Exploring Social Responsibility Through Twelve Angry Men
Module Introduction
“Those who wrote our constitutions knew from history and experience that it was necessary to
protect against unfounded criminal charges brought to eliminate enemies and against judges too
responsive to the voice of higher authority. … Providing an accused with the right to be tried by
a jury of his peers gave him an inestimable safeguard against the corrupt or overzealous
prosecutor and against the compliant, biased, or eccentric judge."
The Supreme Court of the United States, Duncan v. Louisiana (1968)
Twelve Angry Men, originally written for television by Reginald Rose in 1954 and subsequently
adapted for stage (1955), film (1957) and television again (1997), effectively conveys the central
importance of the right to a jury trial afforded by Article III of the Constitution as well as
Amendments V, VI, and XIV. Focusing on the right to a trial by "an impartial jury of the State
and district wherein the crime shall have been committed," the play/film also addresses related
constitutional provisions, including the presumption of innocence until proven guilty and the
right to counsel. More broadly, the play/film embodies the central insight of Alexis De
Tocqueville in his classic work Democracy in America, that the jury system is one of the most
important political institutions for democratic self-government. It educates citizens about the law
and legal process, helps them understand their duties as citizens and in the best case, improves
their deliberations as citizens.
(Introduction to the “Twelve Angry Men: Trial by Jury as a Right and as a Political Institution”
edsitement.neh.gov lesson plan)
Module Rationale
This module was created to demonstrate how a complex lengthy work of writing can be used as
an instructional tool in a 10th grade English class. It is important to recognize the value and
expectation of students reading longer works in their entirety. However, rather than use precious
class-time to take students through a lengthy text page by page, this module demonstrates how
such a text can be used to help students enter a conversation about an important topic to further
their individual understanding, as well as to recognize the varying perspectives engaged in that
discussion through reading a variety of excerpts drawn from the text.
In the book, Readicide Kelly Gallagher says, “the reason young people should read books is that
it provides them with ‘imaginative rehearsals’ for the real world. When children are reading
books…they are given the opportunity to understand the complex world they live in. Books
enable adolescents to begin wrestling with those issues that remain universal in all our lives.”
(page 66) Gallagher furthers the ideas presented in Readicide by discussing the concepts of
“second-draft reading.” He indicates that in the first-draft reading of a text, students are in
“survival mode, simply struggling to understand the text on a literal level.” If the teacher has
framed the text appropriately, he/she will “have helped them to achieve this initial level of
comprehension (a level that is foundational before a deeper reading can occur). But there is a
much richer level of craft inside most classic works of literature – a level of beauty that is usually
not discovered until students revisit the text on a second-draft (or third-draft) reading.” (page 97)
These thoughts are at the forefront of this module, as it demonstrates how a teacher might help
students enter an important conversation developed through engaging in second-draft reading
and the corresponding integrated writing necessary to solidify thinking and advance learning.
Opportunities for Modifications/Differentiation
This module was created with a particular focus on ensuring the activities and lesson sequencing
are flexible and provide a progression of learning that is deepened throughout the course of the
module, such that the module can address the “different profiles of secondary students needing
foundational literacy skills instruction.” Most notably, specific attention is paid to integrated
writing and oral language development throughout the activities and over the course of the lesson
sequence, as it is recognized that “oral proficiency is the basis for written literacy proficiency,”
and continuous opportunities to write enhances one’s ability to make sense of what is read, as
well as enter a conversation (either orally and/or in writing) with evidence. The flexibility within
this module will allow teachers the opportunity to consider their audience and to tailor the
activities to meet the needs of their specific student population.
(The California State Standards for English Language Development, Appendices and Glossary,
page 16)
Relevant Background Information
The Bill of Rights, adopted in 1791, provides that "the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy
and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been
committed." [Amendment VI] In 1968, the Supreme Court held in the case of in Duncan v.
Louisiana that, under Amendment XIV, rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United
States apply equally to the states, thus ensuring the fundamental right to trial by jury in state, as
well as federal criminal prosecutions.
As far back as the Revolutionary Era, jurors had been expected not only to determine the facts of
a case, but also to interpret the meaning of law itself. This was a right and power rooted in
classical republicanism and also in the English common law tradition. Both theory and tradition
were celebrated by the leading political theorist of the 18th century, Montesquieu, who
interpreted the British Constitution as placing the judicial branch in the hands of the people
through the supreme power of the popular juries.
In the ratification debates on the proposed charter, the Anti-Federalists foresaw and warned that
juries would lose the right to interpret the meaning of the law. Juries would be limited to judging
only the facts of the case before them. Regarding the power of interpreting the law, the AntiFederalists warned that this power would be handed over entirely to unelected judges, who
would thus become a kind of aristocracy dominating the judicial branch. These Anti Federalist
fears came to pass in 1896 when the Supreme Court enhanced the power of judges in Sparf &
Hansen v. United States, noting that the authority formerly exercised by juries was based on
custom rather than the Constitution. Only two states, Maryland and Indiana, have retained the
"custom" of charging jurors with the task of interpreting the law, as well as deciding the facts.
Alexis De Tocqueville writing in the mid 1830's celebrated the jury system as one of key
political devices, which allows citizens to be active participants in their government. It also has
the effect of improving the quality of their citizenship. As he explains:
The jury contributes most powerfully to form the judgment and to increase the natural
intelligence of a people, and this is, in my opinion, its greatest advantage. It may be regarded as
a free public school ever open, in which every juror learns to exercise his rights, enters into
daily communication with the most learned and enlightened members of the upper classes, and
becomes practically acquainted with the laws of his country, which are brought within the reach
of his capacity by the efforts of the bar, the advice of the judge, and even by the passions of the
parties. I think that the practical intelligence and political good sense of the Americans are
mainly attributable to the long use, which they have made of the jury in civil causes. I do not
know whether the jury is useful to those who are in litigation; but I am certain it is highly
beneficial to those who decide the litigation; and I look upon it as one of the most efficacious
means for the education of the people which society can employ.
[Alexis De Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol.1, Part II, Chapter XVI]
Yet in the late 19th century, there was a shift of responsibility to judges which coincided with a
growing sense that jurors were not capable of making impartial judgments. Mark Twain voiced
the views of many Americans when he wrote that jury duty "put a ban on intelligence and
honesty, and a premium on ignorance, stupidity, and perjury." [Quoted in Bodenhamer, p. 166]
The fact that state legislators, many of whom were themselves business and professional men,
had passed laws excluding members of their class from serving on juries, may help to explain the
disdain with which juries were held.
Throughout much of the 20th century, justices addressed the question of what it means to be
tried by a jury of one's peers. With a few notable exceptions, African-Americans and women had
been systematically excluded from jury duty since the founding of the republic, denying
individuals from those groups the constitutional right to be tried and judged by individuals of the
same race or gender. In 1935 the Supreme Court, in Norris v. Alabama—one of two Scottsboro
cases to reach the high court, held that the systematic exclusion of African-Americans from the
jury had denied the defendants equal protection guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. Not
until 1994 did the Court finally overrule the use by prosecutors of peremptory challenges based
on gender.
Additional rulings relating to the right to be tried by a jury have affirmed the traditional standard
of requiring that proof of guilt be established "beyond a reasonable doubt," approved the use of
six-person juries in state criminal trials, and allowed juries to convict criminals in non-capital
cases without a unanimous vote.
In the 1960s, the Warren Court handed down a series of landmark decisions intended to ensure
the rights of individuals accused of criminal actions. Among the most important were those
dealing with right to counsel: who should be provided with legal representation and at what point
in the process. In recent years, the Court has addressed questions raised in Twelve Angry Men
dealing with the quality of legal representation when counsel is appointed by the state.
(Adapted from the “Twelve Angry Men: Trial by Jury as a Right and as a Political Institution”
edsitement.neh.gov lesson plan)
Teacher Resources
AP English Literature and Composition 2007-2008 Professional Development
Workshop Materials, Special Focus: Drama. N.p.: College Board, 2007. Print.
The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English. N.p.: College Entrance Examination
Board, 2002. Print.
Axelrod, Rise B. and Cooper, Charles R. The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing. New York: St.
Martin’s Press, 1991.
Compston, Christine L. "http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/
twelve-angry-men-trial-jury-right-and-political-institution#sect-thelesson."
Edsitement. National Endowment for the Humanities, n.d. Web. 13 Dec.
2013.
Gallagher, Kelly. Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do
About It. Portland: Stenhouse, 2009. Print.Readicide.
Hunt, Patricia. "How to Write a Good Closing Argument." Synonym. Demand Media,
n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://classroom.synonym.com/ write-good-closing-argument4659.html>.
Rose, Reginald. Twelve Angry Men. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Print.
Culminating Task
After reading Twelve Angry Men and relevant excerpts from the Constitution, write a wellorganized essay in which you evaluate an individual’s social responsibility as a member of a
jury, providing evidence from the texts to support your answer.
Scope and Sequence Enduring Understanding Addressed
Highly proactive people do not blame circumstances or conditions for their behavior. Their
behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of
their conditions, based on feeling.
Essential Questions

What does it mean to be responsible?




To whom or what are we responsible?
What responsibilities do we have to ourselves? Our community? The world?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of being held responsible for something?
What is the relationship between age and level of responsibility? At what age should we
be totally responsible and accountable for our actions?
Major Sections of the Play With Corresponding Close Reading Selections
Addressed in Activities:
Act 1
“The jury room of a New York Court of Law, 1957…The 8th juror gazes out of the window. The
12th juror looks at him for a moment then looks away.”
“10th Juror: All right, then you tell me. What are we sitting here for?...we could show him where
he’s probably mixed up.”
The part of 8th Juror
Act 2
Act 2 – various sections determined by student choice in completing various activities.
*Please note there is overlap in the activities and that some activities within Acts involve close
reads of portions of the same excerpts. While all activities can be taught for an in-depth
exploration of the connection between responsibility and action, all activities do not need to be
addressed for students to speak to the culminating task in a proficient manner. Teachers
should review the activities and excerpts and consider their audience, as well as the amount of
time they would like to dedicate to the module, before determining which activities to include
in their lesson sequence.
Activity 1: Analysis of the Constitutional Provisions
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RI: 10.1
W: 10.2a, 10.9b
SL: 10.1, 10.6
L: 10.4
The right to trial by jury is specifically mentioned in the Constitution of the United States in
Article III and Amendments V and VI. Relying on Amendment XIV, the Supreme Court has
determined that the provisions in the Constitution apply in state criminal courts. In practical
terms, this also means that Supreme Court decisions relating to the right to trial by jury also
apply in state courts.
Article III, Section 2, Paragraph 3 - The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment,
shall be by jury; and such trial shall be held in the state where the said crimes shall have been
committed; but when not committed within any state, the trial shall be at such place or places as
the Congress may by law have directed.
Amendment V - No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime,
unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or
naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall
any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be
compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without
just compensation.
Amendment VI - In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and
public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been
committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of
the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have
compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel
for his defense.
Amendment XIV, Section 1 - All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to
the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No
State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens
of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without
due process of law; nor to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the
laws.
Working in small groups, students should carefully review the rights guaranteed to individuals
accused of criminal acts and, in the process, make two lists:
(1) provisions that relate directly to the right to a trial by jury
(2) provisions that the jurors themselves should take into account in their deliberations.
(Activity adapted from the “Twelve Angry Men: Trial by Jury as a Right and as a Political Institution”
edsitement.neh.gov lesson plan)
Activity 2: Dialectical Journal
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1
W: 10.9a
Ask students to keep a dialectical journal as they read Twelve Angry Men on their own. This will
serve to provide students with a purposeful read of the play. A dialectical journal is another
name for a double-entry journal or a reader-response journal. It is a journal that records a
dialogue, or conversation, between the ideas in the text (the words being read) and the ideas of
the reader (the person who is doing the reading). In journals students should write down their
thoughts, questions, insights, and ideas as they read.
Students’ journals should use a two-entry form:



Fold the page in half.
In the left column, write down the interesting quotes or questions about the text.
In the right column, write down your own thoughts, commentary, and questions about the
content in the left column.
(Activity adapted from “What is a dialectical journal?” http://cuip.uchicago.edu/~jevans/wevbo/eqdialecticjournals.htm#WhatisaDJ)
Activity 3: Role Cards
Text referenced:
Act 1: “The jury room of a New York Court of Law, 1957…The 8th juror gazes
out of the window. The 12th juror looks at him for a moment then looks away.”
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.3
W: 10.1a, 10.9a
SL: 10.1a, 10.4, 10.6
An actual theatrical experience begins with excitement: the house lights dim, the curtain rises,
the first line sounds. Too often in the classroom students begin drama weighted down with
background information, literary terms and guided reading questions. Introducing a play with a
role card for everyone and a performance – not a staid seated reading – plunges students in the
world of the play right away.
Since students have already read the play once, assign each student a role and ask them to create
a role card for their character. Since there are only 14 roles, the class may be divided into two
casts of characters. The role card should name, describe and assign a physical activity or an
emotion (or both) for the character/performer to enact. After creating their cards, the two groups
of students will perform the opening of the play. Since all roles do not have lines in the opening,
those who do not speak will concentrate on expressing the emotions of their characters and
reacting as their card suggests. Engagement, not polish, is the goal. Since the opening will be
performed at least twice in order to allow all students to participate as a cast member, those
students who do not have a performing role will serve as the audience.
After each performance, students should write down what they felt as they participated in the
scene. The ensuing discussion should spring out of their impressions, questions, and
observations.
(Activity adapted from “Out of the Desks and into the Play: Teaching Drama Through Performance”
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/06EnglishLit_pp.ii-74.pdf)
Activity 4: Sleuth for Truth
Text referenced:
Act 1: “10th Juror: All right, then you tell me. What are we sitting here for?...we could
show him where he’s probably mixed up.”
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.3
W: 10.9
SL: 10.1a-d, 10.4, 10.6
L: 10.1, 10.3
“Sleuth for Truth” is a role-playing exercise where students “interrogate” a classmate who has
assumed the persona of one of the characters in play. Five students should be assigned the
following roles: 10th Juror, 8th Juror, 9th Juror, 3rd Juror, 4th Juror, and Foreman. These students
should work together to analyze the motivation and intentions of their characters. All remaining
students should be split equally into groups. Groups will create probing questions designed to
uncover the characters’ motivations and intentions. After each character is sleuthed for truth, the
other groups take their turn grilling and probing even more deeply. Once all groups have
sleuthed the characters, students should write individually concerning their understanding of the
characters’ motivations and intentions.
(Activity adapted from “Out of the Desks and into the Play: Teaching Drama Through Performance”
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/06EnglishLit_pp.ii-74.pdf)
Activity 5 – Round Robin
Text referenced: all dialogue of 8th Juror in Act 1
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.3
W: 10.9a
SL: 10.1a-d, 10.4, 10.6
L: 10.3
In “Round Robin,” students read the part of 8th Juror in Act 1 and then write down the seven
phrases or short clauses they deem the most significant, the most powerful, or the most
evocative. Then in round robin fashion, students read their first choices out loud. Tell them not
to worry about repetitions. Repeat for their 3rd and 5th choices. In the first part of this simple
activity, students make decisions about the text; in the second part they hear what they, as
individuals, may not have noticed. At this point, ask students to discuss (but not necessarily
defend) their choices.
Students then break into small groups and create a cohesively arranged collection of quotations.
The group narrows down the individual choices and reorganizes them into a condensed, but
coherent monologue that is read to the class. The collection does not need to mirror the original
order, but it should use the original words of the text with only a few changes or additions for
coherence. After all the montages are read, the class now has more ammunition for a closer
analysis of the character. Students should then write individually considering how the dialogue
of the 8th Juror serves to begin to shift the other jurors’ perspectives of the defendant’s guilt. Ask
students also to consider in writing 8th Juror’s motivations in the entirety of Act 1 and how those
motivations relate to his sense of social responsibility.
(Activity adapted from “Out of the Desks and into the Play: Teaching Drama Through Performance”
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/06EnglishLit_pp.ii-74.pdf)
Activity 6 – The Role of the Secondary Character
Text referenced: Act 2
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5
W: 10.1a-b
SL: 10.1, 10.4, 10.6
L: 10.3, 10.4
In this activity students will explore the role of the secondary character in the play and how those
secondary characters serve to illuminate or affect the protagonist and antagonist. Explain to
students that they will be considering the character development of the 8th and 10th Jurors in Act
2. To do so they will analyze how the secondary characters in Act 2 illuminate or affect the
protagonist (8th Juror) and antagonist (10th Juror). In small groups ask students to consider the
dialogue of the primary characters (8th and 10th Jurors) and their interactions with the secondary
characters. They should note how they interact with one another and how those interactions
propel the primary characters to react, thus moving the story forward. After students have
considered the interactions of the characters, ask students to write individually considering how
the primary characters’ interactions with other characters reveal their motivations and sense of
social responsibility (or lack thereof). Students should engage in a whole class discussion on the
same topic after opportunities to write individually.
(Activity created by Blair Eliason, Fresno Unified School District)
Activity 7 – Lines in Debate (LID)
Text referenced: Acts 1 and 2
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.2
W: 10.1, 10.9
SL: 10.1, 10.4, 10.6
L: 10.1, 10.3, 10.4
In Lines in Debate (LID) small groups of students (3-4 in each group) will choose one statement
that they believe was the most important in the play. After choosing what they believe is to be
the most important statement, they must come up with reasons why their chosen statement is
such. After choosing their statement and crafting their justification, one student from each group
is the designated debater for his/her team and must face the designate of an opposing team. The
remaining teams vote for the most effective argument. Debates and votes continue until one
debater/group is left and is declared the winner.
(Activity adapted from “Out of the Desks and into the Play: Teaching Drama Through Performance”
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/06EnglishLit_pp.ii-74.pdf)k
Activity 8 – A Perspectives Position Paper
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5
W: 10.1a-e, 10.4, 10.5, 10.9
L: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3
*This activity is intended to offer students the opportunity to consider a character’s development
and motivations, while crafting an argument from that particular character’s perspective. This
writing experience is different from the culminating task, in that this piece of writing is a creative
argumentative piece written from the perspective of a character in the play, rather than an
informative academic piece of writing written from the perspective of the student. Activity 8
(Position Paper) and Activity 10 (Culminating Task) taught together offer students an
opportunity to experience various modes of writing speaking to the same topic.
Writing a position paper offers an opportunity to think deeply about an important issue. Position
papers generally share the following basic features: a well-defined issue, a clear position, a
convincing argument, and a reasonable tone.
A well-defined issue: Position papers concern controversial issues, matters on which reasonable
people disagree. The issue may arise from a particular occasion or be part of an ongoing debate.
In either case, the writer must clearly explain the issue. In addition, a writer needs to define it for
the writing purpose.
A clear position: In addition to defining the issue, the essay should also clearly indicate the
writer’s position. Writers may qualify their claims to accommodate strong counterarguments,
but they should avoid vagueness or indecision. Very often writers declare their position in a
thesis statement early in the essay. This lets the audience know right away where the writer
stands. Postponing the thesis is particularly appropriate when the writer wants to weigh the pros
and cons before announcing his or her position.
A convincing argument: A position paper cannot merely assert a writer’s views. To convince
readers, writers must provide sound reasoning and solid evidence in support of their claims.
They must also anticipate possible counterarguments and either accommodate or refute them.


Sound reasoning and solid evidence: cite various kinds of evidence in support of a
position, including examples, authorities, and statistics.
Counterarguments: accommodating a counterargument involves admitting that it has
validity and qualifying one’s own view to account for it. Refuting a counter argument
means trying to show how it is wrong.
A reasonable tone: Because writers of position papers want readers to take them seriously, they
must adopt a tone that will be likely to gain the reader’s confidence and respect. They need to
demonstrate sincerity both by the way they reason and by the language they use.
In this activity students will choose a character in the play and write a position paper from the
perspective of that character. In their paper students should consider the dialogue of their chosen
character throughout the play, as well as what that dialogue indicates about their chosen
character’s motivations and sense of social responsibility.
(Activity adapted from The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing.)
Activity 9 – Closing Arguments
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.3
W: 10.1, 10.4, 10.5, 10.9
L: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3
After students have written their perspectives position paper ask them to consider what they have
written and write a closing argument for their character considering their side of the debate of the
defendant’s guilt/innocence. Once they have crafted their closing argument, each student will
give their closing argument to the class. Students should follow the steps below to craft their
closing argument:
Step 1
Reread their position paper in order to get a sense of the overall argument. Students should
consider their introductions and conclusions share similarities as paragraphs. Both need to make
general statements about the subject and provide the thesis statement.
Step 2
Read the body paragraphs of their position paper and note the main supporting ideas for their
opinion. Clarity about their entire argument becomes essential when writing the closing.
Summarize the important ideas that support the thesis in the closing.
Step 3
Write a short closing with one question in mind: what do I want my readers or listeners to
believe about the issue, subject or controversy? Closings should be brief and focused. Sometimes
writers get nervous about leaving their conclusion too short and damage it by adding extraneous
details, irrelevant to the argument. A sound conclusion should be short; it restates the thesis and
summarizes the main supporting reasons with power and passion.
Step 4
Find a profound or lyrical quote that complements the argument, or use an anecdote that
illustrates the thesis. Make sure that the quote or anecdote perfectly matches the argument. Cite
sources.
(Activity adapted from http://classroom.synonym.com/write-good-closing-argument-4659.html)
Activity 10 – Culminating Task
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RL: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3
W: 10.2, 10.4, 10.5, 10.7
L: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3
Students should respond in writing to the following culminating task prompt:
After reading Twelve Angry Men and relevant excerpts from the Constitution write a wellorganized essay in which you evaluate an individual’s social responsibility as a member of a
jury, providing evidence from the texts to support your answer.
*The culminating task is different from the writing produced in Activity 8 in that it is an
informative academic piece of writing written from the perspective of the student, rather than a
creative argumentative piece of writing written from the perspective of a character in the play.
Activity 11 – Peer Editing
California Common Core State Standards addressed:
RI: 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.8
W: 10.2, 10.5, 10.9
L: 10.1, 10.3, 10.4
Peer editing is an evaluation technique used to train students to become a reliable respondent to
others’ work. It provided a realistic context in which to learn to identify errors in text.
Most students find it easier to detect errors in the work of others rather than in their own papers.
Once the student editor becomes skilled in detecting errors in others’ work, he or she will find it
easier to do so in his or her own writing.
Peer editors are not expected to be “English Teacher of the Day.” They are legitimate members
of the paper’s audience, but, better yet, they also have struggled with the same assignment.
Peer editors are expected to provide an honest, detailed response to the paper they read. The
editor may not know the name of the particular error or may not be able to propose a remedy for
the error. If something is troublesome, they should circle that portion, or note, “something
wrong here.”
The peer editor should not worry about grammar and spelling. Instead, peer editors should
indicate what they like, ask questions where they want more details, seek clarification if they are
confused, and respond to content wherever they have ideas to add.
Peer editors should not concern themselves with the eventual grading of the writing assignment.
Editors edit. In addition, by helping others writers, they are improving their own writing skills as
they assist other writers.
The writer, of course, is the owner of the paper and can decide which, if any, of the peer editor’s
suggestions to use.
Questions to Consider When Evaluating a Paper
What is the author’s topic? Restate in your own words.
Does any single sentence in the essay state or suggest the above topic? If so, list it.
Is the topic as limited in scope as it needs to be? If not, help the author revise it.
Has the author provided adequate detail to support his or her topic? Summarize the
support the author provides.
5. Consider the kinds of patterns a writer might use to arrange an essay. What kind of
patterns does the author use in this writing sample? Is this the best type of pattern to use
with the material the author provides in this essay? Why or why not?
6. Does the idea from one paragraph flow logically to the next?
7. What seems to be the purpose of this writing?
8. Does the writer succeed in this purpose? What does the author do to succeed? What more
should the author do to achieve his or her purpose?
9. Who is the intended audience? Describe this audience in terms of age, education, values,
and interests.
10. Describe the author as he or she is projected in this piece of writing (considering matters
such as age, education, values, interests, and trustworthiness).
1.
2.
3.
4.
(The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English)
Appendices
Discussion Participation Rubric
9-8







Social Behaviors
Engage actively both as a speaker and as a listener.
Ask thought-provoking, authentic, sincere questions of the
entire class, including factual, interpretive/analytical, and
evaluative questions and clarification, support, and
challenge questions.
Ask thought-provoking, authentic, sincere questions to
include students who are hesitant to participate.
Make logical transitions among ideas.
Provide focus to the conversation.
Change the subject of conversation at an appropriate time.
Speak audibly and clearly.






Intellectual Behaviors
Make highly insightful observations about the text.
Engage in a variety higher order thinking, including analysis,
interpretation, and evaluation of text(s).
Support assertions with evidence from the text(s) in
question.
Make connections among texts.
Make connections between the text(s) and the real world.
Engage in logically structured, rhetorically sound argument.
7-6
Social Behaviors
Students who receive scores of 7 and 6 may exhibit some of the
social behaviors of students who receive scores of 9 and 8, but
with less frequency or finesse.
Intellectual Behaviors
Students who receive scores of 7 and 6 may exhibit some of the
intellectual behaviors of students who receive score of 9 and 8,
but without the depth of insight, the variety of thinking, the
recourse to the text(s), or the frequency or finesse of students
who score 9 and 8.
5-4




Social Behaviors
Dominate conversation.
Contribute little or nothing to conversation.
Require prompting from other participants before
participating.
Change the subject at inappropriate times or make illogical
transitions.




Intellectual Behaviors
Make superficial or irrelevant commentary.
Demonstrate little higher order thinking.
Make little recourse to the text(s) in question.
Demonstrate a less profound understanding of and interest
in the text(s).
3-2






Social Behaviors
Unnatural conversational behavior, such as raising hands or
staring at the teacher.
Speak inaudibly or unintelligibly.
Demonstrate inattentiveness or lack of interest in the
conversation.
Engage in rude behavior, such as intentionally interrupting a
speaker.
Ask inauthentic or distracting questions.
Engage in side conversations.


Intellectual Behaviors
Introduction of irrelevant subject matter into the
conversation.
Make commentary that distorts the text.
1
Students who receive a score of 1 do harm to the spirit of the seminar, perhaps by attacking another person, rather than his or her
ideas, or by refusing to participate in any way, shape or form.
Participation Rubric
5 Students always take a voluntary, thoughtful, and active role in their own learning,
challenging themselves on a daily basis. Through participation and inquiry, they consistently
demonstrate a genuine desire to learn and share ideas with the teacher and their classmates. They
initiate discussions, ask significant questions, and act as leaders within the group. They are
willing to take risks, to assert an opinion and support it, and to listen actively to others. These
students are always well prepared to contribute to the class as a result of having thoughtfully
completed assignments, and the thoroughness of their work demonstrates the high regard they
hold for learning.
4 Students consistently take an active role in their own learning. They participate regularly in
class discussions and frequently volunteer their ideas, ask thoughtful questions, and defend
opinions. They listen respectfully to their classmates and are willing to share ideas as a result of
having completed assignments. Though never causing disruption to the class, these students do
not always demonstrate a consistent commitment to make the most out of our class time each and
every day.
3 Students sometimes take an active role in their own learning, sharing relevant ideas and
asking appropriate questions. Although reluctant to take risks, they contribute regularly to class
discussions. These students listen to their classmates and respect their opinions. As a result of
having completed assignments, these students are prepared to answer questions when called
upon. They may need occasional reminders to stay on task, make the most of our class time, and
to increase their level of commitment to the course.
2 Students occasionally take an active role in their own learning. They participate and ask
questions infrequently. They hesitate to share their ideas or to take risks, and they may not
always listen to or respect the opinions of others. These students usually participate only when
called upon. As a result of assignments being sometimes incomplete or missing, they may not be
prepared to answer thoughtfully with detail or substance. These students need regular reminders
to stay on task.
1 Students rarely take an active role in their own learning. They often do not participate and
rarely share ideas or ask questions. These students display poor listening skills, and they may be
intolerant of the opinions of others. As a result of being unprepared for or disengaged from class,
these students often refuse to offer ideas even when called upon.
Perspectives Position Paper Rubric
Beginning
Developing
Accomplished
Exemplary
1
2
3
4
The position statement
provides a clear, strong
statement of the author's
position on the topic and
previews reasons for
position.
All of the evidence and
examples are specific,
relevant and explanations
are given that show how
each piece of evidence
supports the author's
position.
Position
Statement
There is no position
statement.
A position statement is
present, but does not
make the author's
position clear.
The position statement
provides a clear
statement of the author's
position on the topic.
Evidence and
Examples
Evidence and
examples are NOT
relevant AND/OR
are not explained.
At least one of the pieces
of evidence and
examples is relevant and
has an explanation that
shows how that piece of
evidence supports the
author's position.
Audience
It is not clear who
the author is writing
for.
Demonstrates some
understanding of the
potential reader and uses
arguments appropriate
for that audience.
Most of the evidence
and examples are
specific, relevant and
explanations are given
that show how each
piece of evidence
supports the author's
position.
Demonstrates a general
understanding of the
potential reader and
uses vocabulary and
arguments appropriate
for that audience.
Sentence
Structure
Most sentences are
not well-constructed
or varied.
Most sentences are well
constructed, but there is
no variation is structure.
Most sentences are wellconstructed and there is
some varied sentence
structure in the essay.
Grammar and
Spelling
Author makes more
than 4 errors in
grammar or spelling
that distract the
reader from the
content.
Author makes 3-4 errors
in grammar or spelling
that distract the reader
from the content.
Author makes 1-2 errors
in grammar or spelling
that distract the reader
from the content.
Demonstrates a clear
understanding of the
potential reader and uses
appropriate vocabulary
and arguments.
Anticipates reader's
questions and provides
thorough
answers appropriate for
that audience.
All sentences are wellconstructed with varied
structure.
Author makes no errors in
grammar or spelling that
distract the reader from
the content.
Score
Culminating Task Rubric
4 Point Informative-Explanatory Writing Rubric
Statement of Purpose/Focus and Organization
Development and Elaboration of Evidence
Score
Statement of
Organization
Elaboration of Evidence
Language and
Conventions
Purpose/Focus
Vocabulary
The response is fully
The response has a clear and
The response provides
The response clearly
The response
4
sustained and
effective organizational
thorough and convincing
and effectively
demonstrates a strong
consistently and
structure creating unity and
support/evidence for the
expresses ideas, using
command of
purposefully focused:
completeness:
writer’s claim that includes the
precise language:
conventions:
effective use of sources, facts,
 claim is clearly
 effective, consistent use of
 use of academic and
 few, if any, errors are
and details. The response
stated, focused and
a variety of transitional
domain-specific
present in usage and
achieves substantial depth that
strongly maintained
strategies
vocabulary is clearly
sentence formation
is specific and relevant:
appropriate for the
 alternate or opposing
 logical progression of ideas
 effective and
 use of evidence from sources
audience and purpose
claims are clearly
from beginning to end
consistent use of
is smoothly integrated,
addressed
punctuation,
 effective introduction and
comprehensive, relevant,
capitalization, and
 claim is introduced
conclusion for audience and
and concrete
spelling
and communicated
purpose
 effective use of a variety of
clearly within the
 strong connections among
elaborative techniques
context
ideas, with some syntactic
variety
The response is
The response has an evident
The response provides
The response
The response
3
adequately sustained
organizational structure and a
adequate support/evidence for
adequately expresses
demonstrates an adequate
and generally focused:
sense of completeness, though writer’s claim that includes the
ideas, employing a
command of
there may be minor flaws and
use of sources, facts, and
mix of precise with
conventions:
 claim is clear and for
some ideas may be loosely
details. The response achieves
more general language  some errors in usage
the most part
connected:
some depth and specificity but
 use of domainmaintained, though
and sentence formation
is predominantly general:
some loosely related
 adequate use of transitional
specific vocabulary is
may be present, but no
material may be
strategies with some variety
 some evidence from sources generally appropriate
systematic pattern of
present
is integrated, though
for the audience and
errors is displayed
 adequate progression of
citations may be general or
purpose
 context provided for
ideas from beginning to end
 adequate use of
imprecise
the claim is adequate
punctuation,
 adequate introduction and
 adequate use of some
capitalization, and
conclusion
elaborative techniques
spelling
 adequate, if slightly
inconsistent, connection
among ideas
The response is
The response has an
The response provides uneven,
The response
The response
2
somewhat sustained and inconsistent organizational
cursory support/evidence for
expresses ideas
demonstrates a partial
may have a minor drift
structure, and flaws are
the writer’s claim that includes
unevenly, using
command of
in focus:
evident:
partial or uneven use of
simplistic language:
conventions:
sources, facts, and details, and
 may be clearly
 inconsistent use of basic
 use of domain frequent errors in
achieves little depth:
focused on the claim
transitional strategies with
specific vocabulary
usage may obscure
but is insufficiently
little variety
 evidence from sources is
may at times be
meaning
sustained
weakly integrated, and
inappropriate for the
 uneven progression of ideas
 inconsistent use of
citations, if present, are
audience and purpose
 claim on the issue
from beginning to end
punctuation,
uneven
may be somewhat
capitalization, and
 conclusion and
 weak or uneven use of
unclear and
spelling
introduction, if present, are
unfocused
elaborative techniques
weak
 weak connection among
ideas
The response may be
The response has little or no
The response provides minimal The response
The response
1
related to the purpose
discernible organizational
support/evidence for the
expression of ideas is
demonstrates a lack of
but may offer little
structure:
writer’s claim that includes
vague, lacks clarity, or command of
relevant detail:
little or no use of sources, facts, is confusing:
conventions:
 few or no transitional
and details:
 may be very brief
strategies are evident
 uses limited
 errors are frequent and
 use of evidence from sources
language or domain- severe and meaning is
 may have a major
 frequent extraneous ideas
is minimal, absent, in error, or
specific vocabulary
often obscure
drift
may intrude
irrelevant
claim may be confusing
 may have little sense
or ambiguous
of audience
A response gets no credit if it provides no evidence of the ability to write full persuasive arguments about the topic, establish and support a claim,
0
organize or cite supporting evidence from texts when appropriate.