11th Grade AP Lang Writing Assignment #1, 1st MP, 2016-2017
In the next few days in and out of class, please write a formal five-paragraph essay that discusses the topic listed below.
Prompt: Victor Luckerson wrote for Time Magazine that, “this new generation of teenagers has been shaped by the events of the no-longer-new millennium. The youngest teenagers were not alive on September 11, 2001. They don’t remember when Barack Obama declared a post-racial America four years before becoming the first black President. They didn’t know what was going on during the 2008 financial crisis, though even today they’re aware that finding a job is tougher than it used to be. And, despite being dismissed as self-absorbed by some (including within their own ranks), they’re more aware of the social and political issues afflicting our nation than some adults give them credit for.”
Write a thoughtful and carefully constructed essay in which you use specific evidence to defend, challenge or qualify the assertion that it’s harder to be a teen now than it has ever been.
You may research teenager information from Luckerson’s article, the Horatio Alger Foundation or from any other source to provide you with ideas, but research is not a required component of this assignment. You are NOT required to use any researched information as you write, but you certainly may make use of it to gather your evidence.
Some Reminders:
The introduction should:
--Set the scene and lead into the topic
--State a clear and provable thesis (last sentence of intro.)
--Preview your three argumentative points
Each body paragraph should:
--Contain a topic sentence (mini-thesis) that announces the point of the paragraph and links it to the main thesis
--Give the reader background and explanation as necessary
--Prove 1/3 of you main argument by supporting the topic sentence with reasons, facts, examples, and evidence of other kinds
--Make use of the given information or your own experience as sources
The conclusion should summarize the main points and restate the thesis.
The entire essay should AVOID:
--“I, me, mine”
--“You” or commands.
--Contractions
--Passive Voice
--On 10/04 we will get notes and suggestions on verbs
The Scoring Rubric:
For class writings such as this one, the same Keystone-style essay process will apply all year.
--The PA State rubric (attached) will provide the domains.
--This assignment will be worth 60 points
A. Focus 10 points
B. Content 10 points
C. Organization 10 points
D. Style 10 points
E. Conventions 10 points
F. Rough Draft 10 points
The Writing Assignment:
Your job is to comment intelligently on your generation of adolescents. You must focus on teenagers—their problems and their fears, their assessments of their lives and times, their accomplishments or their failures. These instructions are deliberately general because part of your job is to narrow the focus to the specific thesis for which you wish to argue. You have free rein to decide upon your approach. Remember, this is a persuasive paper.
We already set up the turnitin.com codes and went over them with you this past Tuesday.
Brainstorm and Rough Draft Due: 10/04/16
Final Draft Due to Turnitin.com: 10/11/16, 8:00 am