Name ____________________________________________________
Date ___________________________
Response to Literature: OUTLINE
DUE: ______________________________
Directions: After reading the novel, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, and
accounts of the experiences of the people of Southern Sudan during and after the
Second Sudanese Civil War, write an essay that addresses the theme of survival by
answering the question: What factors made survival possible for Salva in A Long Walk
to Water? Support your answer with evidence from the novel and be sure to explain
your thinking about how this evidence relates to factors in Salva’s survival.
Focusing Question: What factors made survival possible for Salva in A Long Walk to
Water?
Support your answer with evidence from the novel explaining Salva’s challenges and
the survival factor he used to overcome these challenges.
I.
Introduction
Name the book and author and give brief background knowledge to reader:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Claim/Thesis (RESTATE THE QUESTION)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Turn the page to complete all parts of your outline!
II.
Body Paragraph
*Survival Factors: _____________________________ and ___________________________________
Topic Sentence to introduce the two chosen survival factors:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cite evidence for the first survival factor. *Be sure to include a brief plot summary for your
text evidence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________(_____)
Explain how Salva uses this factor to overcome his obstacle:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cite evidence for the second survival factor. *Be sure to include a brief plot summary for
your text evidence:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________(_____)
Explain how Salva uses the second factor to overcome his obstacle:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Concluding sentence (USE A CLOSING TRANSITON)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Turn the page to complete all parts of your outline!
III.

Conclusion Paragraph
Restate claim/thesis (*START WITH A CLOSING TRANSITION)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summarize Salva’s survival factors and make connections or explain importance:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
POSSIBLE
POINTS
Response to Literature
POINTS
EARNED
TOPIC: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue park
I.
INTRODUCTION
 Includes book title and author (3 pts.)
 Provides reader with background knowledge
(3 pts.)
 ends with the thesis statement (claim)
(4 pts.)
II.
BODY PARAGRAPH:
 a topic sentence clearly stating two survival factors
 (3 pts.)
10
25

supporting sentences
(with accurate evidence from the novel)
 Student supports the claim with logical
reasoning and relevant text evidence about
Salva’s obstacles (6 pts.)
 Student demonstrates an understanding of the
topic in the supporting sentences by explaining
how Salva uses the factors to overcome his
obstacle (analysis) (6 pts.)
 Includes page numbers from the novel (2 pts.)
 a concluding sentence (with a closing transition)
(3 points)

Student uses transitions to create cohesion (5 points)
III.
Conclusion
 starts with a closing transition (1 point)
 claim is restated (2 points)
 summarizes Salva’s survival factors and makes
connections/explains importance (2 points)
 Writing Mechanics


5
10
The writing demonstrates control of the conventions of written
English and MLA style
Proper spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, sentence
structure, paragraphing (mechanics) is used
Total = _____
50 points