Introduction Paragraph (1 page) Start with a hook that grabs the reader’s interest and introduces the essay topic. Next, provide a detailed description of at least 5 qualities that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says are characteristic of a flow state on pages 29-30. Then provide a personal example of a flow experience of your own in the form of a detailed story. The flow experience does not have to be about a sport. Students have written about being in flow while dancing, driving, listening to music, and even at work. A transition sentence that defines “extreme sport” and credits Kotler’s book by his full author name and title. End with your introduction paragraph with a 1 sentence thesis statement that is specific, concise, clear, and arguable. Thesis (one sentence) On pages 29-30 of Rise of Superman, Kotler describes 10 flow state characteristics identified by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. These include Having clear goals A high level of concentration on a small field of attention Loss of self-consciousness Distorted sense of time Direct and immediate feedback Balance between ability level and challenge The paradox of control where you feel like you can control a situation that is highly complex even though you actually can't control many dangerous factors. Intrinsically rewarding Lack of awareness of bodily needs Thesis Question: Of those 10, analyze which 2 specific flow qualities you think are the most important for helping extreme sport athletes succeed at death-defying challenges. Avoid choosing non-flow ideas for thesis. For your Essay 1 thesis, I am concerned that some of you may be off-topic because you are choosing to write on 2 ideas that are not specific enough to flow as Kotler describes it in this week's readings. Please choose your flow qualities from pages 29-30 in Rise of Superman. Body Paragraphs Very Important Requirement: Provide examplesfrom the stories of at least 3 of the athletes featured in assigned chapters of Kotler’s Rise of Superman: Danny Way, Laird Hamilton, Dean Potter, Doug Ammons, and Shane McConkey. Provide 3 Body Paragraphs. The first two body paragraphs will support your thesis. The third body paragraph will contain your counterargument and rebuttal. Each body paragraph should be restricted to supporting one specific thesis idea. There should not be multiple main ideas in one paragraph. No other outside sources besides Kotler’s Rise of Superman and the video Your Brain on Flow should be used in your essay. In each body paragraph, provide at least 2 quotations from the assigned chapters of Rise of Superman. Conclusion Restate your thesis using new wording and phrasing so you are not simply cutting and pasting. End with some interesting reflections on the topic that go beyond merely repeating what you said earlier. For example, you can answer the following question. Has learning about flow raised the bar on what you assumed to be the limits of human potential? Organization Tips Thesis formation: The thesis should subdivide into the same number of points as your total number of body paragraphs. If you have two body paragraphs, your thesis would subdivide into two points. Thesis needs to be the last sentence of your introduction. The thesis should fully answer the essay question. It should also be specific, concise, and arguable. Body Paragraph Organization and Unity: Each body paragraph should discussion one idea that supports the thesis; in other words, body paragraphs should not repeat ideas from previous paragraphs and should not contain more than one main idea. Topic Sentences: Each body paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that tells the reader which thesis idea that paragraph will be about. Concluding Sentences: Each body paragraph should end with a concluding sentence that restates topic sentence main ideas and adds supportive reasoning. The goal is to summarize the main examples you covered in that body paragraph. Quotations: You will need to support any assertions you make with a discussion of quotations from the texts assigned. All quotations should have an introductory phrase and should use the following MLA format: Westwick and Neushul write, “XX” (24). Quotation Analysis: All quotations should be followed by 4-5 or more sentences that provide a detailed explanation of how the quotation supports your body paragraph’s main idea. Title: Divided into two parts separated by a colon. Centered. Double-spaced like your heading and the rest of your paper. Capitalize all key words. Should be a fragment. Not underlined or in boldface. No period at the end of the title. Your title should not just copy the title of this essay prompt or the title of the readings. Example: Myth Topic: Your Two Thesis Ideas Conclusion: A place for you to summarize your thesis and add any last reflections on your topic. Should be no longer than half of a page. Essay formatting: Use MLA format. For help, see Purdue University OWL website and click on the MLA section. Number of Paragraphs: In order to pass, your essay must have an introduction that ends in a thesis statement, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion.