Open the John Muir Essays document in your Google drive folder and create a new heading.

Custom in Nature

Purpose – Exposition & Analysis

  • To explain a custom from your culture that takes place in nature
  • To analyze what this custom reveals about your culture and its values / world view
  • To explain what this custom means to you and to analyze your participation in this custom


Audience – Your classmates and myself who may not know much about your home country and culture.

Format – 5 paragraph essay

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Describe one of John Muir’s experiences in nature. Make a connection between John’s experience and the nature custom from your culture.


Paragraph 2 – Custom Background and Explanation

Provide background information about the custom. When does it happen? Where? Why? What is the purpose of this custom? Who participates? Describe and explain each part of the custom in detail.


Paragraph 3 – Custom Cultural Analysis

What is the significance of each part of the custom? Why is this custom practiced in your culture? Are there special rules for how the custom is observed? What purpose do these rules serve? What does this custom reveal about the values or beliefs of your culture?


Paragraph 4 – Analysis of Personal Practice

Describe a specific time when you observed this custom. Give lots of details so that your reader can easily visualize how you participated. Why do you practice this custom? What are your personal reasons? What do you take away from the experience? Analyze how this practice impacts or influences you. Explain how each part of the custom affects you in detail.


Paragraph 5 - Conclusion

Review the connection between John’s nature experience and the nature custom in your country. Summarize what the custom reveals about your culture’s values and restate how this custom has impacted you personally.


Evaluation –

  • Organization – you followed directions and have at least 5 paragraphs that are well developed with a topic sentence and details.
  • Analysis – you thoroughly analyzed each aspect of the custom. You wrote sincerely.
  • Support – you used appropriate quotes to illustrate Muir’s nature experience & descriptive details to describe the custom and your own observance of it.
  • MLA style – internal citation, proper heading, double spaced, etc.
  • You have at least 500 words.
  • See the rubric for more specific evaluation criteria.
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