During the last LARP meeting of the semester, you will write a reflection essay on the three LARP books we have read this semester.
Your essay should:

• be at least 2 full pages but no more than 4 pages (or the equivalent of 2- 4 pages if you double-space);
• demonstrate thoughtful reflection on all three books;
• develop a thesis statement that is evident in all three books.

You will not be allowed to use any books, notes, outlines, dictionaries, or other aids while you are writing your reflection essay. Your LARP facilitator will provide you with writing paper. Bring a blue or black pen to class to write your essay--not a pencil.

Although you may not use outlines or notes while you are writing your essay, you are encouraged to prepare for writing this essay as you would prepare for any other essay exam.

Where may I get help with planning what I will write in my reflection essay?
Learning Resources Director, Lori Nielsen (office in DC 103) can provide guidelines and advice. If you write notes, an outline, or a rough draft as preparation for your LARP essay, the director can review your work with you. A sample LARP reflection essay is available online at (www.dana.edu/larp).

What are the requirements for the LARP reflection essay?

Begin with an introduction that sets the context for developing your thesis in the body of your essay. What relevant information does your reader need to comprehend the paragraphs that will follow? Provide specific and interesting information in the introduction that sets up the body of the essay. Introduce your thesis idea; state your thesis in the introduction if you wish.

Comments about the thesis: Be sure that you include a thesis sentence in your essay—your thesis must be stated, not implied. State your thesis in the introduction or in the conclusion or in both. A thesis is a sentence that states a specific, focused point about a narrow topic; this focusing statement makes an essay meaningful. For this LARP essay, the thesis will state the thread or common element that you see running through the three LARP books. For example, a general topic might be “All three books showed people facing challenges in their lives.” That’s a general statement about a broad topic, not a thesis statement. What’s the point about people facing challenges in their lives? So what? A specific, focused thesis sentence about that topic might state, “Sometimes people suffer personally and tragically when they try to face the tough challenges life presents.”

In the body of your essay, reflect on the specific content from each of the three books that supports your thesis. Do NOT simply summarize the books' plots—this paper is not a book report. Instead, discuss specific text references (to characters, plot incidents, or other material) from each book that illustrate, support, and validate your thesis. Explain how the text references are relevant to your thesis. Using the example thesis presented above, you’d select at least one character per book and give examples of the characters’ personal suffering that resulted from a tough life challenge. Those examples would support and validate that thesis statement.

Organize the content in the body of your essay logically. A common (though not required) way to organize is to discuss one book per paragraph, discussing in each paragraph the specific text references from the books that address and support your essay's thesis.

Close your essay by drawing a conclusion from the reflection you have presented in the body. For example, you could offer a general statement about what you have learned, based on your understanding of the ways the books have developed and supported your thesis. If you didn’t include your thesis sentence in your introduction, state it in your conclusion.
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Graded essays will be returned to you through campus mail. Please keep your essay as proof of your attendance and grade on the writing day.

Evaluation Form for LARP Essay