Essay Instructions Activity: 1) What do I want you to learn? 2) Why do I want you to learn it? 3) How will I know that you have learned it?

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1 Essay Instructions Activity: 1) What do I want you to learn? 2) Why do I want you to learn it? 3) How will I know that you have learned it? Essay Instructions Activity: 1) What do I want you to learn? 2) Why do I want you to learn it? 3) How w ill I know that you have learned it?

2 Romeo and Juliet CHARACTER ANALYSIS: LITERARY ESSAY ASSIGNMENT William Shakespeare Over the course of the next week, we will be working together to plan and write an in-class essay. The Essay Question: Show how the play Romeo and Juliet demonstrates that a person s strengths can help them to overcome adversity and create a better quality of life. - Refer to one main character to support your thesis. - Refer to any three strengths. - Provide one piece of specific evidence from the text for each of the three strengths. Your evidence should demonstrate that each strength would help that character to overcome adversity. Summary of Assignment: 1. Character Map Due Date: 2. Thesis Due Date: 3. Topic Sentences Due date: 4. Situations and quotations for evidence Due date: 5. Body paragraphs outline Due Date: 6. Essay writing Dates: Elements of the Romeo and Juliet In-class Essay 1. Begin by deciding how you will answer this question: Which strengths would help characters in Romeo and Juliet to overcome adversity and create a better quality of life?...or is there a character who would be more successful if he/she had certain strengths? (Choose 3 strengths for your one character). 2. Create your thesis. It may be something like this: In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, would be able to overcome adversity and create a better quality of life if he/she had used the strengths, and. 3. Write your body paragraph topic sentences. They may be something like this: Tybalt struggles with the violence happening around him, but with more courage, he may be able to overcome his problems and create a better quality of life. (not the case...but an example of how to structure the topic sentences ) 4. Choose one situation from the script to support EACH of your body paragraph topic sentences. Explain each situation fully to demonstrate the character s adversity, and the way their strength may potentially help them. 5. Select quotations from the play to provide evidence to support each of the situations you are writing about. Each body paragraph will have ONE quotation; your essay will have THREE quotations in total. Be sure they are properly cited (see last page of this booklet). 6. Plan your essay and complete this outline package. As you complete each step of the outline package and get to a CHECK-UP point, make sure you check in for feedback before moving ahead. * This is a formal essay. You must ensure that your development is logical and that your points are well-explained and well-supported by evidence from the play. They must also provide clear and strong support for the thesis. 7. Once we have completed the booklet on planning days, you will have 2 class periods to write your essay. At the end of each period you will hand in your work (including the booklet). It will be returned to you each day so you may continue. NOTE: Be sure to check the rubric for assessment criteria on the last page...

3 CHARACTER MAP: Use this graphic organizer to select character strengths and take notes on the way those strengths could help the character. Sum up your notes: In general, how could the character be helped by the strengths that you list above? Shows very limited Shows limited understanding of strengths standing of strengths standing of strengths/ derstanding of Shows some under- Shows a clear under- Shows insightful un- knowledge of strengths Shows limited understanding of how standing of how Shows a clear under- Shows excellent un- Shows some under- situations strengths/situations Shows little to no understanding of how strengths help strengths help. standing of how derstanding of how the strengths help. strengths help. strengths help.

4 Writing your Opening Paragraph: Write down your opening sentence (capture the interest of the reader, and refer to the topic of your essay strengths / overcoming adversity) Include a few sentences of discussion leading to your thesis (this may include a very brief plot synopsis that relates to your focus) Give a short introduction of your three main subtopics (the three strengths include definitions or some explanation) Write your THESIS STATEMENT: THESIS CHECK-UP Shows very limited Shows limited understanding of question standing of question standing of question derstanding of ques- Shows some under- Shows a clear under- Shows insightful un- knowledge of strengths and answer and answer and answer tion and answer Thesis is missing many components Thesis is missing more than two components Thesis is missing one component Thesis contains title, author, assertion, three main arguments Thesis integrates title, author, assertion, three main arguments smoothly

5 Body Paragraph One First main argument supporting your thesis: Topic Sentence (first strength include thesis connection): Explain the situation you are using to prove your point (explain context, and the type of adversity): Quote#1 from play to provide evidence for your first strength (include citation information): Connection to thesis (explain how this strength could help the character to overcome their adversity and improve their quality of life): Concluding Sentence: PARAGRAPH CHECK-UP Shows very limited knowledge of situation in novel no quotations presented. Pargaraph is missing many components Shows limited understanding adversity, strength, and/or evidence to make connection No use of transitions to connect ideas. Shows some understanding Some use of transitions connect some ideas. Shows a clear understanding Transitional words and phrases connect ideas. Shows insightful understanding Excellent choice of transitions lends coherence to paragraph.

6 Body Paragraph Two Second main argument supporting your thesis: Topic Sentence (second strength include thesis connection): Explain the situation you are using to prove your point (explain context, and the type of adversity): Quote#2 from play to provide evidence for your first strength (include citation information): Connection to thesis (explain how this strength could help the character to overcome their adversity and improve their quality of life): Concluding Sentence: PARAGRAPH CHECK-UP Shows very limited knowledge of situation in novel no quotations presented. Shows limited understanding adversity, strength, and/or evidence to make connection Shows some understanding Shows a clear understanding Shows insightful understanding Pargaraph is missing many components No use of transitions to connect ideas. Some use of transitions connect some ideas. Transitional words and phrases connect ideas. Excellent choice of transitions lends coherence to paragraph.

7 Body Paragraph Three Third main argument supporting your thesis: Topic Sentence (third strength include thesis connection): Explain the situation you are using to prove your point (explain context, and the type of adversity): Quote#3 from novel to provide evidence for your third strength (include citation information): Connection to thesis (explain how this strength could help the character to overcome their adversity and improve their quality of life): Concluding Sentence: PARAGRAPH CHECK-UP Shows very limited knowledge of situation in novel no quotations presented. Pargaraph is missing many components Shows limited understanding adversity, strength, and/or evidence to make connection No use of transitions to connect ideas. Shows some understanding Some use of transitions connect some ideas. Shows a clear understanding Transitional words and phrases connect ideas. Shows insightful understanding Excellent choice of transitions lends coherence to paragraph.

8 Concluding Paragraph Restate Thesis: Restate first main argument (first body paragraph topic): Restate second main argument (second body paragraph topic): Restate third main argument (third body paragraph topic): Connect your topic to a larger context (universal connection). Summarize what one can learn from the essay. Conclusion Check-Up: Thesis and/or main arguments missing Thesis and/or main arguments unclear Thesis and main arguments restated with some components missing Thesis and main arguments restated effectively Thesis and main arguments restated, clearly and with evidence of growth through essay No universal statement Universal statement is unclear or not connected effectively Universal statement suggests some connections to essay topic Universal statement make a clear connection to essay topics Universal statement makes an insightful connection to the overall significance of the essay

9 Essay Writing Resources Use these references to help you organize your essay and integrate your quotations correctly: How to Quote from the novel in Your In-class Essay 1. Always italicize the title of novels or plays: e.g. Romeo and Juliet, or To Kill a Mockingbird. If you are writing your essay by hand, underline the title. 2. Cite (identify) the author s last name and page numbers after every quotation you include. Quotes from Shakespeare should include Act, Scene and Line number. e.g. On pain of torture, from those bloody hands / Throw your mistemper d weapons to the ground (Shakespeare ). e.g. At that moment Aunt Alexandra came to the door and called us, but she was too late. It was Miss Stephanie s pleasure to tell us (Lee 217). 3. Periods and commas ALWAYS go inside quotation marks: e.g. Periods and commas, says Ms. Breivik, ALWAYS go inside quotation marks. 4. Put quotations of four lines or less in quotation marks and incorporate them into the sentences of your essay (point, proof, comment). e.g. Lord Capulet gives Juliet an ultimatum that she is unable to cope with. Get thee to church o Thursday, / Or never after look me in the face (Shakespeare ). His brutal threat to disown Juliet leads to her feelings of hopelessness and desperation. Quotation Analysis Remember that every quotation must be integrated into your essay using three steps: POINT: Introduce the idea that is being expressed by the quotation PROOF: Include the quotation using the correct punctuation and citing the author and page number correctly. COMMENT: Never leave a quotation hanging; always explain afterwards HOW the quotation demonstrates the idea that you introduced in your point. Your point and comment should logically connect back to your main idea for the paragraph you are writing, and thus, to your thesis. Follow all instructions carefully!

10 Literary Essay Rubric Name: Criteria Level 1 (50 59) Level 2 (60 69) Level 3 (70 79) Level 4 (80-100) Knowledge/ Understanding ideas, concepts, themes in the play forms and terms (plot, setting, character, theme) Thinking/Inquiry analysis (strengths overcoming adversity) use of evidence relevant; wellexplained references to situations in the novel to support points Communication use of essay form follows format in essay instruction package language and voice (must be formal, academic no contractions, no conversational phrases; no reference to I or you shows limited understanding of the topic shows limited knowledge of relevant literary forms and terms develops ideas with limited logic and coherence incorporates limited relevant evidence shows limited command of the essay form, including thesis; organization; conclusion uses appropriate language and voice with limited effectiveness and consistency Romeo and Juliet shows some understanding of the topic shows some knowledge of relevant literary forms and terms develops ideas with some logic and coherence incorporates some well-chosen, relevant evidence shows some command of the essay form, including thesis; organization; conclusion uses appropriate language and voice with some effectiveness and consistency shows considerable understanding of the topic shows considerable knowledge of relevant literary forms and terms develops ideas with considerable logic and coherence incorporates considerable well-chosen, relevant evidence shows considerable command of the essay form, including clear, logical thesis; effective organization; logical conclusion uses appropriate language and voice with considerable effectiveness and consistency William Shakespeare shows thorough understanding of the topic shows thorough and insightful knowledge of relevant literary forms and terms develops ideas with a high degree of logic and coherence incorporates highly effective, well-chosen, and relevant evidence shows extensive command of the essay form, including clear and thoughtprovoking thesis; highly effective organization; strong conclusion uses appropriate language and voice with a high degree of effectiveness and consistency Application language conventions e.g. situations in novel are written in present tense e.g. Jem tells Scout...) proper MLA in-text citation format leads into quotations smoothly, effectively applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with limited accuracy and effectiveness follows required style for few citations and references applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with some accuracy and effectiveness follows required style for some citations and references applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with considerable accuracy and effectiveness follows required style for most citations and references applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with a high degree of accuracy and effectiveness follows required style for all citations and references quotations are introduced before they are presented, and explained after (see format sheet)