Inspiring and incredible images in our Electronic Essay Starter will help your students write all different types of essays.
Persuasive ~ Argumentative ~ Comparison ~ Descriptive ~ Evaluation ~ Expository Literary Analysis ~ Informative ~ Cause and Effect ~ Narrative ~ Process
Select one of 50 images, choose one of 11 types of essays, or randomize either to match students' hobbies and abilities. Model an essay of your own as students create their samples. Maybe you will decide to have them attempt a literary analysis or maybe you will decide it's a comparison day.
Each type of essay in this warm-up activity has a definition and example to help students become the next Edgar Allan Poe.
Our Electronic Essay Starter is a great activity to use in
any English composition class. Middle school/high school.
Each type of essay in this warm-up activity has a definition and example to help students become the next Edgar Allan Poe.
Our Electronic Essay Starter is a great activity to use in
any English composition class. Middle school/high school.
CD-ROM includes both Mac and PC versions. Requires Flash Player 8.0 or higher.
You’ll need speakers to hear the sound effects.
You’ll need speakers to hear the sound effects.
Descriptive Essay
Sample Definition:
Anything can be the subject of a descriptive essay, which doesn’t tell a story, but rather paints a picture with words. Writers try to appeal to their readers’ senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing) and emotional responses when writing descriptive essays.
Anything can be the subject of a descriptive essay, which doesn’t tell a story, but rather paints a picture with words. Writers try to appeal to their readers’ senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing) and emotional responses when writing descriptive essays.
Part of a Sample Essay:
I’ve seen mountains before and have driven on my share of winding hills, but the Rocky Mountains of Colorado still seem more like a strange and pleasant dream to me than a real life experience.
Driving through the mountains, the scenery was both tranquil and invigorating, but the best word to describe it is probably surreal. I had the feeling that if my passenger and I had parked the car to explore our surroundings, they would vanish before our eyes like a mirage and be replaced by flat, featureless land. Everywhere we looked, magic was taking place; nature was winking at us and daring us to get out and join in the fun.
The hills on either side of us were etched with countless natural steps, each of which seemed to host its own spectacular nature show. Driving through on a hot June day, we were amazed to see piles of fluffy white snow dotting the rock formations. There were pine trees and intermittent cascading waterfalls. I picture various wild animals pausing at these streams to take a drink, but I’m sure—fairly sure—that’s only a trick of memory.
I’ve seen mountains before and have driven on my share of winding hills, but the Rocky Mountains of Colorado still seem more like a strange and pleasant dream to me than a real life experience.
Driving through the mountains, the scenery was both tranquil and invigorating, but the best word to describe it is probably surreal. I had the feeling that if my passenger and I had parked the car to explore our surroundings, they would vanish before our eyes like a mirage and be replaced by flat, featureless land. Everywhere we looked, magic was taking place; nature was winking at us and daring us to get out and join in the fun.
The hills on either side of us were etched with countless natural steps, each of which seemed to host its own spectacular nature show. Driving through on a hot June day, we were amazed to see piles of fluffy white snow dotting the rock formations. There were pine trees and intermittent cascading waterfalls. I picture various wild animals pausing at these streams to take a drink, but I’m sure—fairly sure—that’s only a trick of memory.