Unit 2: Defining Courage Honors Ninth Grade Literature
Essay: Who is the Bravest of Them All?
Due Date: Monday December 12th
TOPIC: Throughout this unit, we have read about, studied, and discussed courageous characters from literature and brave historical figures. Out of all of these people, who do you think displays the most courage? Is it Rainsford, who looks death in the face? Or is it Malala, who stood up for what she believed in? You will write an essay that argues that one of the characters/people we have studiedis thebravest of them all. Be sure to include the following information about the person of your choice in your essay:
●His or her courageous actions (What does he do that makes him or her brave?)
●His or her bold words (What does he or she say that makes him or her courageous?)
●A counterpoint (Who is he or she braver than and how?)
●At least four quotes (in MLA format) from his or her short story, essay, speech, letter, or autobiography.
WRITING PROCESS: You will follow the steps below in order to write your essay. We will work together throughout this process so that you may learn how to write the strongest essay possible.
1) Brainstorm
2) Thesis statement
3) Rough draft-an outline of the introduction, body, counter- argument, and conclusion paragraphs.
4) Revised draft-a revision of the introduction, body, counter- argument, and conclusion paragraphs.
5) Final draft—completed essay with proper MLA formatting.
LENGTH AND FORMAT: This assignment should be structured as a formal, argumentative essay and 2 to 3 pages in length. It must be typed, double-spaced, and in 12-point Times New Roman font (in accordance with MLA standards).
DUE DATE:Monday December 12thEssays cannot be submitted late. This essay counts as a test grade. Essays will be submitted via GoogleDocs. It is due at 11:59 pm on Monday December 12th and must be typed on the GoogleDoc sent out by your teacher.
FROM THE STUDENT HANDBOOK:
Academic Honesty: Coursework submitted by a student must be the student’s own, and original work. Students shall not cheat on any assignment by giving or receiving unauthorized assistance, or commit the act of plagiarism. Students who commit such acts are subject to receiving a grade of zero (0) on the assignment as well as disciplinary action.
Typing Days:Friday - Wednesday December 2ththrough December7th will be days designated to type in class. Laptops will be provided. You must treat the school’s technology with respect and use it appropriately or you will lose the privilege of using it.
Defining Courage Essay Rubric
4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 20Thesis Statement / thesis not evident / thesis lacks a clear objective and/or does not "fit" content of essay / thesis phrasing too simple, lacks complexity; not clearly worded / clearly stated but focus could have been sharper; has multiple subpoints / clearly stated and appropriately focused; has subpoints that provide a roadmap
Organization / absence of planned organization / inconsistent organization / organization attempted, but unclear or inappropriate topic sentences / logical and appropriate organization; clear topic sentences with transitions / obviously controlled and/or subtle organization; strong topic sentences and transitions
Ideas, Details, and Support / irrelevant, missing, or relies on opinions rather than research; Zero quotes from resources are used / insufficient; relevance not always made clear; Only one quote from a resource is used or quotes are not properly integrated / adequate focus, but unbalanced content; more analysis needed; Only two quotes from a resource are used or quotes are somewhat integrated into body paragraphs. / less thorough but still substantial and relevant; atleast four quotes are integrated into body paragraphs / thorough and relevant; at least four quotes are flawlessly and fluidly integrated into body paragraphs.
MLA Formatting and In-Text Citations and Length / sources are not accurately documented, and MLA format is not attempted or followed properly paper is less than 1 page long / several sources lack proper documentation, MLA formatting is attempted, paper is at least 2 pages long / most sources are documented, but many are not in the desired format, MLA formatting is correct, paper is between 2 and 3 pages in length / all sources are documented, but a few are not in the desired format, MLA formatting is correct, the paper is between 2 and 3 pages in length / all sources are accurately documented in the proper MLA format, MLA formatting is exemplary, is 3 pages in length
Formal Essay Tone, Mechanics, and Style / no awareness of formal or appropriate tone; no apparent control over sentence structure and word choice; mechanical and usage errors that significantly interfere with the writer's purpose / limited awareness of formal or appropriate tone;.several awkward and/or unclear sentences; problems with word choices; mechanical and usage errors interfere with writer's purpose / limited, but mostly correct, sentence structure variety and word choice; some mechanical and usage errors, but not severe enough to interfere significantly with writer's purpose / uses a formal tone that is appropriate to the audience;precision and variety in sentence structure and word choice; few mechanical and usage errors / uses an engaging and formal tone that is appropriate to the audience;writer's voice is strong; precision in tone, sentence structure, and word choice; free of mechanical and usage errors