Make it sound like an 8th grader Choose a topic suitable for an informal essay. Remember that an informal essay is meant to entertain. The topic, therefore, should be personal, drawn from your own observations or experiences, and not too serious.

Brainstorm your ideas on paper or with a friend. Jot down the things you think are funny about yourself, your family, your pets, your school, your friends, your church, and so forth. Remember to be kind in your humor; it is not funny to destroy someone's self-confidence or to put them down. As you work, you will find yourself more interested in some topics than others, and these will be the ones about which you can generate the most ideas. Remember, you may choose to discuss a topic as in "Every Dog Should Own a Man" or to relate an anecdote as in "My Financial Career."

Next, group your ideas and place them in an order that makes sense to you. Write a simple list of your points in the order you wish to discuss them. Since the writing style for an informal essay should be natural-sounding, friendly, and open, making an informal list seems to work better for this style of writing than a tightly-organized formal outline.

If you can, take a humorous approach in your essay. Don't expect this early effort to be the funniest thing you've ever heard. Just relax and have fun with it.

Your finished essay should be at least 300 words long.

Don't forget to proofread your essay when you are finished before you save and submit it for grading.

Each state in america has a different seal, or symbol, that represents the traditional culture of that state. the state seal of georgia is rich in meaning, history, and patriotism. when was the seal adopted? 2georgia’s state constitution established the state seal in 1798. however, as georgia’s political circumstances changed, so too did the state’s seal. between 1863 and 1865, georgia used a different state seal to represent its separation from the rest of the country during the civil war. then, from 1868 to1871, georgia’s secretary of state nathan c. barnett hid the original seal when the capital was occupied by the north’s victorious enemy forces. he readopted the original seal in 1872. 4georgia’s state seal remained unchanged for 42 years. then, a law was passed that required the state to alter the date on the seal. the year 1799 had originally appeared on the seal to represent the year that the seal was officially adopted. the new law changed the date on the seal to 1776, the year that america’s founding fathers signed the declaration of independence. what does the seal look like? 5just as coins each have a “heads” side and a “tails” side, state seals also each have a front and a back. the front of the seal shows three tall columns, or pillars. perched atop these pillars is an arch that displays the word “constitution.” the two end pillars are each adorned with a ribbon-like banner that reads “wisdom” and “moderation.” a third banner, reading “justice,” hangs in front of the middle pillar. when read together, the banners make up the official state motto of georgia: “wisdom, justice, and moderation.” the seal also exhibits a picture of a soldier holding a sword. the words “state of georgia” appear along the top. the year 1776 is printed at the bottom. 6the back of the seal portrays a rural shoreline scene featuring a large ship and small boat. also included in the picture are bundles of tobacco plants and cotton and a farmer working in a field. across the top of the seal are the words “agriculture and commerce.” the bottom of the seal is also marked with the year 1776. what do the symbols on the seal represent? 7each item on the seal is symbolic of georgia’s history and the history of america as a united country. the pillars on the front stand for the three branches of government—legislative, executive, and judicial—and how they all work together to support the country and its constitution. the man holding the sword represents soldiers who defend the country and its laws. 8the boats on the back of the seal symbolize the agricultural commerce of georgia. similarly, the farmer and crop bundles represent georgia’s dependence on agriculture for survival. during the mid to late 1800s, over 700,000 cotton bales were produced each year. cotton is still a “king” crop in georgia. the state currently produces almost three million bales per year. this is only one reason why the state is an important asset to its country. read the passage on the left to answer the following questions: 13) the author's main purpose in writing this article is a) to inform. b) to create. c) to persuade. d) to entertain. 14) in paragraph eight, the word asset means a) benefit. b) debt. c) element. d) expense. 15) in paragraph six, the word portrays means a) condescends. b) deceives. c) honors. d) reveals.