Writing Summative Assessments—Grade 11
Unit 1 The Puritans: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, The New Land, Upon the
Burning of Our House, Witch Trial at Mount Holly Argument Writing (W.3)
For multiple choice and short answer/open-ended responses:
 Speech analysis: rhetorical devices
Write an argument:
Unit 2 Romanticism: "The Devil and Tom Walker," William Cullen Bryant's poems,
Edgar Allan Poe - selected short story/poem Literary Analysis (W.9)
For multiple choice and short answer/open-ended responses:
 “Romanticism” poem for analysis:
Write a literary analysis:
 Research a contemporary song and create a power point presentation that
demonstrates an analysis of the literary devices, structure and Romantic
characteristics within the song.
Unit 3 Transcendentalism: Walden (selected chapters), Emerson’s aphorisms, “SelfReliance,” “The End of Solitude” by Deresiewiecz, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass,
selected poetry from Emily Dickinson Writing Informational Text
For multiple choice and short answer/open-ended responses:
 Essay for analysis of purpose
Write an informational piece
 Have students research and read a contemporary informational text
regarding depression. Then, write a short paragraph
comparing/contrasting how the literary elements function to advance
the writer’s purpose in both Dickinson’s poem “I Felt a Funeral in My
Brain” or “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and the piece of their
choice.
Unit 4 The American Dream: Hemingway's “In Another Country,” The Great Gatsby,
Obama Inaugural Address, http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/ , “I Have
a Dream,” Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” The Glass Menagerie Writing informative
piece
For objective and short answer:
Write an informative piece:
 Write a brief essay explaining how cultural influences affect the
American dream within two or more of the required texts and the
article “Gatsby’s Green Light Beckons a New Set of Strivers” in order to
address how the writer manipulates language to reveal his ideology.
Unit 5 Finding Success: The Catcher in the Rye, Tuesdays with Morrie, Hamlet (film and
excerpts) Writing Narrative; Author’s purpose
For objective and short answer:
Writing:
 Students will choose a character/symbol/literary device utilized
throughout the novel and will complete an analysis. They will then
share this analysis with the class as the class engages in discussion and
takes notes. NEW text
 Watch a youtube video of Steve Jobs’ commencement speech and David
McCullough Jr.’s commencement speech. Then read the article “What if
the Secret to Success is Failure.” Answer open-ended questions
comparing the speakers’/writer’s purpose, how that purpose connects
to themes from the unit, and how they use rhetoric and structure to
advance their themes.
 Write a college essay.
 View a film version of Hamlet and then read (new) excerpts from the
play. Then use a venn diagram to compare the techniques utilized in the
two sources to create characterization. NEW text
Unit 6: Research Paper: Writing for extended time/purpose; writing argument
For objective and short answer:
 Short non-fiction piece: ID claim, how to use citations…
Writing:
 Write an organized research paper including in-text citations and
works cited while utilizing research and analysis.