Name: __________________________________________
Most Valuable Idea Assignment Sheet
One way to analyze literature is to make connections between real world events and the author’s language and
ideas. In order to make those connections, you must understand the author’s purpose for writing this text,
which includes the main ideas and messages to the reader. The most valuable idea of the text can be revealed in
multiple ways. It is the most important concept that the reader learns by reading the text and is often a moral,
message, or lesson for the reader.
Assignment: After reading your assigned literary text, determine its most valuable idea and find quotes from
the text that support that idea. Next, find and summarize a current event article that demonstrates the same idea.
Explain how the details in the article connect to the evidence from the literary text. Elaborate on how this idea
is valuable today and make connections between the article and the text showing how both of them develop
your most valuable idea. Then, challenge your most valuable idea by explaining the problems and flaws that
might be associated with it. Be sure to provide a copy of your current event article and a Works Cited page
generated using Noodle Tools.
Your final product must contain the following six sections:
 The most valuable idea from your literary text
 A multiple paragraph summary of the article
 Direct quotes from the literary text with explanations that support or prove your most valuable idea
 Multiple paragraphs showing connections between the article you found and the literary text you read
 An explanation of the problems and flaws that might be associated with your most valuable idea
 A complete, accurate Works Cited page for the literary text and article following proper MLA format
Name: ___________________________________________
Evidence from the
Article
Selects and summarizes
an article clearly related
to the idea.
Evidence from Text
Includes specific
evidence from the text,
with explanation, that
supports the most
valuable idea.
Connections
Logical connections are
made between the text
and the article. Specific
reasons are given for the
relevance of the idea in
today’s world.
Analysis
Challenges the most
valuable idea by
explaining the problems
and flaws that might be
associated with it.
Citations
Includes Works Cited
page and all in-text
citations.
Comments:
Most Valuable Idea Rubric
Advanced
15 – 14 points
Proficient
13 – 11 points
Basic
10 – 9 points
Below Basic
8 – 0 points
Excellent summary
of a relevant article.
Good summary of a
relevant article.
Limited summary
and article.
Unsatisfactory
summary and/or
article.
Advanced
30 – 27 points
Proficient
26 – 21 points
Basic
20 – 18 points
Below Basic
17 – 0 points
Sophisticated
explanation of the
text by including
illustrative
quotations.
Clear explanation
of the text by
including relevant
quotations.
Limited
explanation of the
text using
insufficient
quotations.
Unsatisfactory
explanation of the
text and/or lacks
evidence.
Advanced
30 - 27 points
Proficient
26 – 21 points
Basic
20 – 18 points
Below Basic
17 – 0 points
Sophisticated
connections are
made between the
text, the article, and
the relevance of the
idea in today’s
world.
Logical
connections are
made between the
text, the article, and
the relevance of the
idea in today’s
world.
Weak connections
are made between
the text, the article,
and the relevance
of the idea in
today’s world.
Faulty connections
are made between
the text, the article,
and the relevance
of the idea in
today’s world.
Advanced
10 – 9 points
Proficient
8 – 7 points
Basic
6 points
Below Basic
5 - 0 points
Sophisticated
explanation of the
potential challenges
to the idea.
Clear explanation
of the potential
challenges to the
idea.
Limited
explanation of the
potential challenges
to the idea.
Unsatisfactory
explanation of the
potential challenges
to the idea.
Advanced
15 – 14 points
Proficient
13 – 11 points
Basic
10 – 9 points
Below Basic
8 – 0 points
Citations are
accurate and
complete.
Citations have
minor errors.
Citations have
significant errors.
Lacks citations.
/15
/30
/30
/10
/15
/100