be analyzing and saying?

4. [transition] Were you able to escape from the 5-Paragraph Essay prison? Describe

how you organized your response to the prompt (your essay).

5. [transition] How did your peer collaboration go? Were you able to have a productive

encounter with your audience? How do you think it could have gone better?

6. Conclude what you learned about yourself and how you relate to “the American Dream” and/or your own sense of success?