Name: ___________________________________________________ Period: __________ Date: ___________________
“Growing Up” Final Essay
What does it mean to grow up?
Some questions you might consider when forming your response:
 What are some of the challenges of growing up?
 What are some of the most important life lessons one must learn?
 How do relationships (with friends and family) influence our growth?
To answer this question, you’ll need to analyze how the theme of growing up is depicted in at
least two different texts we’ve read, giving evidence and specific examples from these texts.
You may also draw from your own experiences and your literature circle book to find evidence
for your answer.
Texts to choose from:
“Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara
“The Lesson” by Jessamyn West
“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst
Stand By Me by Rob Reiner and Stephen King
Your essay will be graded on the following features:
 An introduction that provokes the reader to think about the issue and a thesis that
takes a clear stance in answer to the prompt (above).
 A clear, logical explanation of your answer to the essay prompt (above) THREE
body paragraphs, each containing a distinct idea and structured using the PIE
paragraph format.
 specific evidence illustrating your point(s) in each body paragraph (from at least
two of the texts we’ve read in class, your own life, and/or your literature circle
book).
 Organization of paragraphs (one point per paragraph) to fully prove each point of
your thesis statement.
 A brief conclusion that sums up your essay and leaves the reader with a “So What”
to think about.
 Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar
This essay is worth 50 points in the Essays/Projects category of your language arts grade.
This is an IN-CLASS ESSAY. You will have one day to outline it in class, and one day to write
it in class. You may use your notes and outline as you write.
! Since this is an in-class essay, not a process essay, the most important thing I will be
grading for is your ideas and use of specific details and evidence (from the literature read
in class) to illustrate your points.
Please staple this sheet to your final draft
Name ________________________ Class:____________Score _____/50 pts.
Criteria
Exceeds the
Standard (A)
Introduction:
-Catches the reader’s attention
-Provides background on the issue
-Ends with a clear thesis statement
that states your argument in a clear,
logical, and well-reasoned fashion
Organization
-Argument is easy to follow
-3+ body paragraphs using the PIE
structure
Evidence
-Opinion is supported by plenty of
information, quotes, and specific
textual details as illustration
Conclusion
-Final paragraph sums up the main
points and leaves the reader with
something, a ‘so what,’ to ponder
Mechanics
-Correct spelling, punctuation, and
grammar
In preparation for the essay test:
Meets the
Standard (B)
Approaches the
Standard (C)
Below the
Standard (D-F)
1. Re-read your notes, responses, and paragraphs about growing up, thinking about the
themes (messages) of the different pieces of literature we’ve studied. Write a first draft
thesis statement.
 Do you see evidence in the texts for your argument about growing up?
 Do you use specific and precise language in your thesis?
 Is your thesis statement
o clear (easy to understand),
o complex (complicated enough to write a whole essay about), and
o arguable (not obvious, something you’ll need to prove to the reader)?
2. Revise your thesis statement as necessary and write it in the space below.
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1. Next, take a look at your thesis and decide what points of your thesis each body
paragraph will be about. You might go through and number the different points of
your thesis statement to correspond to different paragraphs of your essay.
2. Each body paragraph should clearly correspond to an idea from your thesis and give
evidence in the form of words/phrases/lines from the text. Remember to
“sandwich” these quotes into the paragraph, and thoroughly explain HOW each one
supports your idea.
3. Plan your essay using the outline below. This is just a basic “skeleton” for your
essay, but when you write the essay in class, you will fully elaborate and “flesh out”
all of the ideas from your outline. You will use this outline as a guide when you write
the actual essay. (Bullet points and brief notes are okay for this outline.)
Essay Outline
I. Introduction
Lead:
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Transition Sentences (background info explaining your topic and leading into the
Thesis):
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Thesis Statement:
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II. Body Paragraph
Point (main idea or argument, and which part of your thesis it relates to):
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Illustration (evidence to demonstrate your point):
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Explanation (explain how your examples demonstrate your point, and why it
matters):
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III. Body Paragraph
Point (main idea or argument, and which part of your thesis it relates to):
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Illustration (evidence to demonstrate your point):
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Explanation (explain how your examples demonstrate your point, and why it
matters):
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IV. Body Paragraph
Point (main idea or argument, and which part of your thesis it relates to):
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Illustration (evidence to demonstrate your point):
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Explanation (explain how your examples demonstrate your point, and why it
matters):
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VI. Conclusion:
(Make a few notes to yourself about how you would like to conclude your essay,
explaining anything else left unresolved, summing up your main points, and leaving
the reader with something to think about—a “so what”.)
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