On The Road - reading schedule
4/27 - page 32
4/28 - page 54
4/29 - page 76
5/2 - page 98
5/3 -- page 120
5/4 - 144
5/5 - 156
5/6 - 178
5/9 - 200
5/10 - 222
5/11 - 244
5/12 - 266
5/13 - FINISHED
THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD
4/27 - page 33
4/28 - page 54
4/29 - page 76
5/2 - 98
5/3 - 120
5/4 - 135
5/5 - 150
5/6 - 160
5/10 - 180
5/11 - FINISHED
5/12 - Review for FINAL
Wednesday 27 April 2016
Tuesday 26 April 2016
Pre-Reading
For high school students, begin a discussion by asking:
Jack Kerouac Bio
As you read this book you should be aware of a few things:
1) Zora was an Anthropologist who immersed herself in the folklore, music and religion (including Voodoo - or Hoodoo) of Southern African-American Society. You should read "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" as an introduction to her, and look up one of her pieces of forklore - she published two books of folklore during her life. One of them happened to include Voodoo in Haiti and zombies. Her fiction arises from her folklore collecting.
2) Zora grew up in Eatonville - the town in THEIR EYES WHERE WATCHING GOD.
3) She claimed to have written the book in one month after the break-up of a relationship. She claims to have poured all the love and heartache of the relationship into the novel. You might look up Eatonville on the web (NOTE: It's outside of Orlando - I moved to Orlando and worked at Disney because of this novel. I had to see Zora's hometown).
4) Zora lied about her birth. She was ten years older than what she claimed. This would have made her about 45 when she wrote THEIR EYES WHERE WATCHING GOD.
5) She was a member of the Harlem Renaissance - considered the greatest writer of the Renaissance by some, but her books weren't published until after the renaissance was over - and even after some of the members of the Renaissance (poor Wallace Thurman) were dead. She and Langston Hughes wrote a play together and were good friends, but something happened between them and so when she left New York in the 30s her connection with the Renaissance was gone. If you know nothing of the Harlem Renaissance you need to do some brief research.
6) Think about why she uses a Southern African-American vernacular. Think who tells the story. Is there an American Dream here? Mark her imagery, symbolism and metaphors. Think beyond them. What about the title?
Okay - I've read every book Hurston wrote and Their Eyes Were Watching God both as an undergrad and as a graduate, and I helped teach a college course on The Harlem Renaissance. So - you're going to have fun!
Note - we'll be focusing on meaning of the title; author's life; structure of book; central symbols and central themes.
For those of you using the hurricane in Zora's Biographical section, you might want to look at the following:
The 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane is the hurricane presented in THEIR EYES WHERE WATCHING GOD. It is considered the 3rd most deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. coast (greater than Katrina); it killed over 4,078 people.
These question could be used to help direct your dialectical journals if
you need help, or to make you glad that you're not answering other
people's questions on the text (you're asking and answering your own! -
wow, think about that).
NOTE: I didn't write these questions (except question 1), but I don't quite remember where they came from.
1. Their Eyes Were Watching God has been compared to Huck Finn in its use of a journey to discover self. Do you see a connection? How does this work?
2. Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie’s tale?
3. Did you like Janie? Do you admire her?
4. Hurston uses nature – the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane – not only as plot device but also as metaphor. How do they function as both?
5. The novel’s action begins and ends with two judgment scenes. Why are both groups of people judging her? Is either correct in its assessment?
6. Many readers consider the novel a coming-of-age novel, as Janie journeys through three marriages. What initially attracts her to each man? What causes her to leave? What does she learn from each?
7. In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?
8. How important is Hurston’s use of vernacular dialect to our understanding of Janie and the other characters and their way of life? What do speech patterns reveal about the quality of these lives and the nature of these communities?
9. What are the differences between the language of the men and that of Janie and the other women? How do the differences in language reflect the two groups’ approaches to life, power, relationships, and self-realization? How do the novel’s first two paragraphs point to these differences?
10. The elaborate burial of the town mule draws from an incident Hurston recounts in Tell My Horse, where the Haitian president ordered an elaborate Catholic funeral for his pet goat. Although this scene is comic, how is it also tragic?
11. How does the image of the black woman as “the mule of the world” become a symbol for the roles Janie chooses or refuses to play during her quest?
12. Little of Hurston’s work was published during the Harlem Renaissance, yet her ability to tell witty stories and to stir controversy made her a favorite guest at elite Harlem parties. Can you think of some of the passages of wit and humor in Their Eyes Were Watching God?
13. What do the names of Janie’s husbands – Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods – tell us about their characters and their relationships with Janie?
14. What kind of God are the eyes of Hurston’s characters watching? What crucial moments of the plot does the title allude to? Does this God ever answer Janie’s questioning?
15. How do the imagery and tone of the last few pages of the novel connect with other moments in the novel? Does Janie’s story end in triumph, despair, or a mixture of both?
16. What is the importance of the concept of horizon? How do Janie and each of her men widen her horizons? What is the significance of the novel’s final sentences in this regard?
17. How does Janie’s journey – from West Florida, to Eatonville, to the Everglades – represent her, and the novel’s increasing immersion in black culture and traditions?
18. To what extent does Janie acquire her own voice and the ability to shape her own life? How are the two related? Does Janie’s telling her story to Pheoby in flashback undermine her ability to tell her story directly in her own voice?
19. In what ways does Janie conform to or diverge from the assumptions that underlie the men’s attitudes toward women? How would you explain Hurston’s depiction of violence toward women?
20. What is the importance in the novel of the story telling on the front porch of Joe’s store and elsewhere? What purpose do these stories, traded insults, exaggerations, and boasts have in the lives of these people?
21. Why is adherence to tradition so important to nearly all the people in Janie’s world? How does the community deal with those who are “different”?
22. After Joe Starks’s funeral, Janie realizes that “She had been getting ready for her great journey to the horizons in search of people; it was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her.” Why is this important “to all the world”? In what ways does Janie’s self-awareness depend on her increased awareness of others?
- If you could travel anywhere in the United States by car, where would you want to go and why?
- Who would be the one person that you would most want to take with you on the trip and why?
- What difficulties would you expect to have on your trip?
Jack Kerouac Bio
As you read this book you should be aware of a few things:
1) Zora was an Anthropologist who immersed herself in the folklore, music and religion (including Voodoo - or Hoodoo) of Southern African-American Society. You should read "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" as an introduction to her, and look up one of her pieces of forklore - she published two books of folklore during her life. One of them happened to include Voodoo in Haiti and zombies. Her fiction arises from her folklore collecting.
2) Zora grew up in Eatonville - the town in THEIR EYES WHERE WATCHING GOD.
3) She claimed to have written the book in one month after the break-up of a relationship. She claims to have poured all the love and heartache of the relationship into the novel. You might look up Eatonville on the web (NOTE: It's outside of Orlando - I moved to Orlando and worked at Disney because of this novel. I had to see Zora's hometown).
4) Zora lied about her birth. She was ten years older than what she claimed. This would have made her about 45 when she wrote THEIR EYES WHERE WATCHING GOD.
5) She was a member of the Harlem Renaissance - considered the greatest writer of the Renaissance by some, but her books weren't published until after the renaissance was over - and even after some of the members of the Renaissance (poor Wallace Thurman) were dead. She and Langston Hughes wrote a play together and were good friends, but something happened between them and so when she left New York in the 30s her connection with the Renaissance was gone. If you know nothing of the Harlem Renaissance you need to do some brief research.
6) Think about why she uses a Southern African-American vernacular. Think who tells the story. Is there an American Dream here? Mark her imagery, symbolism and metaphors. Think beyond them. What about the title?
Okay - I've read every book Hurston wrote and Their Eyes Were Watching God both as an undergrad and as a graduate, and I helped teach a college course on The Harlem Renaissance. So - you're going to have fun!
Note - we'll be focusing on meaning of the title; author's life; structure of book; central symbols and central themes.
For those of you using the hurricane in Zora's Biographical section, you might want to look at the following:
The 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane is the hurricane presented in THEIR EYES WHERE WATCHING GOD. It is considered the 3rd most deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. coast (greater than Katrina); it killed over 4,078 people.
NOTE: I didn't write these questions (except question 1), but I don't quite remember where they came from.
1. Their Eyes Were Watching God has been compared to Huck Finn in its use of a journey to discover self. Do you see a connection? How does this work?
2. Why does Janie choose to tell her story only to her best friend Pheoby? How does Pheoby respond at the end of Janie’s tale?
3. Did you like Janie? Do you admire her?
4. Hurston uses nature – the pear tree, the ocean, the horizon, the hurricane – not only as plot device but also as metaphor. How do they function as both?
5. The novel’s action begins and ends with two judgment scenes. Why are both groups of people judging her? Is either correct in its assessment?
6. Many readers consider the novel a coming-of-age novel, as Janie journeys through three marriages. What initially attracts her to each man? What causes her to leave? What does she learn from each?
7. In the novel, speech is used as a mechanism of control and liberation, especially as Janie struggles to find her voice. How does she choose when to speak out or to remain quiet?
8. How important is Hurston’s use of vernacular dialect to our understanding of Janie and the other characters and their way of life? What do speech patterns reveal about the quality of these lives and the nature of these communities?
9. What are the differences between the language of the men and that of Janie and the other women? How do the differences in language reflect the two groups’ approaches to life, power, relationships, and self-realization? How do the novel’s first two paragraphs point to these differences?
10. The elaborate burial of the town mule draws from an incident Hurston recounts in Tell My Horse, where the Haitian president ordered an elaborate Catholic funeral for his pet goat. Although this scene is comic, how is it also tragic?
11. How does the image of the black woman as “the mule of the world” become a symbol for the roles Janie chooses or refuses to play during her quest?
12. Little of Hurston’s work was published during the Harlem Renaissance, yet her ability to tell witty stories and to stir controversy made her a favorite guest at elite Harlem parties. Can you think of some of the passages of wit and humor in Their Eyes Were Watching God?
13. What do the names of Janie’s husbands – Logan Killicks, Jody Starks, Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods – tell us about their characters and their relationships with Janie?
14. What kind of God are the eyes of Hurston’s characters watching? What crucial moments of the plot does the title allude to? Does this God ever answer Janie’s questioning?
15. How do the imagery and tone of the last few pages of the novel connect with other moments in the novel? Does Janie’s story end in triumph, despair, or a mixture of both?
16. What is the importance of the concept of horizon? How do Janie and each of her men widen her horizons? What is the significance of the novel’s final sentences in this regard?
17. How does Janie’s journey – from West Florida, to Eatonville, to the Everglades – represent her, and the novel’s increasing immersion in black culture and traditions?
18. To what extent does Janie acquire her own voice and the ability to shape her own life? How are the two related? Does Janie’s telling her story to Pheoby in flashback undermine her ability to tell her story directly in her own voice?
19. In what ways does Janie conform to or diverge from the assumptions that underlie the men’s attitudes toward women? How would you explain Hurston’s depiction of violence toward women?
20. What is the importance in the novel of the story telling on the front porch of Joe’s store and elsewhere? What purpose do these stories, traded insults, exaggerations, and boasts have in the lives of these people?
21. Why is adherence to tradition so important to nearly all the people in Janie’s world? How does the community deal with those who are “different”?
22. After Joe Starks’s funeral, Janie realizes that “She had been getting ready for her great journey to the horizons in search of people; it was important to all the world that she should find them and they find her.” Why is this important “to all the world”? In what ways does Janie’s self-awareness depend on her increased awareness of others?
Monday 25 April 2016
Contemporary Literature
Unit
Learning goal: Students will demonstrate knowledge of twentieth century
foundation works of American Literature by writing a short 2-3 page essay
analyzing the Kerouac’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of On The Road and it’s impact on the text
as a whole. Or write a 2-3 page essay on the structure of Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Scale/Rubric
relating to learning goal:
4 – The student can write a strong 3-page essay
discussing how specific parts of On The
Road contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
3 – The student can write 2-3 essay discussing how
specific parts of On The Road
contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
2 – With some direction/help from the teacher the student
can write 2-3 essay discussing how specific parts of On The Road contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
1 – Even with help from the teacher the student is unable
write 2-3 essay discussing how specific parts of On The Road contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Objectives
(smaller chunks of overall goal) and suggested time periods
At the End of this Unit Students will be able to
1) Break the novel On the Road into three parts discussing how each part helps create
meaning in the novel as a whole
2) List the elements of contemporary American
literature
3) Relate On
the Road to Huckleberry Finn
4) Discuss the meaning behind certain names in On the Road
5) Discuss the meaning and give examples of the
following themes: Dissatisfaction with the status quo; Different visions of
America; Different versions of reality; The meaning of time; Poverty in America
6) Discuss the meaning of the conclusion
7) Discuss how On
the Road helped inspire the 60s, counterculture movement and protest
literature
Major Themes addressed:
Dissatisfaction with the status
quo, Different visions of America, Different versions of Reality, Poverty, The
meaning of time, What makes an American
Thursday 21 April 2016
Thursday
We are going to continue with the peer-review workshop on your essays.
Note - next draft will be due on May 2nd.
Note - next draft will be due on May 2nd.
Monday 18 April 2016
Persuasive Essays
Draft 1 - due tomorrow. We will probably PEER workshop these on the screen, so make them good.
Remember turn in outlines with drafts.
Remember turn in outlines with drafts.
|
Thesis Statement, Ideas,
Defining your argument, backing up your argument with proof
|
Ideas are fresh and
original. Thesis is narrow and
manageable. Order of development clear and precise and helps development one
clear main idea. Hook and thesis
connect. Clear important details for
support
|
Ideas are clear but might
be overused. Topic/ Thesis is fairly
board. Order of develop may ramble and
may not back up thesis. Hook is present
but may not connect with thesis.
Support is attempted but not quite fulfilled with specifics.
|
Paper lacks a central idea
or purpose. Ideas are not developed or
seem to go in several directions.
Information is limited or unclear.
Details are missing.
|
Not Evident
|
|
Organization
|
Original title.
Transitions connect main
ideas. Effective opening and ending.
Easy to follow. Important ideas
stand out. Clear beginning, middle and
end. Details fit where placed.
|
Appropriate title. Transitions connect sentence to sentence
but not necessary idea to idea. Good
beginning. Attempted ending. Logical sequencing. Key ideas are beginning to surface. Readable.
|
Paper is hard to follow
because transitions are weak or absent.
There is no clear beginning or ending.
Ideas may not fit together or ramble.
Paragraph structure might not be evident.
|
Not Evident
|
|
Voice
|
Point of view is evident
Clear sense of audience
Enthusiastic about
topic. Says more than is
expected. Words elicit both ideas and
emotions. Work is engaging and
persuades
|
Personal treatment of
standard topic. Perspective becomes
evident. Some sense of audience. Conveys ideas to reader. The writer likes the topic, but is not
passionate about it. Writing persuades
in some places
|
Paper is lifeless,
mechanic, stilted. Predictable
treatment of topic. Energy
lacking. Audience could be
anyone. Writer is indifferent to the
topic. Does not persuade at all.
|
Not evident
|
|
Word Choice
|
Precise, fresh, original
words. Vivid images. Avoids repetitions, clichés,
vagueness. Use of figurative
language. Everyday words are used
well.
|
Uses favorite words
correctly. Experiments with new
words. Attempts to use descriptive
words to create images.
|
Ordinary and recognizable
words. Language is generic or cliché. Uses repetitions or relies on slang. Overuse of “to be” verbs.
|
Not Evident
|
|
Sentence Fluency
|
Consistent use of sentence
variety. Sentence structure is correct
and creative. Varied beginnings,
varied structures, and varied lengths.
Natural flow and rhythm.
Writing is not wordy.
|
Sentences are usually
correct, but some may not flow smoothly.
Simple and compound sentences are present. Varied beginning. Sections have rhythm and flow. Writing could be cut to avoid wordiness.
|
Sentences are choppy, incomplete,
rambling or awkward. Meanings are not
always clear. Words are strung
together. Sentences could be extremely
wordy.
|
Not Evident
|
|
Mechanics
|
There may be occasional
errors in mechanics (spelling, fragments, run-ons, punctuation,
capitalization, usage, etc.). However,
it is hard to find errors.
|
Errors in writing mechanics
are noticeable but do not impair readability.
|
Numerous errors in usage,
grammar, spelling, capitalization, and/or punctuation distract reader and
impair readability.
|
Not Evident
|
|
Uses of Persuasive Tools
|
Uses 4 or more tools:
expert testimony, quality of reasoning, points out flaws in opposing views,
appeal to audience self-interests, radically different topics or new twists
on old topics
|
Uses 2-3 tools.
|
Relies heavily on one tool.
|
Not Evident
|
|
References and Sources
|
More
than five sources. All sources of
information are noted in correct in-text citation (MLA format) and correct
Works Cited page.
|
Three
to five sources. Some sources of information are noted incorrectly or not in
MLA format. Minor problems with Works
Cited page.
|
Less than three
sources. Most information noted
incorrectly. MLA format completely
missing. Many problems with Works
Cited page.
|
Not Evident
|
Thursday 14 April 2016
Persuasive Essays
1st Draft will be due on Tuesday. I expect your outlines to be turned in with your drafts.
Remember works cited:
Remember works cited:
Wednesday 13 April 2016
Thesis Statements and 1st Paragraphs
Today - I expect to hear and discuss your thesis statements and opening paragraphs.
Remember, outline your essays before you begin writing. I do want you to turn in an outline with your essays.
Remember, outline your essays before you begin writing. I do want you to turn in an outline with your essays.
Tuesday 12 April 2016
Essay Outline
Persuasive Essay Format
This outline comes from the following website: http://www2.powayusd.com/teachers/kkangas/Language%20Arts/Writing/persuasive_essay_format.htm (view it here)
This outline comes from the following website: http://www2.powayusd.com/teachers/kkangas/Language%20Arts/Writing/persuasive_essay_format.htm (view it here)
Intro:
*Immediately engage reader (attention getter)
·
get the reader “in the
ballpark”
*Establish
context
(topic of essay)
·
usually 2-3 sentences narrowing
down to the point of the paper
·
cite your source with title and
author (if using one source)
*Strong &
complete thesis statement
Body:
*Begin paragraphs with a clear, concise topic
sentence
·
*Use
concrete details (CD)
·
these include facts or quotes
·
cite sources when necessary
(simplified: such as author’s last name & pg #)
·
*Create insightful
commentary to support concrete details (2-3
comments per CD)
·
shoot for at least 2 CD per
paragraph (+ commentary)
*Address a
counter argument
·
include a rebuttal defending your
thesis (which includes CD and commentary)
Conclusion:
*Transition into summary of key points
*Transition into summary of key points
*Restate thesis (say it another way!)
*Refer
back to the attention getter and tie things up
*Answer “So what?”
·
Leave reader feeling persuaded or
at least challenged
·
This personal comment can include
a universal observation
(a prediction), a call to action (a recommendation) or a scare
(a veiled threat)
(a prediction), a call to action (a recommendation) or a scare
(a veiled threat)
Suggested sentence
starter for commentary:
“This shows that…” (eventually teach kids
to eliminate it)
“This proves that…”
“This demonstrates that…”
Suggested sentence
starters for counter:
“On the other hand, some people believe ______...”
“One may argue _________; however, _____...”
“One may argue _________; however, _____...”
Suggested sentence
starters for conclusion:
“We need to…”
“It’s our
responsibility to …”
“It’s important
to…”
“In order to______,
we must…”
“It would be to our
benefit to…”
Encourage:
Incorporate transitions
Use high-level vocab
Incorporate transitions
Use high-level vocab
Vary sentence patterns
Create a strong “voice”
Create a strong “voice”
Show a logical argument throughout
Edit well
*The number of paragraphs
and the organization of the essay will vary.
Monday 11 April 2016
Persuasive Essays
HOMEWORK: You need to have your "TOPIC" by tomorrow so you can begin to research.
Unit
Learning goal: Students will be able to research, write and perform an
original persuasive essay that takes a side on an issue and successfully argues
for that side.
Scale/Rubric
relating to learning goal:
4 – The student can write and perform an original
persuasive speech that that takes a side on an issue and successfully argues
for that side using all six elements of persuasion. The writing and performance are both
exemplarily effective.
3 – The student is able to write an original and perform
an original persuasive essay that takes a side on an issue and successfully
argues for that side.
2 – With some direction/help from the teacher the student
is able to write and perform an original persuasive essay that takes a side on
an issue and/or successfully argues for that side.
1 – Even with help
from the teacher the student is unable to write and/or perform an original
persuasive essay that takes a side on an issue and successfully argues for that
side.
Objectives
(smaller chunks of overall goal) and suggested time periods
OBJECTIVES: By the end of this unit students will be able
to
1) Define the following terms: Logos, Ethos,
Pathos, Thesis Statement, Order of Development, Conclusion, Transition,
Audience, Hook, Purpose, Evidence
2) List the six traits of writing and the six
steps in the writing process.
3) Properly outline the constructive for a
debate and rebut opponents points/arguments
4) Participate in Spar and Forum debate
5) Watch a national debate and evaluate and
explain who won by keeping a flow chart of arguments and rebuttals
6) Choose a topic about a controversial issues
and take one side of argument
7) List the Do’s and Don’ts of persuasive
argument
8) Write a clear and precise thesis statement
with an order of development
9) Properly cite sources both in-text and on a
works cited page
10) Find evidence from a variety of different
sources including Print Sources, Internet Sources, Media Sources, and Personal
Sources
11) Use the Internet to properly to conduct
research
12) Create at least 10 Bibliography citations
and 10 research entries
13) Use research notes to cite passages from
sources
14) Use evidence to back up your position
15) Use your order of development as an
organizational tool
16) Use transitions to connect points of
argument
17) Use Standard Edited American English
18) Use Proper College Composition Format
19) Use the six steps of the writing process to
draft and revise a paper
20) Write three drafts of a persuasive essay
using at least three sources of evidence
21) Present the final draft of your essay as an
oration to class
MLA
1) Last Name/First Name of Author
2) Title of article or title of webpage
3) Title of book or website
4) Place of publication
5) Publisher
6) Date of publication
7) Page number
8) Source of publication (example: Web, Print, DVD, etc)
9) (Internet) Date of access.
go here for sample MLA Citation pages or in-text citations.
Here are two short - but decent - videos are in-text citations and works cited page
Go HERE and Also go here for an additional video on WORKS CITED PAGE
The best place to go for help with MLA structure or any other essay question is Purdue OWL online.
Exceeds the Standard
|
Meets the Standard
|
Needs Improvement
|
Not Evident
|
|
Thesis Statement, Ideas,
Defining your argument, backing up your argument with proof
|
Ideas are fresh and
original. Thesis is narrow and
manageable. Order of development clear and precise and helps development one
clear main idea. Hook and thesis
connect. Clear important details for
support
|
Ideas are clear but might
be overused. Topic/ Thesis is fairly
board. Order of develop may ramble and
may not back up thesis. Hook is present
but may not connect with thesis.
Support is attempted but not quite fulfilled with specifics.
|
Paper lacks a central idea
or purpose. Ideas are not developed or
seem to go in several directions.
Information is limited or unclear.
Details are missing.
|
Not Evident
|
Organization
|
Original title.
Transitions connect main
ideas. Effective opening and ending.
Easy to follow. Important ideas
stand out. Clear beginning, middle and
end. Details fit where placed.
|
Appropriate title. Transitions connect sentence to sentence
but not necessary idea to idea. Good
beginning. Attempted ending. Logical sequencing. Key ideas are beginning to surface. Readable.
|
Paper is hard to follow
because transitions are weak or absent.
There is no clear beginning or ending.
Ideas may not fit together or ramble.
Paragraph structure might not be evident.
|
Not Evident
|
Voice
|
Point of view is evident
Clear sense of audience
Enthusiastic about
topic. Says more than is
expected. Words elicit both ideas and
emotions. Work is engaging and
persuades
|
Personal treatment of
standard topic. Perspective becomes
evident. Some sense of audience. Conveys ideas to reader. The writer likes the topic, but is not
passionate about it. Writing persuades
in some places
|
Paper is lifeless,
mechanic, stilted. Predictable
treatment of topic. Energy
lacking. Audience could be
anyone. Writer is indifferent to the
topic. Does not persuade at all.
|
Not evident
|
Word Choice
|
Precise, fresh, original
words. Vivid images. Avoids repetitions, clichés,
vagueness. Use of figurative
language. Everyday words are used
well.
|
Uses favorite words
correctly. Experiments with new
words. Attempts to use descriptive
words to create images.
|
Ordinary and recognizable
words. Language is generic or cliché. Uses repetitions or relies on slang. Overuse of “to be” verbs.
|
Not Evident
|
Sentence Fluency
|
Consistent use of sentence
variety. Sentence structure is correct
and creative. Varied beginnings,
varied structures, and varied lengths.
Natural flow and rhythm.
Writing is not wordy.
|
Sentences are usually
correct, but some may not flow smoothly.
Simple and compound sentences are present. Varied beginning. Sections have rhythm and flow. Writing could be cut to avoid wordiness.
|
Sentences are choppy, incomplete,
rambling or awkward. Meanings are not
always clear. Words are strung
together. Sentences could be extremely
wordy.
|
Not Evident
|
Mechanics
|
There may be occasional
errors in mechanics (spelling, fragments, run-ons, punctuation,
capitalization, usage, etc.). However,
it is hard to find errors.
|
Errors in writing mechanics
are noticeable but do not impair readability.
|
Numerous errors in usage,
grammar, spelling, capitalization, and/or punctuation distract reader and
impair readability.
|
Not Evident
|
Uses of Persuasive Tools
|
Uses 4 or more tools:
expert testimony, quality of reasoning, points out flaws in opposing views,
appeal to audience self-interests, radically different topics or new twists
on old topics
|
Uses 2-3 tools.
|
Relies heavily on one tool.
|
Not Evident
|
References and Sources
|
More
than five sources. All sources of
information are noted in correct in-text citation (MLA format) and correct
Works Cited page.
|
Three
to five sources. Some sources of information are noted incorrectly or not in
MLA format. Minor problems with Works
Cited page.
|
Less than three
sources. Most information noted
incorrectly. MLA format completely
missing. Many problems with Works
Cited page.
|
Not Evident
|
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