Write a 1,500-1,700 word extended definition essay using either the word friend or the word family that analyzes the word's historical, social, and/or cultural evolution.
Purpose: To make a specific, unified, and original point about how the definition of friend or family has changed over a particular period of time due to one or more specific historical, social, and/or cultural factors.
Methods: To use at least four secondary sources to support your extended definition of the term you choose, including
1. An etymological dictionary
2. A standard or traditional dictionary
3. An article from Expanded Academic ASAP
1. Before you decide on the specific word you'll write your essay about, take time to free write what you think the word means to you. This exercise should help you to decide which word you have more of your own ideas and opinions about and give you a good place to start. Explore where your definition comes from, and how it departs from the etymological definition.
2. Once you've chosen your word, either friend or family, review the model definition essays in your textbook, Goodwin's "Freegans" (434) and Crissey's "Dude" (438).
3. Return to your freewriting to add additional information
a. Research
i. Standard definitions of the word (431)
ii. Etymological dictionaries
iii. Traditional dictionaries
iv. Expanded Academic ASAP
4. Review your freewriting to write a thesis statement that makes a claim about your word based on all of the con-tent you've developed.The thesis statement should make a debatable point about how the word has evolved over time due to historical, social, and cultural changes.
5. Prepare a graphic organizer or outline (438) to organize your main points before you begin writing your essay. Consider using other patterns of development as you plan your body paragraphs to illustrate meaning, offer contrasts, and provide examples (432-433).