Context: This writing assignment is meant to help. Twain states that "Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of

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1 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Writing Assignment (1998 Dover Thrift Edition) Context: This writing assignment is meant to help students make connections between the classroom literature and their own lives, and should be assigned at the end of the unit. In the preface of the novel, Twain states that "Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls, I hope it will not be shunned by men and women on that account, for part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked, and what queer enterprises they sometimes engaged in" (Twain vii). In many ways, then, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a celebration of childhood. Purpose: In order to extend the skills they have learned in the classroom, students will write a short, but well-polished, essay that articulates the way that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a celebration of childhood. This novel is at an eighth grade reading level, and this assignment fulfills the core requirements to describe a character s traits based on what other characters think, say, and do identify themes in literary works, and convey a unifying theme (Utah 8 th Grade

2 Language Arts State Core Curriculum, 1.3b, 1.3c, and 2.2a). Students should select one or two specific incidents in the novel and explain how the incident provides evidence that the novel celebrates childhood. This assignment will allow you to assess the students' understanding of the novel and its underlying purpose. Audience: The audience for the essay will be the teacher and other interested readers. Directions: 1. Before introducing the assignment to the students, pick an incident in the novel that illustrates Twain s view of childhood to give students as an example. For example, the scene where Tom takes Becky s punishment for her even though they are fighting (pg ). In this scene, it is the children who are compassionate and merciful while the adult is unkind and unfeeling. Consider writing your own essay as a model for your students.

3 2. Through class discussion, introduce the topic. Share your example/model text and explain how you made the connection between the scene and the theme. 3. Give the students the assignment sheet so that they have a written copy of the instructions as well as the grading sheet so that they know how they will be graded. 4. Have the students brainstorm individually about which scenes they might want to write about. If students have a hard time identifying scenes that illustrate the theme you may need to work through the process with them again or have them help each other work through the process in small groups. 5. After the students have identified the topic, they will complete a rough draft for peer revision. Be sure to prepare students for peer revision by teaching them what is expected of them. Make sure that students understand what you will be looking for in the final draft so that they can help improve each other s papers. There is a peer revision guide included below that will help students focus on specific aspects of the paper. 6. After peer revision, the students will submit their final draft for their grade. The final draft should be well-polished and 2-3 pages in length.

4 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Grade Sheet Ideas: (30) *Meets the purpose of the assignment: thoughtful presentation of a scene and a description of how that scene reflects The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as a celebration of childhood. *There is one clear topic and it is supported by detailed examples from the text. Organization: (15) *The essay is arranged in a logical order. The topic is introduced and then the reader is led to a conclusion through detailed discussion. *There is a clear thesis that guides the paper. Voice: (15) *Tone is natural, comfortable, and conversational Sentence Fluency: (10) *Evidence from the text is included so that it is not disruptive or distracting Word Choice: (5) *Words are carefully chosen to reflect the authors ideas. Conventions: (5) *Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct OR are purposefully used to add character to your piece (be prepared to explain any alternate grammar choices you make) Essay: (80) Process: (20) Rough draft included and stamped on time (20) TOTAL (100)

5 Name Period Six-Trait Peer Review Sheet Adapted from Grierson Advanced Writing Seminar 2003 Directions: Read this piece out loud. After you have read the piece, HONESTLY evaluate it using the six traits. Mark yes if you agree with the statement; mark no if you disagree. Then on the rough draft, underline those things which you felt were particularly good about the piece. If you marked no on any item, list ideas that would help to strengthen this area. Ideas and Content The piece meets the purpose of the assignment and makes a point. The writer uses clear, relevant details and examples to help the reader understand the message. The author sticks to the main idea, and leaves out details that do not matter. Also, they use one or two scenes to effectively illustrate their point instead of jumping around the novel at random. It is obvious that the writer has thought about the topic carefully and feels as if they know what they re talking about. Organization The beginning of the piece is effective; it makes the reader want to keep reading. The author has told things in an order that makes sense and makes it easy to follow what is being said. The details in the piece go together or lead up to some bigger idea, main point, or conclusion. The piece ends well; it does not just stop suddenly, but it does not drag on too long either.

6 Voice The writer has written in a way that shows how they really think and feel about this topic. The piece is fun to read. The writer has put something of him/herself into the piece and it sounds like him/her--not like someone else. It is obvious that the writer has given some thought to what the reader will think and feel when reading this. Word Choice It is easy to picture what the piece is about; the words paint a picture in the reader s mind. The writing sounds natural. Sentence Fluency The sentences make sense; the meaning of each one is clear, and there are not words left out. The sentences have variety; some are longer than others, and they do not all begin the same way. When the piece is read orally, it is smooth and easy to read. Conventions The piece has been proofread; errors in spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected. The paragraphs begin in the right spots. If the author uses alternative grammar it is effective and not distracting.

7 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Assignment Sheet As we ve been reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in class, you ve probably noticed that Mark Twain consistently paints children as adventurous, innocent, and innovative. On the other hand, adults in Tom s world are often mistaken, too serious, and easily fooled by children. To finish our study of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, you will be writing an essay illustrating how one particular scene from the novel reflects Twain s ideas about childhood. 1 st Choose a scene to write about that you think reflects Twain s ideas about childhood. 2 nd Before you start writing, brainstorm 4-5 reasons that you think that the scene you have chosen reflects Twain s celebration of childhood. 3 rd Begin writing. Be sure to include a brief description of the scene you have chosen at the beginning of your essay as well as specific examples from that scene throughout your essay. Make sure that you are making an argument in your own voice as well. Explain why the scene shows readers what Twain thought about childhood, don t just summarize the scene. 4 th Have a rough draft of your essay ready for peer review on 5 th Turn in the final draft! This draft is due by