WRITING ASSIGNMENT: “Bread” by Margaret Atwood
Objective: write a descriptive composition
Targets:
1. use descriptive “show, don’t tell” strategies
 figurative language
 strong diction
 vivid details
 appeal to the 5 senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch)
2. use description to change the reader’s point of view
3. use rhetorical strategies to add sophistication to your writing and make it more
convincing
 repetition of an opening phrase or repetition of an entire phrase. ex. “Imagine a
piece of bread…. Imagine a famine. Now imagine a piece of bread….Imagine a
prison…”
 parallelism: phrases written in the same way. ex. “The bread they offered you is
subversive, it’s treacherous, it does not mean life.”
 rhetorical questions to make the reader doubt or think. “But can you trust it?”
 short simple sentence to introduce an idea.
Model the style and structure of a published author, but add your own original ideas and
description to convey a new message to the reader.
A. Write about a common, necessary object like “bread”.
B. Demonstrate 3 contrasting perspectives toward this object.
C. Use key lines from Atwood to give your piece a similar structure:
Paragraph 1: “Imagine a _________. You don’t have to imagine it, it’s right there in ….”
Paragraph 2: “Imagine a _______. Now imagine ____________.”
Paragraph 3: “Imagine a ________.”
(you can add another paragraph with a different point of view)
Closing paragraph: “The _______ I have conjured for you floats about a foot above _________... You
didn’t touch _____ though. What stopped you? You don’t want to know whether the ______ is real or
whether it’s just a hallucination I’ve somehow duped you into seeing. There’s no doubt that you can see
________ … But can you trust it? Can you ______? You don’t want to know, imagine that.”
ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS: DESCRIPTIVE (PERSUASIVE) “Bread”
Organization
Not Meeting
Lacks coherent
organization or is weak;
idea order does not
reflect thesis
Conclusions (sentences
and paragraph) are
missing or weak. Do not
tie ideas together or
connect back to thesis.
Meeting
Exceeding
Organization is present,
if formulaic. Structure
is logical.
Organization is
sophisticated, and
engaging.
Conclusions are
present, but formulaic.
May simply restate
topic sentence or
thesis.
Modeling
Does not reflect the
style and structure of
the sample
composition.
Follows the structure
and style of the sample
composition. Uses key
phrases by author.
Conclusions
demonstrate insights;
sum up ideas while
clearly connecting back
to thesis.
Effectively models the
sample composition,
using phrases by the
author as a starting
point only.
Message and
Supporting Details
Not Meeting
Meeting
Exceeding
DESCRIPTIVE
TECHNQIUES
Descriptive strategies
are sparse, or absent
RHETORICAL
STRATEGIES
Rhetorical strategies
are sparse, or absent
Descriptive strategies
are relevant, but basic
or clichéd; sufficient
quantity
Rhetorical strategies
are relevant, but basic
or clichéd;
Message /Nature of
ideas
Message is unclear or
weak
Message is clear and
accurate
Descriptive strategies
are mature, original and
insightful; many details
thoroughly prove ideas
Rhetorical strategies
are mature, original and
insightful;
Message is convincing,
insightful, mature, and
thoughtfully proven.
Language and
expression
Not Meeting
Meeting
Exceeding
Sentence Fluency
Sentence fluency is
weak and awkward;
lacks flow
Sentences are accurate;
may be repetitive or
awkward in places. Too
wordy.
Diction is accurate and
appropriate. Language
may be too flowery
Sentences are
interesting and varied;
flow well together, with
sophistication
Diction is mature and
sophisticated, without
being flowery.
Mistakes are present,
but do not interfere
with meaning
Mistakes are rare, and
not distracting
Organization of ideas
Conclusions
Diction and Language
Conventions
Overall Achievement:
May be too basic,
informal, clichéd or
inappropriate
Mistakes are frequent,
distracting, and
interfere with
understanding