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If I Could Travel into the Past

Teacher/Youth Leader Packet


For Schools and Youth Organizations in Macedonia

E-Mail: nationalessaycontest@gmail.com Blog: http://nationalessaycontest.wordpress.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalEssayContest


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Contents
Partner Organizations Letter to Educators and Youth Leaders Contest Rules If I Could Travel into the Past Tips on Getting Started A Note on Cheating, Plagiarism, & Help Judging Rubric 3 5 6 7 8 10 11

About the National Essay Contest


The National Essay Contest of Macedonia, now in its seventh year, is a joint venture organized by the United States Peace Corps volunteers in collaboration with ELTAM (English Language Teachers Association of Macedonia) and SEEU (South East European University). The goals of the essay contest are to raise awareness throughout Macedonia about the importance of writing, motivate students to create thoughtful English essays as well as support teachers in their ability to teach essay writing. Students from 7-12th grade in all regions of Macedonia are encouraged to participate. Winners are chosen on three levels both regionally and nationally.

Partner Organizations
English Language Teachers Association of Macedonia (ELTAM)
ELTAM is the national association of the English language teachers of the Republic of Macedonia. It provides a forum which unites ELT professionals from across the Republic of Macedonia engaged in teaching, studying and conveying research on both English language and literature. ELTAM provides support and opportunities for professional development of its members with a view to improving English language instruction in the country and raising the level of English language acquisition across a broad spectrum of Macedonian professionals. ELTAM unites and assists ESL professionals in their efforts for best teaching practices in correlation with the needs of the Macedonian society at large. Our goal is to foster cooperation and exchange of ideas among English language professionals in the country and to raise the professional awareness of EFL teachers as well as to promote permanent self-development in order to meet higher standards in the TEFL profession. In order to achieve these goals we organize and coordinate professional training for ELTs. We organize professional conferences, workshops and lectures. So far we have organized 6 international conferences with the support of the Embassy of the United States in Skopje, the British Council and many other partners and sponsors. Our members presented at many conferences in the region, Europe and the USA. We have established cooperation with IATEFL, TESOL and the TAs from the region. ELTAM is also the only official organizer of the regional and state competitions in ELT for primary and secondary schools. Our cooperation with educational and pedagogical institutions from the country and abroad is on a very high level and our members benefit greatly from seminars and trainings we organize together with them.

South East European University (SEEU)


Founded in the spring of 2000, the South East European University (SEEU) is now in its tenth year of operation with more than 7,000 students and 3,000 graduates. Since opening its campus in Tetovo in October 2001, it has succeeded in establishing itself as a quality-led, financially sustainable university. It is now regarded as a model for multi-ethnic, multi-lingual higher education in South East Europe. SEEU operates its academic activities from two teaching establishments, the main campus in Tetovo and its newly established campus in the capital city, Skopje. The main campus of SEEU is built upon the principle all in one, which enables interactive comprehensiveness between students in all study disciplines. The campus is a model university facility in that it stretches across a large green area and contains purpose-built accommodations. These include: four large lecture halls with the capacity to fit 200 to 500 students, approximately 30 classrooms with a capacity for 30 to 60 students, staff offices, two state-of-the-art computer centers with more than 650 computers, a library, as well as residential accommodations. In addition, there

are several recreational facilities where students can add social activities to their academic experience at SEEU. Moreover, SEEU has succeeded in combining the best of European and US experience, and has continued to benefit from academic collaborations sponsored by the EU Commission and USAID, among other donors. It benefits from scholarship support provided by The Netherlands and The Open Society Institute. Wanting all graduates to benefit fully from their solid academic backgrounds, the University provides support and practical advice concerning their careers. To support this, the university has signed cooperation agreements with private and public enterprises that can incorporate students in continuous practical work where they can maximally use the knowledge and skills acquired at SEEU.

U.S. Peace Corps


The Peace Corps was established by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961. The Peace Corps is an organization dedicated to world peace and friendship. The three goals of Peace Corps are: 1) Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their needs for trained men and women, 2) Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served, and 3) Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the Americans. The U.S. Peace Corps sends volunteers to countries all over the world to achieve the goals of Peace Corps. In Macedonia, volunteers work in rural and urban areas. They teach English at the primary and secondary school levels, work with Nongovernmental Organization (NGOs), local government, as well as other associations to support their local communities. *The assistance of Peace Corps Volunteers is representative of their individual efforts. Their statements do not represent the views or policies of Peace Corps or the US government.

Dear Educators and Youth Leaders in Macedonia:


The South East European University (SEEU), the English Language Teachers Association of Macedonia (ELTAM), and US Peace Corps Volunteers invite you and your school or organization to participate in our seventh annual national essay contest entitled If I Could Travel into the Past.. The goals of the contest are to raise awareness in all regions of Macedonia about the importance of writing, motivate students to create thoughtful English essays, and support teachers in their ability to teach essay writing. In addition, students will have an opportunity to reflect critically and creatively about past events throughout history and/or their personal lives. This contest packet was created to help teachers and youth leaders participate. We hope that you will provide a writing workshop for your students and encourage them to submit essays. This packet includes all the information you need to participate. If you have any questions, please contact your local Peace Corps Volunteer or the National Essay contest coordinators: Karli-Marie Reyes: reyeskm@gmail.com Michelle Vitone: MichelleRVitone@gmail.com Sara Scholin: sara.scholin@gmail.com

Thank you for all of your participation in this wonderful event. We look forward to working with you and your students on this project. Good luck to all participants!

Sincerely, Peace Corps National Coordinators

Essay Contest Rules


What: 2012 National Essay Contest Who: Students in grades 7 & 8 and high school students years 1, 2, 3, and 4 in both public and private language schools are eligible to participate. Students who study in full immersion English schools or who have spent more than six months in an English speaking country are NOT eligible to participate. Regional and national winners will be awarded in three categories: 1) 7th and 8th grade 2) 1st and 2nd year high school 3) 3rd and 4th Year high school Due Date: December 28, 2012 Late entries will NOT be accepted Submission: All essays must be submitted online via JotForm: www.urlhere.com Incomplete submissions will not be accepted If you do not have access to the internet or need to submit your essay in hard copy, please notify your local Peace Corps Volunteer or one of the National Coordinators. Winners: Regional and National winners will be announced in January 2013 All submissions will receive a participation certificate Regional Winners will receive an award certificate National winners, their parents and/or sponsoring teacher will be invited to an award ceremony at the South East European University main campus in Tetovo. Pending budgetary restrictions winners may also receive an additional reward Rules: 1. Each essay must be the individual work of one student. If you are caught cheating or plagiarizing you will be disqualified. 2. All essays should be personal narratives, so no citing is necessary. If you choose to use quotes or information from other sources, it must be cited. 3. Teachers are encouraged to instruct their students on proper essay writing, but they may not assist their students with their essays by giving suggestions, correcting mistakes, or offering other specific help. 4. The essay must be written in English and submitted on time. 5. Each participant may only enter once during this contest. 6. The essays minimum length is 350 words. The maximum length is 500 words. Points will be deducted for essays over or under the word limit (see judging rubric) 7. The submission template can be accessed via Facebook or on our Website 8. Include the following information on the first page of the essay: First and Last Name Address & City E-mail Address School Name Grade Teacher/Advisor Name

If I Could Travel into the Past

The goal of this years essay is to write about a trip to the past. You can write about re-living a personal experience in your past, visiting an actual historical place or event, or a general time period from the past. If you could travel to the past how far back would you go? What kinds of events, sites, or people would you choose to see? What experiences would you like to see for the first time or relive again? Feel free to write about a specific date or a general era. It could be hundreds of years or just a few days in the past. You may also choose to write about why you might choose to travel into the past; would you go back to accomplish a specific task or just for fun? If you traveled to the past what effects, if any, would it have on the present? Use your creativity, have fun, and think outside the box! Your essay should focus on creativity above historical accuracy. This is a personal narrative so no citing is necessary. If you choose to use quotes or information from other sources, they must be cited or it will be considered plagiarism and the essay will be disqualified. Teachers and youth leaders should feel free to guide students in discussion of the topic and to share with them the following basic principles of good essay writing. Remember, you should not help them write the essay itself. This includes proofreading it after they write a draft.

Tips to Get Started


The Writing Process: 3 Main Steps
- Prewriting: Generating ideas; Planning and organizing your ideas - Writing: Using your ideas to write a first draft - Revising and Editing: Checking and improving what you have written

Prewriting Getting Started A way to warm up your brain before you write.
Generating ideas prewriting techniques that are usually used to generate ideas. Brainstorming a list of as many ideas as possible (words, phrases, sentences, or even questions) without worrying about how you will use them. Clustering a visual way of generating ideas to show you the connections among your ideas using circles and lines. Discussion to talk about the topic with your classmates, friends, family, or other people. Free writing if it is hard finding a focus for a broad subject write as much as you can, as fast as you can, without worrying about mistakes. Planning and organizing ideas Make a simple outline as a guide. Group the items that go together, and cross out items that do not belong there (irrelevant or not related to the topic). Organize them by order of time, place, or importance.

Writing Paragraphs A paragraph is a group of sentences that all relate to a single topic.
Topic Sentence The topic of the paragraph is usually stated in the first sentence. It should not be too general or too specific. Supporting Sentences Add details to the topic (reasons, facts, personal experience, and examples). There should be enough supporting sentences to prove your point made in the topic sentence. They should be as specific as possible and not repeat the point made in the topic sentence. Concluding Sentence Some of the paragraphs have it, and it summarizes the ideas of the paragraph. It is the last sentence.

Revising & Editing It is impossible to write a perfect paragraph or essay on the first try.
Revising to look at the paragraph again and find out how it can be improved. Editing the final part of the revision step. What changes should be made as it is revised? Revising and editing checklist for paragraphs: Make sure you have a topic sentence Cross out sentences that do not relate to the main idea Check to see if the sentences are in the right order Add new ideas if they support the topic sentence Make sure you have included transitions to help guide the reader Check the grammar, punctuation, and spelling

Basic plan of a typical essay Once you know how to write a paragraph, it is not much more difficult to write an essay, an essay is just longer. An essay is a group of paragraphs about a specific subject. An essay makes and supports one main point. However, the subject of an essay is too complex to be developed in a few sentences. Several paragraphs are needed to support fully the main point of an essay. 1. Introduction: Background information Captures readers attention using anecdotes, questions, or facts and statistics. The Main Idea It should start with a general discussion of the subject and lead up to the main idea or thesis statement. It narrows down the focus, it tells the reader what the essay will be about, and what points you will be making in the essay. 2. Body Consists of several paragraphs that support the thesis. Each supporting paragraph develops one point of the essay. The body may have only one paragraph, but it is usually more. You can use as many as you need to say what you need to say. 3. Conclusion Sums up the essay, without using the same words, the main points of the essay, or restates the main idea of your essay. You should leave the reader agreeing, disagreeing, or at least thinking about your ideas. Revising and editing checklist for essays: Is your essay easy to read? Is your essay easy to understand? Do your arguments make sense? Are they convincing? Do you use confusing vocabulary when you dont need to? Do you use repetition to remind your reader of your main points? Do your transition statements (linking words) to show how your ideas connect? Are there any misspelled words? Did you use your punctuation correctly? Is your grammar correct?

Online Essay Writing Resources


www.eltam.org.mk www.bham.ac.uk/english/bibliography/students/essay.htm http://members.tripod.com/~lklivingston/essay/index.html http://educhoices.org/articles/50_of_the_Best_Websites_for_Writers.html http://www.webenglishteacher.com/narrative.html http://www.eslflow.com/AcademicWritng.html

A Note on Cheating, Plagiarism, and Receiving Help


Cheating and plagiarism are very serious offenses and the National Essay Contest has a NO TOLERANCE policy. What is cheating? When a person deceives, misleads or lies on purpose, or does not follow the rules or regulations, that person is cheating. Specifically applied to this essay contest, any student who does not submit an essay consisting only of his or her own ideas is cheating. The form of cheating most likely to be encountered in an essay contest is plagiarism. What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is when a person presents someone elses work as his or her own. Examples include copying from a friend or a book, cutting and pasting from essays found on the Internet, or even including a well-known quotation without citing who said it. Any essays that include plagiarism will be disqualified, as well as any duplicate essays (i.e. if two students submit essays containing identical content then both students will be disqualified). Note: The goal of this contest is for students to be creative and express their own individual ideas and writing style, therefore we suggest that students do not include ANY research or quotations, even if properly cited. What help may students receive? Teachers and advisors may help students by teaching them the fundamentals of essay writing and holding writing workshops, but should not contribute to the actual writing of the submitted essay. All ideas and content, structural decisions, and word choices must be the students own. Teachers may read the finished essay in order to make sure it follows the criteria for the contest and may advise the student if changes must be made, but they may not aid students with corrections of essay content. ALL essays will be CAREFULLY checked and if the judges discover instances of cheating and plagiarism that student will be disqualified.

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Judging Criteria

UPDATED JUDGING RUBRIC HERE


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