### Class Summary Report
**Title:** Transition from Paragraphs to Essays in Academic Writing
In this lesson, the students were introduced to the concept of expanding their writing skills from composing paragraphs to crafting full essays, with a focus on maintaining unity and cohesion in their work.
**Attendance:**
– No specific mention of absent students, so attendance details are not available.
**Topics Covered:**
1. **Introduction and Catch-up**
– Casual discussion about holiday experiences.
– Introduction of new students and review of previous semester’s lessons.
2. **Review of Paragraph Writing**
– Definition and structure of a paragraph.
– Topic sentences, supporting details, unity, and cohesion.
3. **Transition to Essay Writing**
– The importance of understanding the purpose behind writing.
– Comparison of writing philosophies (F. Scott Fitzgerald vs. Joan Didion).
– Paragraph formatting on computers (indentation, margins, double-spacing, font, and size).
4. **Paragraph Analysis**
– Reading and analysis of example paragraphs.
– Identification of topic sentences, supporting details, and the concepts of unity and cohesion.
5. **Topic Sentence Crafting**
– Explanation of what makes a good topic sentence.
– Discussion on controlling ideas and specificity in topic sentences.
**Actionable Items:**
– **For New Students:**
– Catch up on paragraph structure and essay writing fundamentals.
– **For All Students:**
– Familiarize with Microsoft Word formatting tools for essays.
– Practice identifying and crafting effective topic sentences.
– **For Teacher:**
– Consider reviewing the concept of advertisements and their influence, as there was some confusion during the lesson.
**Homework:**
– Students are expected to write a well-structured paragraph with a clear topic sentence, supporting details, and proper formatting.
– Begin reading on essay structures and the transition from paragraphs to essays.