QUOTATION ASSIGNMENT
Due by Friday, September 5
After reading your book, complete this assignment.
ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLE
Typed, double-spaced
See separate sample document
Title of Book: The Sneetches and Other Stories
Your writing should include fully-developed ideas as
well as proper grammar, vocabulary, spelling and
punctuation.
Author: Dr. Seuss

Do not use any personal pronouns in your responses
(I, me, we, us, you).
“With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort.
We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!” (4)

See attached rubric for guidance and follow the
RATE strategy.
Importance to book


Each question is to be discussed on a separate
page, typed, and double-spaced.

Your name and date should be typed in the upper
left corner. The paper needs no title.

Follow the format on the right. You are writing two
separate paragraphs. Each paragraph should
contain a topic sentence, a minimum of 6
supporting sentences and a concluding sentence.
A quotation is a phrase, sentence, or passage from another
source. These are usually the words that make you think or
stay with you even after finishing the book. Quotes do not
need to be dialogue spoken by a character.
Choose one quotation from your book that stands out to you.
Then follow the format to the right. Use the rubric as your
guide.
1.
Write the title, the author, the quotation, and then the
page number in parentheses. The title should be in
italics.
2.
Explain how this quotation is important to the book.
By using text evidence as part of your response, you may
talk about characters, events and/or conflicts that occur.
Describe these in detail so that someone who has not
read the book will still understand the story.
3.
Explain how this quotation relates to the theme.
By using text evidence as part of your response, discuss
how this quotation demonstrates the theme of
individuality, self-image, and acceptance.
Quotation
The Star-Belly Sneetches with stars on their bellies react
with disdain. They consider themselves superior to the PlainBelly Sneetches, even though the star is the only difference
between the two groups. However, this singular characteristic
is enough to make the Star-Belly Sneetches treat their PlainBelly counterparts with disrespect. Though they share the
same community, the Star-Belly Sneetches refuse to even
acknowledge the Plain-Belly Sneetches while walking down
the street. In addition, Plain-Bellies are not invited to the
picnics or parties given by the Star-Bellies. Even the children of
the two groups are not permitted to play with each other.
Later on the Plain-Belly Sneetches try to attach stars to their
bellies just so they, too, can consider themselves a part of the
“superior” group. This intolerance and narrow-mindedness
leads to a conflict, whereby the two groups exhaust
themselves trying to out-do the other, only to realize that it is
their individuality that makes both groups special.
Relationship to theme
This quotation relates to the theme of individuality, selfimage and acceptance because it reminds one of the divisions
that can form in school. Like the Star-Belly Sneetches,
students sometimes stick their noses in the air around those
they perceive as different. Some students believe that
superficial characteristics such as appearance and body type
are reason enough to reject others or to treat them poorly.
One group or individual may taunt, tease or bully another
because of these trivial differences. A person observing the
hallways, locker rooms, or the cafeteria may witness an unkind
word or gesture directed at the “Plain-Belly” student in school.
Possibly all students have experienced this kind of unfair
judgment. Of course, this type of rejection hurts one’s selfimage, making it harder for teens to feel good about
themselves. In the end, the Sneetches learn to overcome their
differences, replacing cruelty with compassion and
acceptance, a lesson from which many students would benefit
as they determine their own place in the world.