Final Literary Essay for the novel, The Circuit
Name _____________________________
Class _____________________________
You will be writing a literary essay answering one of the essential questions we have discussed
in class on the novel, The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez. This week we will be planning (through
graphic organizers), and drafting the essay. Next week you will type the essay in class.
First Draft DUE _________________________________________________
Final Draft DUE __________________________________________________
You will be graded on the following targets:
1. I can develop a claim from an essential question
2. I can support my claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
3. I can write an organized essay, which includes an introduction and a conclusion.
You need to include evidence from The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez, and the article “Fitting In”
by Andrea Martinez
You may also include evidence from the Pat Mora Poems, “Elena”, and “Legal Alien” as a
challenge
Step One: The Foundation of a Claim
Review your Mid-Point Analysis paper – Do you still wish to use the same essential question?
Based on completing the novel, you may want to change your essential question.
1. Write your Essential Question of choice below:
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2. Rewrite the question into a statement below:
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3. Circle the important words (power words) in your statement above and define them
below. (This should take you some time to be thoughtful)
Final Literary Essay for the novel, The Circuit
Step Two: The Support Beams of a Claim (do you like the metaphor?)
Take out your evidence menu from last week. Look carefully at your power word definitions. Do
you have specific examples from the texts that fall under those definitions? For example, if you
defined injustice as something that is not fair, does Diaz asking Gabriel to pull a plow fall into
that definition?
Write your power words on the lines below. Write a one to three word reminder of your
evidence next to them. It can be from either text.
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Remember that when we make claims that we are introducing the theme of our essay. You
need to leave out the first-person, even though it is your opinion. Your quick reminders of your
evidence are what you are going to use to tell your reader that you have really strong support
holding up your claim.
Step Three: The Walls of a Claim (extended metaphors FOREVER)
What is something that all of your evidence has in common? For example, both Andrea and Francisco
have people outside their families who help them and encourage them as students.
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How can you use that commonality in your claim? It will become the GLUE that holds your two
texts together as you answer your EQ with an essay.
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Now you need to write your claim. It needs to include an answer to your essential question as
well as specific references to the two (or three) texts you are going to use.
Once you have crafted a claim you feel confident in, find someone else in the room to share
with. Make constructive critiques of each other’s work. Then find a new partner. Share with at
least three people. Take their comments into consideration as you make your claim stronger.