Hi there! 2020 Mulgrew's Midyear Exam
Welcome to the essay portion of your midyear
exam. Today you will need your writing portfolio, a computer, and access
to your Google Docs. This is a skill-based test of writing.
Instead of completing another essay that
demonstrated the use of the sippy-cup, I will allow you to choose either Writing
Asn. #3- The Respect Essay, or Writing Asn. #4- The Rule Change, and submit the
one that best fits the
rubric, and will score the maximum
number of points. If some slight, or even major changes are needed, the take
the 90 minute class today to make those improvements and reprint.
This will now be called Writing Asn. #5, and the heading should look like the
example below:
5.
Strong Introduction..... 20 Points
Name
Strong Supporting Detail.... 60 Points
Date
Strong Conclusion........... 20 Points
Block
Important notes of my expectations:
*
This is a silent day. The
support you got in peer editing, if you took advantage of that when it was
required, is now over: You are on your own to tweak, edit, and
improve what you wrote earlier. Pay attention to
the rubric/ evaluation and especially
what is written in BOLDFACE TYPE. The parts that are in BOLDFACE
are the parts where the most people lose points.
* Remember
that I am expecting to see transitions at the start of each supporting detail
paragraph and the concluding paragraph and that wasn't original part of the
Respect Essay #3, so add those to this final, midyear draft if that is the one
you choose.. I will also be judging the amount of supporting detail given,
and I suspect that that is where a majority of work will happen today.
* You have THIS PERIOD ONLY to get this done.
When you have printed a copy with the correct, new heading, look at the
whiteboard for stapling instructions. Any time remaining can be spent
working on other midyear exams or reading the school newspaper.
* If you did not complete either Asn. #3 or
Asn. #4, then you only have the rest of this block to complete a draft and share
it with me. Please note, I know how to view revision history, so please don’t try
to copy and paste other people’s work as your own,
and
I can also tell if you have worked on it during the period of time between the
final due date of 1/22 and today's test date. Be honest or I
will know.
* I would also like to see the paper single
spaced, using the block format, and 12 or 14 point font. Remember that the
M.L.A. format required one space after a comma, and two spaces after an end
mark.
Other important links to consider:
Persuasive
Writing Signal Words. This is the transitions page
Writing
Effective Introductions for Informative Writing This is a lead sheet.
Writing
Effective Introductions for Persuasive Essays. This is another lead
sheet.
Persuasive
Rubric/ Evaluation This is how you will be graded and gives
detailed point reductions that could negatively impact your grade.
The
No-No List:
No, you may not listen to music today.
No, you may not use your phone during
the ENTIRE testing block- even when you are done.
No, you may not start a new topic.
It must be an extension of either previous writing assignment.
English Midyear
Evaluation Sheet
2020
Name _____________________________________ Block ___
Now
that you feel you are done, please use a colored pencil and mark the paper with
the following:
1.
Look at your Introduction: 20
Points
A)
Do you have a specific type of lead?
If not, -10
B)
Is the lead long enough? If
not, -5
C)
Does the lead make the reader want to continue reading because
it is interesting? If not, -5
D)
Is there a bridge statement needed after the lead, and before the
three-part thesis statement? If
missing and needed, -5
E)
Is there a thesis statement containing the topic, position, and
three reasons why, all in one sentence? If
not, -5
Score __________
2.
Look at the supporting detail paragraphs:
60 Points
A)
Does each paragraph start with a transition?
-5 for each missed in the supporting detail paragraphs and conclusion.
B)
Does each supporting detail paragraph end appropriately? Or do you
see poor “Clincher” type sentences. -5 for each clincher.
C)
Are two of the reasons too similar?
Should they have combined those two and look for a better, third reason?
-20
D)
Although the supporting detail paragraphs do not have to be equal,
does each one have ENOUGH
DETAIL to PERSUADE THE
AUDIENCE? Really?
-20 to -40 depending on the case.
Score __________
3.
Look at the conclusion: 20
Points
A)
Does it have a restated thesis that uses enough synonyms so that
it doesn’t seem repetitive? Are
more synonyms needed? Are
the reasons in the same order? -5 if no synonyms are used, or if they are not in
the same order. -5 if no transition is used.
B)
Does the lead reminder echo
back to the lead? -5 if it
doesn’t, -10 if the lead reminder is not attempted.
Score: __________
TOTAL
Essay Score:___________