Battle of Savages Station in the Civil War

Battle of Savage's Station in the Civil War The Battle of Savages Station was fought June 29, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). The fourth of the Seven Days Battles outside Richmond, VA, Savages Station saw  General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia pursuing Major General George B. McClellans retreating Army of the Potomac. Striking the Union rear guard, centered on Major General Edwin V. Sumners II Corps, Confederate forces proved unable to dislodge the enemy. Fighting continued into the evening until a strong thunderstorm ended the engagement. Union troops continued their retreat that night. Background Having begun the Peninsula Campaign earlier in the spring, Major General George McClellans Army of the Potomac stalled before the gates of Richmond in late May 1862 after a stalemate at the Battle of Seven Pines. This was mostly due to the Union commanders overly-cautious approach and the inaccurate belief that General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia badly outnumbered him. While McClellan remained inactive for much of June, Lee tirelessly worked to improve Richmonds defenses and plan a counterattack. Though outnumbered himself, Lee understood his army could not hope to win an extended siege in the Richmond defenses. On June 25, McClellan finally moved and he ordered the divisions of Brigadier Generals Joseph Hooker and Philip Kearny to push up the Williamsburg Road. The resulting Battle of Oak Grove saw the Union attack halted by Major General Benjamin Hugers division. Lee Attacks This proved fortunate for Lee as he had moved the bulk of his army north of the Chickahominy River with the goal of crushing Brigadier General Fitz John Porters isolated V Corps. Striking on June 26, Lees forces were bloodily repulsed by Porters men at the Battle of Beaver Dam Creek (Mechanicsville). That night, McClellan, concerned about the presence of Major General Thomas Stonewall Jacksons command to the north, directed Porter to retreat and shifted the armys supply line from the Richmond and York River Railroad south to the James River. In doing so, McClellan effectively ended his own campaign as the abandonment of the railroad meant that heavy guns could not be carried to Richmond for the planned siege. Taking a strong position behind Boatswains Swamp, V Corps came under heavy attack on June 27. In the resulting Battle of Gaines Mill, Porters men turned back several enemy assaults through the day until being compelled to retreat near sunset. As Porters men shifted to the south bank of the Chickahominy, a badly shaken McClellan ended the campaign and began moving the army towards the safety of the James River. With McClellan providing little guidance to his men, the Army of the Potomac fought off Confederate forces at Garnetts and Goldings Farms on June 27-28. Remaining away from the fighting, McClellan made the situation worse by failing to name a second in command. This was largely due to his dislike and distrust of his senior corps commander, Major General Edwin V. Sumner. Lees Plan Despite McClellans personal feelings, Sumner effectively led the 26,600-man Union rear guard which had concentrated near Savages Station. This force comprised elements of his own II Corps, Brigadier General Samuel P. Heintzelmans III Corps, and a division of Brigadier General William B. Franklins VI Corps. Pursuing McClellan, Lee sought to engage and defeat the Union forces at Savages Station. To due so, Lee ordered Brigadier General John B. Magruder to push his division down the Williamsburg Road and York River Railroad while Jacksons division was to rebuild the bridges across the Chickahominy and attack south. These forces were to converge and overwhelm the Union defenders. Moving out early on June 29, Magruders men began encountering Union troops around 9:00 AM. Armies Commanders Union Major General George B. McClellanMajor General Edwin V. Sumner26,600 men Confederate General Robert E. LeeBrigadier General John B. Magruder14,000 The Fighting Begins Pressing forward, two regiments from Brigadier General George T. Andersons brigade engaged two Union regiments from Sumners command. Skirmishing through the morning, the Confederates were able to push the enemy back, but Magruder became increasingly concerned about the size of Sumners command. Seeking reinforcements from Lee, he received two brigades from Hugers division on the stipulation that if they were not engaged by 2:00 PM they would be withdrawn. As Magruder contemplated his next move, Jackson received a confusing message from Lee that suggested that his men were to remain north of the Chickahominy. Due to this, he did not cross the river to attack from the north. At Savages Station, Heintzelman decided that his corps was not necessary to the Union defense and began withdrawing without first informing Sumner. The Battle Renewed At 2:00 PM, having not advanced, Magruder returned Hugers men. Waiting another three hours, he finally resumed his advance with the brigades of Brigadier Generals Joseph B. Kershaw and Paul J. Semmes. These troops were aided on the right by part of a brigade led by Colonel William Barksdale. Supporting the attack was a 32-pounder Brooke naval rifle mounted on a rail car and protected by an iron casemate. Dubbed the Land Merrimack, this weapon was slowly pushed down the railroad. Despite being outnumbered, Magruder elected to attack with only part of his command. The Confederate movement was first noticed by Franklin and Brigadier General John Sedgwick who were scouting west of Savages Station. After initially thinking the approaching troops belonged to Heintzelman, they recognized their mistake and informed Sumner. It was at this time that an irate Sumner discovered that III Corps had departed. Advancing, Magruder encountered Brigadier General William W. Burns Philadelphia Brigade just south of the railroad. Mounting a tenacious defense, Burns men soon faced envelopment by the larger Confederate force. To stabilize the line, Sumner randomly began feeding regiments from other brigades into the battle. Coming up on Burns left, the 1st Minnesota Infantry joined the fight followed by two regiments from Brigadier General Israel Richardsons division. As the forces engaged were largely equal in size, a stalemate developed as darkness and foul weather approached. Operating on Burns left and south of the Williamsburg Road, Brigadier General William T.H. Brooks Vermont Brigade sought to protect the Union flank and charged forward. Attacking into a stand of woods, they met intense Confederate fire and were repulsed with heavy losses. The two sides remained engaged, with neither making any progress, until a storm ended the battle around 9:00 PM. Aftermath In the fighting at Savages Station, Sumner suffered 1,083 killed, wounded, and missing while Magruder sustained 473. The bulk of the Union losses were incurred during the Vermont Brigades ill-fated charge. With the end of the fighting, Union troops continued withdrawing across White Oak Swamp but were forced to abandon a field hospital and 2,500 wounded. In the wake of the battle, Lee reprimanded Magruder for not attacking more forcefully stating that the pursuit should be most vigorous. By noon the following day, Union troops had crossed the swamp. Later in the day, Lee resumed his offensive by attacking McClellans army at the Battles of Glendale (Fraysers Farm) and White Oak Swamp.

Georges Guynemer - World War I Flying Ace

Georges Guynemer - World War I Flying Ace Georges Guynemer - Early Life: Born on December 24, 1894, Georges Guynemer was the son of a wealthy family from Compià ¨gne. A frail and sickly child, Guynemer was schooled at home until age fourteen when he was enrolled in the Lycà ©e de Compià ¨gne. A driven student, Guynemer was not adept at sports, but did show great proficiency at target shooting. Visiting the Panhard automotive factory as a child, he developed a keen interest in mechanics, though his true passion became aviation after flying for the first time in 1911. At school, he continued to excel and passed his exams with high honors in 1912. As in the past, his health soon began to fail, and Guynemers parents took him to the south of France to recover. By the time he had regained his strength, World War I had broken out. Immediately applying to the Aviation Militaire (French Air Service), Guynemer was rejected due to his health issues. Not to be deterred, he finally passed the medical examination on the fourth attempt after his father intervened on his behalf. Assigned to Pau as a mechanic on November 23, 1914, Guynemer routinely pressed his superiors to allow him to take flight training. Georges Guynemer - Taking Flight: Guynemers persistence finally paid off and he was sent to flight school in March 1915. While in training he was known for his dedication to mastering his aircrafts controls and instruments, as well as repeatedly practicing maneuvers. Graduating, he was promoted to corporal on May 8, and assigned to Escadrille MS.3 at Vauciennes. Flying a Morane-Saulnier L two-seat monoplane, Guynemer took off on his first mission on June 10 with Private Jean Guerder as his observer. On July 19, Guynemer and Gueder scored their first victory when they downed a German Aviatik and received the Mà ©daille Militaire. Georges Guynemer - Becoming an Ace: Transitioning to the Nieuport 10 and then the Nieuport 11, Guynemer continued to have success and became an ace on February 3, 1916, when he downed two German aircraft. Dubbing his aircraft Le Vieux Charles (Old Charles) in reference to a well-liked former member of the squadron, Guynemer was wounded in the arm and face on March 13 by fragments of his windscreen. Sent home to recover, he was promoted to second lieutenant on April 12. Returning to action in mid-1916, he was given a new Nieuport 17. Picking up where he left off, he raised his tally to 14 by late August. In early September, Guynemers squadron, by now redesignated Escadrille N.3, became one of the first units to get the new SPAD VII fighter. Immediately taking to the aircraft, Guynemer downed an Aviatik C.II over Hyencourt two days after receiving his new fighter. On September 23, he downed two more enemy aircraft (plus an unconfirmed third), but was struck by friendly anti-aircraft fire while returning to base. Forced to make a crash landing, he credited the SPADs sturdiness for saving him on impact. All told, Guynemer was downed seven times during his career. An ace of considerable renown, Guynemer used his position to work with SPAD on improving their fighters. This led to refinements in the SPAD VII and the development of its successor the SPAD XIII. Guynemer also suggested altering the SPAD VII to accommodate a cannon. The result was the SPAD XII, a larger version of the VII, which featured a 37mm cannon firing through the propeller shaft. While SPAD finished the XII, Guynemer continued flying over the trenches with great success. Promoted to lieutenant on December 31, 1916, he finished the year with 25 kills. Fighting on through the spring, Guynemer managed a triple kill on March 16, before bettering this feat with a quadruple kill on May 25. That June, Guynemer engaged the famous ace Ernst Udet, but let him go in a sign of knightly chivalry when the Germans guns jammed. In July, Guynemer finally received his SPAD XII. Dubbing the cannon-equipped fighter his Magic Machine, he scored two confirmed kills with the 37mm cannon. Taking a few days to visit his family that month, he rebuffed his fathers pleas to move into a training position with the Aviation Militaire. Georges Guynemer - National Hero: Scoring his 50th kill on July 28, Guynemer became the toast of France and a national hero. Despite his success in the SPAD XII, he abandoned it for the SPAD XIII in August and resumed his aerial success scoring a victory on the 20th. His 53rd overall, it was to be his last. Taking off on September 11, Guynemer and Sub-Lieutenant Benjamin Bozon-Verduraz attacked a German two-seater northeast of Ypres. After diving on the enemy, Bozon-Verduraz spotted a flight of eight German fighters. Evading them, he went in search of Guynemer, but never found him. Returning to the airfield, he asked if Guynemer had returned but was told that he had not. Listed as missing in action for a month, Guynemers death was finally confirmed by the Germans who stated that a sergeant in the 413th Regiment found and identified the pilots body. His remains were never recovered as an artillery barrage forced the Germans back and destroyed the crash site. The sergeant reported that Guynemer had been shot in the head and that his leg was broken. Lieutenant Kurt Wissemann of Jasta 3 was officially credited with bringing down the French ace. Guynemers total of 53 kills allowed him to finish as Frances second-highest scoring ace of World War I behind Renà © Fonck who downed 75 enemy aircraft. Selected Sources First World War: Georges GuynemerAce Pilots: Georges GuynemerHistorynet: Georges Guynemer

Unit 5 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Unit 5 - Assignment Example A natural monopoly is a monopoly that experiences economies of scale along its intact range of production. Alternatively, a natural monopoly is the type of monopoly that experiences a decreasing average total cost (ATC). In a monopolistic market, marginal revenue is always less than the price of goods. This is because monopolies have a downward slopping demand curve. In fact, at any given price and quantity combinations, a monopolist is required to reduce the prices of his commodities in order to sell an additional unit. This explains why a monopoly is a special market situation. Consequently, monopolies do not exhaust all available market opportunities. Monopoly and perfect competitive markets represents the two extreme in a market environment. In my own opinion, perfect competitive model is better than monopolies. This preference is based on economic aspects and market sustainability. In a perfect competitive market, ultimate efficiency in the production and distribution of goods and services is achieved. Consequently, monopolies lack efficiency in their production and distribution of commodities. In a competitive market, producers and distributors of commodities are obliged to operate efficiently in order to remain relevant (Bade & Michael, 2002). For example in a perfect competition, producers reduce prices of their commodities in order to increase their competitiveness. This in turn reflects on the production process where producers are forced to improve efficiency. On the other hand, monopolies have no immediate threats that would force them to reduce their prices or improve the quality of their products. Thus, monopolistic ma rket lacks efficiency. Lack of efficiency is mainly demonstrated through production and distribution of goods within a market. In an ideal case, a market is supposed to have a natural mechanism that balances the distribution of commodities against the available customers. Perfect competitive markets allow the mobility of

File System Analysis and computer forensics Research Paper

File System Analysis and computer forensics - Research Paper Example Such kind of little level tools having an added advantage of removing false information that may be maliciously adapted by the file system code. This paper discusses the the employment of file system analysis in computer forensics, using file system analysis in different fields, as in Linux and others as well as the tools used in the file system analysis. Employing File System Analysis in Computers Forensics Computer forensics is part of numerical forensic science relating to legal indication that is found in the computers as well as digital storing means. Its main objective is to inspect digital means in a forensically way of sound with the purpose of improving, conserving, recognizing and giving facts as well as opinions around a certain info. Nelson, Phillips & Steuart, (2010) assert that even though it is mostly related with the study of corruption in computers, it may as well be used in civil records. They add that it involves alike methods and even the values of recovery of dat a. The indication from computer forensics inquiries is normally exposed to the similar rules and practices of other numerical indication and has been used in several cases. They argue that it is almost becoming accepted within the U.S as well as court system in Europea (Nelson, Phillips & Steuart, 2010). ... The newly used forensic software have got their individual gears for recovering data that is deleted. The inspection of PCs from the operating system with the use of sysadmin gears to get out evidence. The process is very important when you are mostly dealing with encrypting file system (Nelson, Phillips & Steuart, 2010). Using File System Analysis: Files are actually made up of two substances that are dissimilar where each and every file has got an inode linked to it that has metadata over that file. What the file contains are stored in form of datablocks. There are only 15 block pointers in the inode in Unix. If there are data blocks of 4K, then the likelihood of the file that is going to be addressed is about 60K. Linux supports a lot of dissimilar file systems, but mutual choices for these system disk on a block devices comprise ext* family (for instance the ext2, the ext3 as well as ext4), the btrfs, ReiserFS, XFS and JFS. There is also the UBIFS, JFFS2 and YAFFS between others, that can be used for raw flash that are without a Memory Technology Device (MTD) or even Flash Translation Layer (FTL). The usually compressed read only file system is the SquashFS. The SRM Windows File System collects statistics on the disk and file system properties that is connected to the machine. The data collected here is abridged through a lot of reports that may be to some extent modified with charts in the bang manager. FAT, FAT16, FAT32 as well as NTFS are some types of sytems files that can be maintained by the SRM Windows File System Agent for Windows and also supports discovery as well as discovery and analysis types of gathering data. HFS+ are said to be the most leading file systems that are found on any Macintosh. To identify the file system, someone may be

Patch Adamas Essay Example for Free

Patch Adamas Essay Hunter Adams got his nickname â€Å"Patch† when he helped a patient in the mental institution. I admired how he tried to behave like the patients do so that he can attend to their needs and to reach out to them. This is almost similar to what Jesus did, he became human in order for us to understand Him and for us to be saved. From then on, he realized that he wanted to help people. He became enlightened that his purpose is to serve other people and that is what he wanted to do. After sometime, he enrolled himself into a medical school wherein he believed that the doctor’s role is not to prevent death but to improve the quality of life. His way of improving the quality of life of the patients is by addressing to their needs and making them happy. I was deeply moved when he acted out as a clown in the pediatrics ward where mostly children diagnosed with cancer belongs. As I have observed, when Patch entered the ward, the children were sad and unenergetic but when Patch did his hilarious moves that would surely make the children laugh out loud, the room was filled with joy and laughter. The mood became light and happy. Some of the children even jump up and down their beds with glee. It came to the point where Patch wanted to build a hospital that uses humor to heal pain and suffering, where joy is a way of life, learning is the highest aim and love is the ultimate goal. At first it goes well but then things got complicated when Carin died. Patch almost lose hope and abandon the hospital but as he reflected on it, he got back on his foot again and continue on what Carin would have wanted him to do, and that is to serve other people. I like the way he defines what a doctor is. A doctor is someone who helps someone else. There are times when I think of myself as a doctor and one of the questions that always pops into my mind is that â€Å"What if my patient dies? † He made me realize that we should not be afraid of death. He made me realize that a doctor’s mission is not to prevent death but to improve the quality of life. We can learn many things even on the most ordinary random stuff. In his case, he learned a lot not only through his professors but also to the people around him, the nurses and especially the patients. We should not just quest for our grades instead we must really keep the things that we learn in our minds and most importantly in our hearts.

I Am Deaf Essay -- essays research papers

Otherness Project Exceptional Learners I am deaf. I am at Starbucks. I want to order coffee. I have to do it on paper rather than out loud because I speak so poorly, I don’t like to try. I intend to write it down and show it to the barrista, but I am nervous. I don’t know if I am more nervous because I am not really deaf and I feel guilty or because I am different from the other customers and I will be labeled as disabled. I am not looking forward to placing my order. I order a medium decaf coffee by holding up a notebook with the phrase â€Å"Medium Decaf Coffee, Please.† The young man at the counter does a quick transformation from a confident good looking guy to a bumbling embarrassed guy. He says,† yes sir† three or four times. He spends a long time giving change from a five dollar bill for a coffee. Then, he hands me $4.27. (The bill was $1.73) He seems hesitant and confused, and I’m thinking that he’s too worried about hurting my feelings to reconsider if he has the cor rect change. I shake my head: â€Å"no.† He goes thru an explanation (that makes absolutely no sense) of why it is the correct change. Then, he hands it back to me, and I again shake my head: â€Å"no.† He then thinks a second, and he gives me $2.27 change, shorting me a dollar, and then as an afterthought he finally corrects it and gives me the right change. He is clearly addled. And I feel bad for causing him anxiety, especially since it is all a drama for the paper. But, I am trying to maintain my position as a deaf man. I am trying not to respond to sound stimuli. There’s no crime in looking though—for a deaf man. In fact, I enjoyed a heightened sense of sight as I drove without radio accompaniment in my car. I am not talking to anybody. And if they are talking to me, I am avoiding their eyes because I am so busy looking at the words coming out of their mouths. Though I am a bit excited by my isolation, I am also of course, just plain lonely to be so apart from others and their community. I notice I have a message on my cell phone, and I am not supposed to answer it, because I am not able to answer it at this time. I answer it anyway thinking it may be someone I love or it may be someone I work with that will give me money. I am so fortunate to be able to communicate by cell phone with such ease when my alter ego that is deaf is unable to do so. In fact, my alter ego can us... ...fic and up the driveway of the parking lot on the other side of the street. As he makes his way across I think of going to him and asking him out, and how that would infuriate my boyfriend. I think of how confident he is and how skilled and strong. I think of how able he is. And I remember how I was feeling at Starbuck’s knowing that the cashier was trying so hard not to hurt my feelings, because he was apparently certain how sensitive I would be to social discomfort regarding my condition of deafness. I felt offended and hurt and disappointed that the cashier did not recognize my talents. I’m deaf but I’m still an astrologer, numerologer, massage therapist, meditation instructor, teacher, and businessman. I am a well rounded person with an added dimension due to my lack of hearing. I have perspectives that come to me entirely from my deafness that no one but a deaf person can access. Will he recognize my strengths? Will he recognize my completeness, my whole ness, the synthesis of all my individual parts? Right now he doesn’t. These are the things I thought of as I watched that attractive man make his way across the street, while I wished that I was trotting along beside him. I Am Deaf Essay -- essays research papers Otherness Project Exceptional Learners I am deaf. I am at Starbucks. I want to order coffee. I have to do it on paper rather than out loud because I speak so poorly, I don’t like to try. I intend to write it down and show it to the barrista, but I am nervous. I don’t know if I am more nervous because I am not really deaf and I feel guilty or because I am different from the other customers and I will be labeled as disabled. I am not looking forward to placing my order. I order a medium decaf coffee by holding up a notebook with the phrase â€Å"Medium Decaf Coffee, Please.† The young man at the counter does a quick transformation from a confident good looking guy to a bumbling embarrassed guy. He says,† yes sir† three or four times. He spends a long time giving change from a five dollar bill for a coffee. Then, he hands me $4.27. (The bill was $1.73) He seems hesitant and confused, and I’m thinking that he’s too worried about hurting my feelings to reconsider if he has the cor rect change. I shake my head: â€Å"no.† He goes thru an explanation (that makes absolutely no sense) of why it is the correct change. Then, he hands it back to me, and I again shake my head: â€Å"no.† He then thinks a second, and he gives me $2.27 change, shorting me a dollar, and then as an afterthought he finally corrects it and gives me the right change. He is clearly addled. And I feel bad for causing him anxiety, especially since it is all a drama for the paper. But, I am trying to maintain my position as a deaf man. I am trying not to respond to sound stimuli. There’s no crime in looking though—for a deaf man. In fact, I enjoyed a heightened sense of sight as I drove without radio accompaniment in my car. I am not talking to anybody. And if they are talking to me, I am avoiding their eyes because I am so busy looking at the words coming out of their mouths. Though I am a bit excited by my isolation, I am also of course, just plain lonely to be so apart from others and their community. I notice I have a message on my cell phone, and I am not supposed to answer it, because I am not able to answer it at this time. I answer it anyway thinking it may be someone I love or it may be someone I work with that will give me money. I am so fortunate to be able to communicate by cell phone with such ease when my alter ego that is deaf is unable to do so. In fact, my alter ego can us... ...fic and up the driveway of the parking lot on the other side of the street. As he makes his way across I think of going to him and asking him out, and how that would infuriate my boyfriend. I think of how confident he is and how skilled and strong. I think of how able he is. And I remember how I was feeling at Starbuck’s knowing that the cashier was trying so hard not to hurt my feelings, because he was apparently certain how sensitive I would be to social discomfort regarding my condition of deafness. I felt offended and hurt and disappointed that the cashier did not recognize my talents. I’m deaf but I’m still an astrologer, numerologer, massage therapist, meditation instructor, teacher, and businessman. I am a well rounded person with an added dimension due to my lack of hearing. I have perspectives that come to me entirely from my deafness that no one but a deaf person can access. Will he recognize my strengths? Will he recognize my completeness, my whole ness, the synthesis of all my individual parts? Right now he doesn’t. These are the things I thought of as I watched that attractive man make his way across the street, while I wished that I was trotting along beside him.

Expository Essay Topic

Associate Program Material Characteristics of the Expository Essay What Is an Essay? An essay is an important part of your college experience because it requires critical thinking as well as organization and research. Essay is a broad term. Sometimes an essay is just a page long; sometimes, essays are five pages or longer. Essays, however, focus on a single subject and idea. They also have different purposes: to persuade, explain, or entertain. Consider the following essay titles: â€Å"Why You Should Never Vote for a Democrat† †¢ â€Å"My Friend Harry Reasoner† †¢ â€Å"Cell Phones: Getting the Most for the Least† †¢ â€Å"Gay Marriage Does Not Hurt Traditional Marriage† †¢ â€Å"How to Write an Essay† How would you categorize the essays above based on the titles? Is â€Å"Why You Should Never Vote for a Democrat† a persuasive essay or an entertaining one? Does â€Å"How to Write an Essay† explain or persuade? Even within a classification, writers use different types of development and have multiple purposes for their essays.Essay Classifications Writers classify essays in different ways. The following table includes common types of essays as well as examples: |Type of Essay |Definition |Example | | | | | |Expository Uses evidence, examples, or facts to explain a |â€Å"How to Stop Smoking† | | |concept or to inform about a topic with a thesis| | | |as its base; the information must be presented | | | |fairly and in a nonbiased manner | | |Persuasive or Argumentative |Uses evidence, examples, or facts to persuade |â€Å"High Schools Should Offer More Technical | | |your reader to accept your point of view on a |Courses† | | |subject | | |Cause and Effect |Explains why something happened and what its |â€Å"The Connection Between Trans Fats and Obesity†| | |consequences were (or will be) | | |Comparison-Contrast |Shows the similarities and differences between |â₠¬Å"Dogs and Cats Are More Alike Than Different† | | |ideas, people, objects, places, and so forth | | |Character Study |Focuses on a specific person of interest |â€Å"The Life of Richard M.Nixon† | |Literary Analysis |Analyzes one or more parts of a literary piece |â€Å"Horse Symbolism in James Joyce’s Ulysses† | | |or writing | | |Division |Takes a subject and separates its elements into |â€Å"How Parts of a Television are Connected† | | |smaller pieces to examine the relationships | | | |between or among the elements | | |Classification |Separates a large group into smaller groups |â€Å"The Wonder of Bears† | | based on the specific characteristics of the | | | |items | | |Narrative |Retells a story or event |â€Å"My Summer Vacation Disaster† | |Descriptive |Uses sensory details to show exactly how |â€Å"The Red Rock Country of Sedona, Arizona† | | |something feels, looks, smells, and so forth | | |Definition |Defi nes or specifies a word or subject |â€Å"The Beauty of Greed† | |Process |Shows how to complete a process, usually in |â€Å"Steps to Making the Perfect Pumpkin Pie† | | |steps | | Focusing on the Expository Essay Expository essays are common college assignments because they build on both critical thinking and research.Therefore, this course focuses on the expository essay—the foundation for all other types of academic writing, including research paper writing. Originally, the purpose of an expository (explanatory) essay was to explain (â€Å"How to Win at Five-Card Draw†, for example). Now, it is a more general term. Characteristics of the expository essay include: †¢ A defined and narrowed thesis in the introduction †¢ Evidence, examples, statistics, or facts in each paragraph in the body of the paper to support the thesis †¢ Information presented fairly and in a nonbiased manner, showing both sides of the topic †¢ The use of third -person rather than I or me Point of View In the world of journalism, the news is reported as objectively as possible.If television news broadcasters, for example, reported, â€Å"I think so and so,† and â€Å"I saw this-and-so,† perhaps their opinion would not be substantial enough to prove their point to the viewing audience. Somehow, using the third person seems to make the reporting seem much more objective. The same is true for essay writing. One of the main reasons academic writing requires the use of third-person point of view is to minimize the opinions of the writer. When you write in third person, you can be more objective. When you cite other sources, you also borrow from their respectability in the field and their expertise. It is almost as though you are an academic reporter. Consider the following example of how first-person opinions may be converted into an acceptable third-person topic: First Person |Third Person | |In my opinion, standardized testing negatively affects the |Standardized testing negatively affects the curriculum being | |curriculum being taught in schools and how teachers teach their |taught in schools as well as the instructional methodology that | |students. |teachers use. | | | | |In this essay, I will examine how standardized testing affects | | |the curriculum being taught in schools and how teachers teach | | |their students. | |Thesis Plus Support in the Expository Essay Most expository essays build on a similar structural pattern: 1. Introduction (including the thesis statement) 2. Supporting body paragraphs 3. Conclusion The thesis statement conveys the main idea of your essay. Use the following formula to craft your thesis statement: Limited Topic + Controlling Idea, Point, Attitude, or Slant = Thesis. The thesis is part of the introduction of your essay, usually positioned at or near the end of the introduction. The introduction also includes any pertinent background information, definition of un familiar terms, or other information your audience must know in order to understand your position.An introduction must grab the attention of your readers and make them want to continue reading. Your thesis must be supported by facts, examples, reasons, and other objective research in the body of your essay. The essay ends with a conclusion that neatly wraps up your essay. Use the Thesis Plus Support approach to write expository essays and other types of academic papers, including the research paper. Four Ways to Develop Expository Essays There are four basic ways to develop expository essays: 1. Topic: An expository essay developed by topic systematically organizes information about a topic (someone or something) in the most logical fashion, for example, from the least important to the most important characteristics of a mammal. 2.Time order: An expository essay developed by time order involves the sequential or chronological organization of information from one time period to anoth er. This type of expository development arranges information according to date or specific time, for instance, from the earliest to the most recent or vice versa. An essay about armed conflict in the Middle East might use this type of organization. 3. Space order: An expository essay developed by space order involves the spatial organization of ideas. This arrangement refers to information that deals with the location of people, places, or things; for example, the nearest planet to the farthest away from Earth. 4. Informative process: An expository essay developed by informative process may best be described as a how to essay, or demonstration.This essay involves a step-by-step process, with steps arranged in their natural order, for example, â€Å"How to Write an Expository Essay†. Because classifications cannot always be strictly defined, it is also possible for writers to combine development types within one expository essay. Wrap-Up This course presents the basics of effe ctive essay writing. Learning to write effective expository essays prepares you to write longer, more complex research papers in other University of Phoenix courses. Learning to write well also improves your critical-thinking and organizational skills, laying the groundwork for success not only in college, but also in your current or future career.