Honors English 9
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Assignment
The student will choose one of the three writing prompts from below and write a five paragraph (minimum)
literary analysis essay.
The essay. . .
 is centered around a clear, specific thesis statement.
 incorporates six pieces (two per body paragraph) of textual evidence to support the thesis and topic of that
paragraph. See quotation sheet for ways to incorporate quotations.
 makes analytical, thoughtful observations about the novel.
 uses a variety of sentence structures (compound sentences, sentence openers, appositive phrases, semi-colons)
 correctly uses a variety of sophisticated, specific words and avoids repetition of words (i.e. philanthropic instead
of giving).
 is organized in a logical, coherent way, using transition words/phrases.
 is double-spaced and typed using Times New Roman 12 point font with an MLA header (your name, teacher
name, class name, date) and Works Cited page.
The topics. . .
1. The loss of innocence is a reoccurring topic throughout the novel. Analyze and explain how this theme is
developed by citing specific examples from the book for support.
2. Exemplifying courage is a reoccurring topic throughout the novel. Analyze and explain how this theme is
developed by citing specific examples from the book for support.
3. Bias and prejudice against race and social class is a reoccurring topic in the novel. Analyze and explain how this
theme is developed by citing specific examples from the book for support.
* Students will have time in the computer lab to complete the final essay. The prewriting, drafting, and revising should
occur prior to these days. From your interaction with the text, you should have plenty of textual evidence from which to
choose.
Honors English 9
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Rubric
Each category will be graded on a 5-point scale:
5=Excellent
4=Good
3=Fair
2=Poor
1=Inadequate
1. _____ Paper begins with a formal literary attention getting opener (WP.C6)
2. _____ Introduction contains an effective transition into the thesis (WP.C6)
3. _____ Paper contains a thesis statement that addresses the theme of the paper and follows all formal
writing rules (WP.A3)
4. _____ Each body paragraph contains a topic sentence that introduces the evidence used in that paragraph.
(WP.C8)
5. _____ Body paragraphs provide textual evidence in context which is cited correctly (MLA Format).
(WA.B2)
6. _____ Evidence is explained thoroughly, making a connection to the topic sentence and thesis statement.
(WP.C6)
7. _____ Each body paragraph concludes with a sentence tying the body paragraph back to the theme
mentioned in the thesis. (WP.C8)
8. _____ The conclusion refers back to the thesis idea of the paper and includes a concluding thought.
(WP.C6)
9. _____ Transitions are used to connect the main ideas of the paper. (WP.C13)
10. _____The paper follows all formal writing rules and is written in the literary present tense. (WP.A4)
11. _____ The paper contains correct usage of spelling, grammar, and varied sentence structure. (WP.C9)
12. _____ The paper contains high level vocabulary including literary terms that are appropriate for the paper.
(WP.C9)
13. _____ The paper follows the assignment requirements: heading, typed, double spaced, Times New Roman
12 pt. font (WP.E16)
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