SAMPLE ONLY - Simply Novel resp to lit... · SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY ... " Diction - an...

SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY

Name ______________________________________ Period _______

©2012 Secondary Solutions Essay Architect™ Writing System 140

Response to Literature Essays Response to Literature essays focus on the analysis of a literary work or a piece or aspect of literature. A literary work can be an article, another essay, poem, short story, novel, etc. Your thesis statement should be your opinion about one or more aspects of the text, or the text as a whole. In a Response to Literature essay, you are required to use evidence from the text to support and/or prove your own ideas. It is absolutely essential that you know how to choose quotes from the text, as well as how to use them in your paper. Key Prompt Words: text, poem, story, analyze, respond to, explore Purpose

• To show your reader an understanding of a text and the connection between the text and the given topic of the essay, or the connection between one text and another and the given topic of the essay.

Important Aspects

• Include Applicable Quotations (Evidence) § Provide relevant quotations to support your position § Use quotations correctly

• Cite Your Quote § If applicable and available, include author, page, line, etc.

There are many ways to set up a Response to Literature essay; this is one example:

I. Introduction II. Idea #1

a. Evidence from text III. Idea #2

a. Evidence from text IV. Idea #3

a. Evidence from text V. Conclusion


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Organizing Response to Literature Essays Response to Literature Writing:

• Does NOT merely summarize a text • Seeks to analyze a connection • Uses quotations from the text to support the connection

Goal of Response to Literature: To examine and analyze one or more texts and to reveal a connection between the text(s) and the topic of the essay. Most Important Aspects of Response to Literature:

• Making sure you understand the elements of literature. • Finding and using appropriate quotations from the text to support your original

ideas, connections, and analysis of the text. • Quotations are NOT always dialogue (but they can be)!

Examples of Response to Literature Prompts: Most often, the prompt will tell you which text(s) to analyze:

• Interpret the relationship between Bradbury’s reference to “Burning Bright” in Fahrenheit 451 and Robert Blake’s “The Tyger.”

However, there are times when the prompt is more vague, and you have to use your background knowledge to come up with appropriate texts to write about:

• Compare and contrast the characteristics of your two or three favorite protagonists from literature.

Response to Literature Thesis Remember that in a Response to Literature essay, you are analyzing or connecting one or more texts. The text(s) that are being addressed should be mentioned in the thesis, as should the connection or final analysis. Your thesis is your interpretation of the specific aspects of the literature (as mentioned in the prompt). You may have to revise your thesis after you have written the essay in order to make it work with your analysis/connection. For Example:

Topic: Comparing and contrasting two of your favorite heroines from literature.

Response to Literature Thesis: Katniss from The Hunger Games series and Tris from the Divergent series are strikingly similar in physical strength and talent, humility, and resolve.

Let’s test this thesis.

1. Does this thesis offer a position or opinion?


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


The opinion that the two heroines are strikingly similar in physical strength and talent, humility, and resolve is an opinion.

2. Is the topic of the essay mentioned? The topic of the essay—comparing and contrasting two heroines from literature—is mentioned.

Of course, you know that this thesis is just a simple thesis. If we want to write a “better” thesis statement, our thesis statement might look something like this:

While Katniss from The Hunger Games series and Tris from the Divergent series are from different eras and societies and fighting different fights, the two heroines are strikingly similar in physical strength and talent, humility, and resolve.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Literary Terms to Know In order to express your opinion about a topic for a Response to Literature essay, it is crucial that you are familiar with some common Literary Terms. Below is a list of some terms you should be familiar with when writing about a text for a Response to Literature essay. v Plot - the related series of events that make up a story

§ Exposition - the beginning of a story in which the main characters, conflicts, and setting are introduced

§ Rising action - the action that takes place before the climax; the plot becomes more complicated, leading to the climax

§ Climax - the turning point of the story; emotional high point for the protagonist § Falling action - the action that takes place after the climax, leading to the resolution § Resolution - the end of a story; problems are solved, and characters’ futures may be

foreshadowed

v Conflict - the struggle(s) between opposing forces, usually characters

§ Internal conflict - a character’s struggle with himself or his conscience § External conflict - a character’s struggle with an outside force, such as another

character, nature, or his environment

v Characters - the individuals involved (either directly or indirectly) in the action of the story

§ Protagonist - the central character in a story; struggles against the antagonist § Antagonist - the conflicting force against the protagonist; can be another character,

a force of nature, or the protagonist struggling against himself § Foil - a character who is nearly opposite of another character; the purpose of a foil

(or character foil) is to highlight particular characteristics of each

v Setting - the time and place, or where and when, the action occurs

§ Physical - the physical environment in which a story takes place; this includes the social and political environment

§ Chronological - the time in which a story takes place (includes the era, season, date, time of day, etc.)

v Point of View - the perspective from which a story is told

§ Narrator - the “voice” that tells a story; may or may not reflect the opinions and attitudes of the author himself

§ First person - a narrator who uses the first-person pronouns (I, me, my, myself, etc.) when telling the story; focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of a particular character

§ Third person limited - a narrator who uses the third-person perspective with the third person pronouns (he, she, it, they, etc.); observes the action as an outside observer, revealing the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of only one character

§ Third person omniscient - like third-person limited, the third-person omniscient narrator uses the third-person perspective with the third person pronouns (he, she, it, they, etc.); this type of narrator observes the action as an outside observer, however, revealing the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of several characters

v Theme - the main idea behind a literary work; the message in the story


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


v Symbolism - the creative use of objects, or symbols, to indicate a deeper meaning or to represent something important.

v Diction - an author’s choice of words and word arrangement

v Irony - the difference between what actually happens and what might be expected to happen, especially when this inconsistency seems laughable or absurd

§ Verbal irony - when a speaker or writer says one thing but actually means the opposite. For example, when your mom walks into your filthy bedroom and says, “I see you’ve cleaned your room!”

§ Situational irony - when the outcome of a situation is inconsistent with what we expect would logically or normally occur.

§ Dramatic irony - when the audience or the reader is aware of something that a character does not know. The use of dramatic irony helps increase the tension and excitement of the play, and draws the audience more deeply into the story.

v Figurative Language - ideas communicated beyond their literal meaning to create an image in the reader’s mind

§ metaphor - a comparison made between two seemingly unlike objects: “the pillow was a cloud”

§ simile - a comparison between two unlike objects using the words “like” or “as” in the comparison: “the pillow was like a marshmallow”

§ personification - giving human qualities or characteristics to non-human objects: “the wind sang its sad song”

§ understatement - deliberately de-emphasizing something in order to downplay its importance, ex. “The Internet has contributed somewhat to improving communication,” is an understatement.

§ hyperbole - exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect, ex. “I died laughing.”

v Tone - the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience of a literary work; tone reflects the feelings of the writer, and can affect the emotional response of the reader to the piece.

v Mood - a general feeling that is created by the tone, usually described in expressions of feeling and emotions, such as fear, surprise, anger, hatred, contentment, or jealousy, to name a few.

v Foreshadowing - subtle details or clues which hint at upcoming events in a novel

v Flashback - when a writer presents events from the past within the narration of current events. In other words, the author takes a moment to "flash" to the past.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Finding Supporting Quotations It is always necessary to integrate quotations from the text to support and reinforce your ideas in a Response to Literature essay. The best way to find these useful quotations is to complete the Response to Literature General Pre-Writing Essay Organizer without the text in front of you at first. Once you have an idea of which direction you would like your essay to go, it is then time to find direct, concise quotations to support your response. For practice in finding appropriate quotations to support your ideas, complete the activity below. Read through the text, underlining or using self-adhesive tags (brightly colored tags shaped like an arrow work well) to indicate quotations that may be useful in supporting any of the concepts or ideas in your General Pre-Writing Essay Organizer. See the examples below for appropriate and poor use of quotations:

As you can see, the statement (detail) states that Katniss is not a large or strong girl, but she is talented with a bow and arrow. The quote that was chosen directly reiterates and emphasizes this detail. Note also that the quote is in quotation marks, that the page number the quote is found on is given in parenthesis, and it is followed by a period. This is an excellent use of a quote. While this quote may appear to be appropriate at first glance, since it refers to Tris’s height, it does not refer to or support the fact that Tris’s “sheer determination and drive” are some of her best qualities. Take a look at this detail with a more appropriate supporting quotation from the text.

This quote is better because it reinforces Tris’s determination, even though she knows she is going to be beat.

While Katniss may not be physically strong or large in stature, she makes up for this with her talent in archery. “Without thinking, I pull an arrow from my quiver and send it straight at the Gamemakers’ table…The arrow skewers the apple in the pig’s mouth and pins it to the wall behind it. Everyone stares at me in disbelief” (182).

Even though Tris is only sixteen and is particularly small, she is by no means weak—especially when it comes to her sheer determination and drive. “Peter is almost a foot taller than I am, and yesterday, he beat Drew in less than five minutes” (107).

Even though Tris is only sixteen and is particularly small, she is by no means weak—especially when it comes to her sheer determination and drive. “Maybe Al is right, and I should just take a few hits and pretend to be unconscious. But I can’t afford not to try. I can’t be ranked last” (108).


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Once you have written the basic outline of your essay in the General Pre-Writing Essay Organizer, gather together the quotations you find, copying them onto a piece of lined paper, divided into sections like the example below. Remember to copy down quotations word for word at first. If you decide not to use the entire quote, you can cut it down later.

Quotation For Possible Support of: Page

“The lake danced as if the wind were an able partner, guiding her arms to the shore.”

imagery; body paragraph #3 27

“He spoke well; his words falling trippingly as Hamlet himself would have directed.”

allusion; body paragraph #1 59

Once you have found and classified the quotations, sit down with both your Response to Literature Essay Organizer and your pages of quotes. From there, complete the Response to Literature Organizer with Quotes, introducing the quotations into the organizer wherever you feel the quotes will best fit into the essay. Don’t feel pressured to use all the quotes you found. You don’t want your essay to be just a bunch of quotes! A good rule of thumb is to “sandwich” your quote (your evidence) between your own thoughts.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Incorporating Quotations into a Response to Literature Essay When writing a Response to Literature essay, it is absolutely essential to include quotations. No matter how brilliant your paper is, Response to Literature essays are incomplete without quotations as evidence. Quotations—whether direct or indirect—serve as evidence to the claims you are making in your paper, and illustrate and support your main points. Any time you use someone else’s words or ideas, you must give credit to that person, whether you quote directly or just paraphrase. If you do not give credit to your sources it is considered plagiarism, which can very often earn you a failing grade on your paper. In order to integrate quotations or support, you should follow a format of making a statement, then following with a supporting quote, then explaining how the quotation supported your statement, and finally, transitioning into your next statement in order to repeat the process again. (Notice that the transition sentence brings up another point (copying and pasting from questionable sources), which will be proven with evidence in the next few sentences, in the SEAT format again.) Think of it with the acronym SEAT: 1) Statement, 2) Evidence, 3) Analysis, 4) Transition

Teachers and professors find that many students do not know how to incorporate quotations in their writing. Terrence Watson, professor at the University of Colorado, Denver asserts: “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their essays” (43). This often misunderstood step is crucial in the writing process, as students must learn how to incorporate quotes in order to avoid plagiarism and make their essays legitimate. In fact, the evidence shows that not only do students not know how to cite evidence, but they also often copy and paste information from questionable sources on the Internet.

In this example, the page number was given in quotation marks after the quote. If the source cited came from a play, you would indicate that with the act, scene, and line number in parenthesis: (I. iv. 7-8) OR (1.4.7-8), written with either Roman or Arabic numerals, separated by periods. When referencing a line or lines of a poem, line numbers should be given. If you are writing about more than one line of poetry, lines should be divided using a slash ( / ) .

Sonnet 54 illustrates this eloquently: “The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem / For that sweet odour which doth in it live” (Shakespeare lines 3-4).

If you are not mentioning the source in the reference, it should be included in the parenthesis.

Shakespeare’s description takes the reference even further: “The rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem / For that sweet odour which doth in it live” (“Sonnet 54” 3-4). Once you have mentioned the author’s name once, do not include the poet's name in your parenthetical citation. Instead, include the first significant word(s) of the poem's title, followed by the line number(s). After that, use only the numbers in parenthesis. Of course, the poem(s) must be cited in the Works Cited page.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


No matter what type of citation, you must ALWAYS follow SEAT: make a STATEMENT, give EVIDENCE to support it, ANALYZE the support, giving your take on the quote or commenting on how the support backs up your statement, and TRANSITION into the next idea. The following are different examples of citations used in a Response to Literature paper:

“Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their essays.” 1. Paraphrase (Indirect quotation)—using different words to express the same idea; do not

use quotation marks at all

• Teachers and professors alike find that many students often misuse quotations in their papers.

2. Direct phrase or word quote—using only one or a few words; use quotation marks around those words only

• Many teachers find that their students “omit or improperly use” quotes when writing papers.

3. MLA author/page citation—author and page in parentheses; notice the period comes after the parenthesis

• “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their essays” (Watson 43).

4. Full sentence quote with he/she said before the quotation; place comma before the quotation mark, period

• Watson claims, “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their essays” (43).

5. Full sentence quote with he/she said after the quotation; comma replaces period at the end of the quote

• “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their essays,” he argues (I.vii.117).

6. Full sentence quote with he/she said dividing the quote; commas separate the quote.

• “Many writers,” he admitted, “omit or improperly use quotations in their essays” (lines 5-7).

7. Full sentence quote with he/she said that at the beginning of the quote; the word that takes the place of the comma

• He affirmed that “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their essays” (Watson 43).

8. Full sentence quote with full sentence introduction to quote; use a colon before the quote

• Scholars have proven with scientific evidence: “Many writers omit or improperly use quotations in their essays” (Wilson, line 114).

9. Omitting words within a quote; use the ellipsis between (...)

• “Many writers...use quotations in their essays” (15).

10. Adding or changing words within a quote; use brackets to set off the change

• “Many writers [often] omit or improperly use quotations in their essays” (Watson 43).


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


MORE rules for incorporating quotations in a paper: 1. Plays, novels, long poems, website titles, magazine titles, movie titles, and books should

be italicized or underlined. (When typed, they should only be italicized.) a. Shakespeare’s Macbeth b. The Canterbury Tales c. Shakespeare in Love

2. Articles, chapter titles, song titles, poems, short stories, and essays should be punctuated

with quotation marks. a. Alanis Morrisette’s “Ironic” b. Yezierska’s “America and I” c. Langston Hughes’s “I, Too”

3. As a rule, anyone you do not personally know should be referred to by their LAST name—

not their first. a. William Shakespeare should be referred to as Shakespeare, not William b. Joseph Stalin should be referred to as Stalin, not Joseph

4. Always lead into a quotation with your own ideas or sentences; similarly, always follow a

quotation with your own ideas. Follow SEAT. 5. Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks. 6. Question marks, exclamation marks, semi-colons, and colons go inside quotation marks

when they are part of what is being quoted. When question marks and exclamation marks are used in a quotation, do not use a comma. a. “You said what?” screamed the embarrassed teenager. b. Why do they call her “Smarty Pants”?


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Response to Literature General Essay Organizer Prompt

Introduction

Grabber Grab the reader’s attention with a provocative question, strong statement, statistic, interesting fact, etc.

Focus 1-2 sentences mentioning the title and author of the work(s), plus any applicable information necessary to introduce the essay.

Thesis 1-2 sentences briefly introducing your 3 main points of description on the topic and how this topic applies specifically to the literature.

Point #1

Thesis Support #1 Begin with Thesis Support (which eventually become Topic Sentences); introduce one point to support your thesis

Statement Give an example or detail that supports the point presented in Thesis Support #1 (S)


Point #2




Point #3




Conclusion

Modified Focus Recap the focus of the essay and the essay prompt, restating the topic presented in the prompt.

Modified Thesis Reiterate/restate the points that support your thesis.

Challenge Leave the reader thinking about your essay; challenge the reader to take action or give the reader something important to ponder.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Response to Literature Organizer with Quotes Prompt

Introduction

Grabber Grab the reader’s attention with a provocative question, strong statement, statistic, interesting fact, etc.

Focus 1-2 sentences mentioning the title and author of the work(s), plus any applicable information necessary to introduce the essay.

Thesis 1-2 sentences briefly introducing your 3 main points of description on the topic and how this topic applies specifically to the literature.

Point #1



Evidence Quotation that directly supports the detail or example above. (E)

Analysis Your response to/thoughts about the evidence. Comment on how this evidence supports your statement. (A)

Transition Conclude the analysis and enter the next idea. (T)





Point #2











Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Point #3









Transition Conclude the analysis and begin to wrap up. (T)

Conclusion

Modified Focus Recap the focus of the essay and the essay prompt, restating the topic presented in the prompt.

Modified Thesis Reiterate/restate the points that support your thesis.

Challenge Leave the reader thinking about your essay; challenge the reader to take action or give the reader something important to ponder.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Response to Literature General Essay Organizer

Introduction

Grabber

Focus

Thesis

Point #1

Thesis Support #1

Statement

Statement

Point #2

Thesis Support #2

Statement

Statement

Point #3

Thesis Support #3

Statement

Statement

Conclusion

Modified Focus

Modified Thesis

Challenge


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Response to Literature Organizer with Quotes

Introduction

Grabber

Focus

Thesis

Point #1

Thesis Support #1

Statement

Evidence

Analysis

Transition

Statement

Evidence

Analysis

Transition

Point #2

Thesis Support #2

Statement

Evidence

Analysis

Transition


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Statement

Evidence

Analysis

Transition

Point #3

Thesis Support #3

Statement

Evidence

Analysis

Transition

Statement

Evidence

Analysis

Transition

Conclusion

Modified Focus

Modified Thesis

Challenge


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Response to Literature Essay Structure

Introduction

Thesis Statement (introduce your position on the topic with main points)

Focus Statement (introduce the topic)

Grabber (get the reader’s attention)

Point #1

Point #3

Conclusion

Modified Focus (restate the topic)

Modified Thesis (reiterate your main points)

Challenge (challenge the reader to take action

or keep thinking)

Point #2

Present Major Point #1

Detail/Example

Supporting Quotation

Detail/Example



Detail/Example Detail/Example




Detail/Example Detail/Example




Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Response to Literature Peer Editing Rubric

Writer’s Name Title of Essay Directions: First, write your initials below in a space labeled #1 or #2 as appropriate. Then, read the essay, circling any spelling or punctuation errors, or anything that does not make sense or is not clear, then complete the chart below. Write YES if the element is evident and well-written. Write NO if it is missing or not done well or correctly.

Make your own decisions! Do not just blindly copy the answers another editor has given—decide for yourself! At the bottom of the chart, add up the total number of points for a score out of a possible 25 points. Once you have completed your evaluation, give the essay and this paper to another editor to complete the process again. At the end of this process, at least 2 editors should have evaluated and scored the essay. When the final editor is finished, he/she should return this sheet with the essay to the writer.

Important Points to Include in Essay Points Possible #1: #2:

Has a minimum of 5 paragraphs 1

Has an Introduction 1

Has a minimum of 3 Body Paragraphs 1

Has a Conclusion 1

Has a catchy Title 1

Has an effective Grabber 1

Clearly states the topic presented in the essay prompt 1

Clearly shows an opinion or position on the topic 2

A topic sentence starts each body paragraph 2 Clear details or examples have been used at least two times to

support the first topic sentence 2

Quotations clearly support these examples or details 1 Clear explanations or examples have been used at least two times

to support the second topic sentence 2

Quotations clearly support these examples or details 1 Clear explanations or examples have been used at least two times

to support the third topic sentence 2

Quotations clearly support these examples or details 1

Conclusion includes a Modified Focus Statement 1

Conclusion includes a Modified Thesis Statement 1

Last sentence is a powerful Challenge 1

Fewer than 3 spelling errors (have been circled) 1

Fewer than 3 punctuation errors (have been circled) 1

Overall Score Assigned to Paper (25 Points Possible) / 25 /25


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Response to Literature Essay Rubric

Name of Writer

Title of Essay

Formatting Points Available

Points Awarded

Double-spaced 1 1” margins all around 1 Left-Aligned 1 Appropriate font size 1 Appropriate font style 1 Black ink 1 Header ½” from top of page 1 Header includes name, class, date 1 Title is formatted correctly 1 Pages are numbered 1

Total (10)

Research Paper Requirements Points Available

Points Awarded

Appropriate and catchy Title 3

Grabber is evident and effective 4

Topic, Title, and Author of work is clearly presented in the Introduction 5

Thesis is clearly stated in the Introduction 5

Adequate/appropriate number of details/examples 8

Adequate/appropriate number of supporting quotations 8

Quotations have been punctuated and cited correctly 5

Topic has been reiterated in the Conclusion 4

Thesis has been clearly reiterated in the Conclusion 4 Appropriate Challenge has been extended to the reader 4

Total (50)

Polish Points Available

Points Awarded

Little or no use of “forbidden” words 5 Little or no punctuation problems 5 Little or no spelling problems 5 Bridges help essay flow smoothly 5 Formality and tone are appropriate for audience 10 Essay shows pride and effort 10

Total (40)

Grand Total (100)


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Teacher Guide Part V: Evaluating Essays In order to be good writers, it is essential that students are able to recognize and evaluate all types of essays. The following activity focuses on assessing different types of essays with various problems. **Please note: NONE of these essays is perfect… and some are pretty bad, actually! Each essay has problems, and were intentionally chosen to represent REAL writing by real students. There are both very good and very bad aspects to each, and it is essential that you let your students know that these essays contain errors. Even the best of the Sample Essays could still use editing and polish! Preparation Make all necessary copies of whichever essay you would like to have students evaluate in class. You can have students work in pairs or small groups, each evaluating a different essay, or have the entire class evaluate the same essay. Make copies accordingly. In addition, make copies of both the respective Peer Editing Checklist and Rubric for students to use when evaluating the essays. Finally, make copies of the Evaluating Essays handout for each student (pp.188-189). For example, if your entire class is evaluating Essay #1, you will want to copy and hand out to all students: 3. Essay #1, the Argumentative essay 4. Argumentative Peer Editing Checklist (p.92) 5. Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay Rubric (p.93) 6. Evaluating Essays (pp.188-189) Activity Explain the necessity of being able to evaluate and assess different essays, including the importance of being able to recognize what makes good and bad writing. You may want to have all students work together as you model the process of evaluating essays in class, then have the class work on evaluating an essay on their own. In this case, you will need to make copies of everything for the evaluation process in class, and make additional copies of a separate essay, checklists, and rubrics for their individual work.

Modeling the process: Read the essay of your choice aloud in class. *It is recommended that you make an overhead transparency of the essay to take your students through the process below. 1. As a class, have students write on their copy of the essay while you guide

them through the process on an overhead projector or interactive whiteboard. Circle any misspellings, punctuation errors, or other obvious problems on the essay.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


2. Have students fold a blank piece of lined paper in half, lengthwise, then complete the process of evaluating an essay together (pp.188-189). Write the class’s answers on the projection, evaluating the “good” and “bad” elements of the paper.

a. Record the good points of the essay on the “Plus” side; include notes such as: has five paragraphs, has a title, attempts a thesis statement, good spelling, etc.

b. On the “Minus” side, include notes such as: title is boring, thesis statement is too short and uninteresting, choppy sentences, boring vocabulary, topic sentences are not at the beginning of each body paragraph, no challenge, etc.

3. Explain how a rubric works, taking the students through the process of assessing an essay. Walk students through completing the specific Peer Editing Checklist for that particular essay type.

4. As a class, assign the essay a score, according to the specific essay rubric. Be sure to evaluate each essay based on the requirements of that particular type of essay, as well as how well the writer fulfills those requirements.

Individual/Small Group Work 1. Hand a copy of the essay to all members of each group. 2. Explain to the class that they will complete the same process you all

completed in class, evaluating and scoring on their own or within the small group.

3. Have students complete the entire process again, either individually or in their small group.

Assessment Once all groups have completed the evaluation and scoring process, have each group tell the score they gave the essay, plus their reasons for their score. After each group has spoken, discuss any discrepancies and/or similarities. If there is conflict, have each group defend and discuss their score with evidence from their checklists or rubrics. Be sure that the other students in class take notes on their own papers so that they understand why the groups scored the essay the way they did.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Evaluating Essays

In order to be a good writer, it is essential that you are able to recognize and evaluate all types of essays. Not only must you read essays that have been properly organized and well written, but you must also read essays that are lacking in structure and organization—essays that are not so good! Once you can identify why an essay is good, you will be better equipped to write your own well-organized, high-quality essays. Directions: Step One: Read the sample essay. Step Two: Using a colored pencil, highlighter, or colored pen, circle or highlight any misspellings, punctuation errors, or other obvious problems. Step Three: Fold a blank piece of paper in half, lengthwise. On one side of the paper, write the word “Plus (+).” On the other side, write the word “Minus (—).” Step Four: Complete the evaluation of the essay following the prompts on the next page. Step Five: Using the Research Paper Peer Editing Checklist for the appropriate type of essay, give the essay a score according to your findings. For each of the sample essays you are given, evaluate the good (the “Plus” side) and bad (the Minus” side) elements of each paper, according to what you have learned about essay writing so far. On the “Plus” side, write what is good about the paper. Include notes such as: has five paragraphs, has a title, attempts a thesis statement, good spelling, etc. On the “Minus” side, write what is done poorly or is missing. Include notes such as: title is boring, thesis statement is too short and uninteresting, choppy sentences, boring vocabulary, topic sentences are not at the beginning of each body paragraph, etc. After you have evaluated an essay, it will look similar to the example below:

Plus (+) has five paragraphs has a title attempts a thesis statement good spelling good punctuation fulfills intended purpose (persuasive)

Minus ( – ) title is boring thesis statement is too short choppy sentences boring vocabulary topic sentences are not at the beginning of

each body paragraph no challenge tone is sarcastic and inappropriate for the

audience

Once you have completed your plus/minus evaluation, complete the form on the next page.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Directions: Use this form as you evaluate each sample essay. Read the sample essay, then follow the directions and/or answer the questions below. Do not write on this sheet. Make notations on your folded lined paper.

1. Using a colored pen, highlighter, or light-colored marker, highlight a) title, b) the first sentence of the essay, and c) the last sentence of the essay.

a. Is there a title? _____________________

b. Is there a grabber? __________________

c. Is there a challenge? _________________

2. Using a colored pen, highlighter, or light-colored marker, circle any spelling and punctuation errors you can find.

a. How many spelling errors did you find? ____________

b. How many punctuation errors did you find? ___________

3. Using a colored pen, highlighter, or light-colored marker, circle any word that does not fit, and highlight any sentences that do not make sense to you.

a. How many words are used incorrectly or don’t make sense? __________

b. How many sentences are awkward or confusing? _____________

4. How many paragraphs are there? _____________________

5. Count how many details or supporting sentences are in each body paragraph. (Remember, do not count the topic sentence)

a. Body paragraph #1: ___________

b. Body paragraph #2: ___________

c. Body paragraph #3: ___________

Once you have evaluated the entire essay, use the Research Paper Peer Editing Checklist for the appropriate essay type to assign a score to the sample essay. For example: Use the Research Paper Peer Editing Checklist for the Cause and Effect Essay when you evaluate a Cause and Effect Essay.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


Essay #20: Response to Literature

The Crucible Essay

A crucible is a severe test that a person or character goes through. In the play

written by Arthur Miller, “The Crucible,” a man named John Proctor faces trials and many

sever tests. These show the most interior feelings and morales of Mr. Proctor.

John Proctor was accused of adultry with a young girl, Abigail. The town sent him to

court to stand trial for committing this crime. When John is asked if he did it, he denied the

charges. The court asks him to recite the ten commandments because they fear he is being

led away from God; this is simply because he was not attending church every Sunday.

Coencidentaly, when John recieted the ten commandments, he left out the one he

was being accused of: Thou shalt not commit adultry. At this point, He thinks back to his

moral values and confesses all he knows. The court then asked his wife to comply with his

story. When Elizabeth, John’s wife, stands-up to the bench, she denies her husbands

findings in attemt to save her husband.

Reverand Hale asked John to sign his confession to make it official. When he signs

it, he acclaims, “you do not need to see my signature. God has seen me sign it and this fact

should be good enough for all of you. I will not have my name be posted on the church door

to be seen and looked down upon by all others.” The court, after taking his confessions,

sent him to be hanged out side in the courtyarn. John accepts his fate and says his

goodbyes to his wife and friends.

John Proctor faced these trials, and based on his moral values, confessed in the

end. These severe tests make this play named “The Crucible.” Would this story have

turned out differently if the human species did not judge and act one-tracked in their

choices???


Name ______________________________________ Period _______



Pigs Are Human, Humans Are Pigs

Who would have ever thought that the once quiet pig would become the tyrant of

Animal Farm? Napoleon, a Berkshire boar, changes considerably throughout Animal Farm

by George Orwell. Throughout the book, Napoleon changes from apathetic and laidback to

more involved and active, to finally, authoritative and tyrannical.

In the beginning of Animal Farm, Napoleon shows no concern in what the animals do

and leaves most of the leadership work and inspirational speeches to Snowball: “Napoleon

was…not much of a talker, but [had] a reputation of getting his own way” (25). Napoleon

was not keen on making speeches, and this observation is important because it

foreshadows that Napoleon is going to become bossier later in the story. Napoleon “took no

interest in Snowball’s committees” (41). Napoleon didn’t bother to care what Snowball’s

plans were, and instead “took them [the nine puppies] away from their mothers, saying that

he would make himself responsible for their education” (41). Napoleon clearly had a more

laidback approach on the outside, but had bigger things planned for later.

During the middle of the book, Napoleon becomes more active and shows more of

his true self. He orders the dogs to chase Snowball away and keeps them by his side “the

same way as the other dogs used to do to Mr. Jones” (58). This act is the first clear move

Napoleon does to show that he wants order and that whoever goes against him will meet

the same fate as Snowball. He is also showing the first sign of doing the same things the

humans did. Boxer’s second motto of “Napoleon is always right” demonstrates that the

animals believe in what Napoleon does and have no objections to it. When Napoleon

demanded that the hens five up their eggs, the hens protested. He then “ordered the hens’

rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


hen should be punished by death” (77). After five days, nine hens had died. Napoleon had

indirectly broken the Sixth Commandment: “No animal shall kill any other animal.”

At the end of the novel, Napoleon becomes a despot. One day when the animals

have a meeting, Napoleon commands his dogs to bring four pigs and three hens that had

rebelled against him. After he made them confess their crimes, Napoleon “had their throats

torn out” (83). Napoleon make an example to all the animals showing them what would

happen to them if they showed any kind of rebellion. At the very end of Animal Farm, there

is a significant quote: “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig,

and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” (128).

This tells us that Napoleon has completely turned into a human and acts and does the same

things humans do. In the end, nothing was resolved and the rebellion never changed

anything. Life before the rebellion and life at the end were the same.

The shifting characteristics of Napoleon can be seen clearly in the beginning, middle,

and end of Animal Farm by George Orwell. He was once a quite boar, but soon became a

domineering one. Though Napoleon had changed, the overall status of Animal Farm had

not.


Name ______________________________________ Period _______



Seeing the World for the First Time

Children are often safeguarded and protected from the cruelties of the world

and are known to live in ignorance and innocence. In To Kill a Mockingbird by

Harper Less, young Scout is plunged into the abyss of the real world and into the

root of human behavior. She matures as she learns life lessons and how to perceive

the world through different perspectives. She sees and realizes the true colors of

the neighbors she has known her whole life and the dark truth of prejudice and

discrimination.

Scout first viewed the world in simplicity; everybody was nice and justice was

always served. She had an immature view of Boo Radley, judging him even though

she never met him.

Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging by his tracks; he dined on raw

squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were blood-

stained –what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he

drooled most of the time (13).

Scout never considered other people’s perspectives or even tried to show

compassion. “’First of all…if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along

better with all kinds of folds. You never really understand person until you consider

his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’” (30). Scout

could not even understand what Atticus was trying to explain to her, that there was

more than one way to see a situation, and that you can never really know someone

without considering their perspective or trying to understand their side. Scout saw

the world with innocence and had not yet understood certain realities of the world

she lived in.

As she grew a little older, Scout began to mature and understand things

better. She walked away from a fight for the first time. “Somehow, if I fought Cecil, I

would let Atticus down” (77). There are better ways to handle things, and Scout took

the high road and respected Atticus’s wishes. Though she listened to Atticus, she

still tended to misjudge people—even Atticus himself. Scout assumed that Atticus


Name ______________________________________ Period _______


could not do anything admirable because he was older than most fathers and he

was just a lawyer. But she discovered that he was the best shooter in the county

and realized that just because Atticus had such a God-given talent, did not mean

that he was proud of it or had to brag about it. “’If you’re father’s anything, he’s

civilized in his heart’” (98). Atticus was given an unfair advantage over most living

things and he decided he wouldn’t shoot unless he had to.

Atticus also taught Scout about courage: “’I wanted you to see what real

courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.

It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you

see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do’” (112). Scout

learned what it really means to be brave. Even though Mrs. Dubose was addicted to

morphine and dying, she still wanted to leave the world beholden to nothing and no

one (111). Atticus wanted Scout to see this because when the time came for his

case with Tom Robinson, he wanted her to realize that Atticus himself was showing

courage.

In the end, the Tom Robinson case helped Scout to see the world for what it

was. She learned about prejudice and how the people in Maycomb Count

discriminated against each other for their race, background, ethnicity, or amount of

wealth. “’Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and

screamed’” (241). After the case, Mr. Ewell was still bitter about Atticus believing a

black man’s word over his and so he tried to kill Jem and Scout. Luckily, Boo

Radley saved them and Scout realized that she was so wrong about Boo. “Atticus

was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his

should and you walk around in them” (279). Scout finally understood to look at

things from a different perspective and to show some compassion towards others.

Scout’s views on the world changed as she matured throughout the novel.

She first viewed the world with ignorance, but then grew to learn what real courage

was. In the end, Scout finally realized how prejudiced and cruel the world could be

sometimes, and that we never really know each other’s stories. Scout matured into

a young lady who learned to see through other’s point of view, and to walk in

someone else’s shoes, seeing the world as it really is for the first time.


SAMPLE ONLY - Simply Novel resp to lit... · SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY ... " Diction - an...

Documents

Transcript of SAMPLE ONLY - Simply Novel resp to lit... · SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY SAMPLE ONLY ... " Diction - an...