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Assessment 2
SUGGESTED LEarninG STraTEGiES: Drafting, Sharing and
Responding, Peer Editing
Your assignment is to write an essay in which you analyze how cultural identity influences an individual’s perspective. You will work in groups to compose a group essay that responds to the following synthesis prompt:
To what extent does one’s culture inform the way one views others and the world?
Support your claim with evidence from at least three different texts you have read, viewed, or listened to this year, as well as personal experience and insights.
Prewriting
1. in previous activities, your group should have defined a preliminary thesis for your argument about how a person’s culture shapes his or her individual perspective. in addition, you should have reviewed texts and compiled a list of ways in which the attitudes and actions of the authors were influenced by their cultural backgrounds.
2. now that you have identified your thesis and identified supporting evidence, choose an organizational framework for your essay. Consider the following questions, which address the structural elements of an argument—hook, claim, support, concessions/refutations, and call to action.
a.
What makes your hook interesting enough to grab readers’ attention?
b.
What are your best supporting examples of types of influence?
c.
What is the most effective way to present or organize your supporting evidence?
d.
What are your concessions and refutations?
e.
What makes your call to action effective?
3. When your organizational framework is clear to all members of your group, assign each individual (or partner group) a chunk to compose.
Consider writing the body paragraphs separately and then composing your opening and conclusion as a group. This strategy can help you synthesize your information.
Drafting
4. Draft your essay with each group member contributing a section. Be sure to build your essay around your thesis, supporting it with claims identifying cultural influences on attitudes and actions and textual evidence from your readings.
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5. Synthesize evidence from your sources into your paragraphs, using correct punctuation for quotations and the format your teacher provides for in-text parenthetical citations.
Evaluating/Revising
6. after you have written your rough draft, engage in peer response
(sharing and responding) with members of your writing group. Members of the writing group should specifically address the following revision questions:
• is the thesis clear and well developed?
• How can we add or revise transitions between the paragraphs to make the essay flow easily from one idea to the next?
• Have we included textual evidence in the form of paraphrases and quotations, with commentary about each piece of evidence? Can we clearly identify the evidence and commentary?
• Can we revise quotations, using phrases rather than complete sentences from the original?
• Evaluate the degree to which you have included a variety of texts and experiences as evidence.
7. Listen to the feedback of group members and revise your essay to address their comments. in addition, consider your purpose, audience, and the essay genre and revise your draft to address questions relating to each. also revise to improve style, word choice, figurative language, sentence variety, and subtlety of meaning.
Editing
8. Each member of your group should read the draft silently, marking corrections in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Use available resources (dictionary, grammar handbooks, spell-check, etc.) to complete your peer editing and produce a technically sound draft.
9. read your draft to generate a list of possible titles. Discuss the titles and choose an appropriate one for the group essay.
10. Submit your final draft in legible handwriting, or use a word processing program to create a typed draft. Be sure to include a works cited page.
TECHNOLOGY TIP if you are using a word processing program to create your essay, take advantage of its spell-check features to help avoid errors. You may also want to use the grammar-check feature, but do not automatically accept all changes. For example, most grammar-checking software recognizes direct sentences (those that start with a verb, such as “Get off the sofa.”) as sentence fragments. Many also do not distinguish contractions or possessives correctly, so be sure the change is one you want to make before accepting it.
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ideas
Exemplary
The essay takes a definite position on culture’s impact on individual perspectives.
The argument is extraordinarily developed and convincing throughout the essay and is based on the integration of illustrative examples from a variety of texts and personal insight.
organization Organization is exceptional. ideas are presented and connected with sophisticated transitions in an order most conducive to a coherent argument.
Use of
Language conventions
Diction and syntax reflect an authentic, confident, authoritative voice.
The writing demonstrates strong control and mastery of standard conventions.
Either no errors appear, or they are so slight that they do not interfere with the meaning.
Evidence from sources is accurately embedded into the text with correct punctuation and parenthetical citation.
Proficient
The essay takes a clear position on culture’s impact on individual perspectives, but the thesis may not be clearly developed or supported throughout.
The argument is plausible and draws on the integration of evidence from relevant sources.
Organization is clear and easy to follow. ideas are logically arranged to support the argument with transitions that promote connection and flow.
Diction and syntax reflect a convincing and appropriate voice.
The writing demonstrates control of standard writing conventions. Though some errors may appear, they do not seriously impede readability.
Evidence from sources is embedded into the text with general correctness in punctuation and parenthetical citation.
Emerging
The essay takes a position that is difficult to distinguish; the development of culture’s impact on individual perspective is lacking.
The argument may be less convincing, using inadequate evidence from minimal sources as support.
Organization does not fully support the argument, demonstrating a weak arrangement of ideas and limited or awkward transitions throughout.
Diction and syntax do not reflect a convincing or confident voice.
There are frequent errors in standard conventions that seriously interfere with the meaning.
Evidence from sources embedded into the text is incorrectly punctuated and/ or cited.
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Comments:
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Evidence of the Writing
Process
Exemplary
The writing demonstrates thoughtful planning, significant revision, and careful editing in preparing a publishable draft.
Proficient
The writing demonstrates planning, revision, and editing in preparing a publishable draft.
Additional criteria
Emerging
The writing lacks evidence of planning, revision, and / or editing. The draft is not ready for publication.
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