Syllabus for Ninth Grade Honors World Literature
Jennifer E. Grayson
Academic Magnet High School
North Charleston, SC
Personal Philosophy
When I first began my teaching career at a small, alternative high school in the South
Bronx (Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School), it was quickly obvious how much of the work
we did was dependent upon respect. If students felt disrespected by their peers, there could be a
street brawl after school. If teachers felt disrespected by the students, meaningful work was hard
to come by in that room. When teachers, students, administrators, and parents work together in
an atmosphere of mutual respect, amazing learning can (and will) happen. Without respect,
students will not push themselves or others to think more deeply and critically, students will not
contribute in large group discussions, collaboration will not occur, and suggestions for growth
and improvement are ignored. For these reasons, I strive to create a respectful learning
environment in every aspect of my life in school.
Course Overview
This course is intended to be the literature component of a humanities block. Students
generally report directly from Honors Global Studies to Honors World Literature (HWL). The
curriculum of this course follows the chronological study of history in Global Studies. Global
Studies begins with early civilizations, and hence, our HWL curriculum does the same. Epics,
epic heroes, myths, and archetypes are emphasized in this course to help students recognize the
importance of these works on those that followed, including works of the present day. Students
are required to complete essays (in class and out of class) in this course, as well as many other
types of writing assessments. Quizzes are taken once per week (at a minimum), and tests are
given covering the major works. Tests always involve writing (short answer/essay) and multiple
choice questions. The major research project for HWL is tied to the National History Day
competition. The resulting projects from the History Day research are a literature review and a
documentary film. Students engage in many different ways with the texts of this class:
discussions, journaling, presenting, performing dramatic reenactments, analyzing characters,
writing creatively (poetry, newspaper articles, POV journals, and scripts), and finally, identifying
themes, motifs, and archetypes.
Vocabulary work is completed daily at the beginning of class in four day cycles. On the
first day students are given the words (usually 12) and the Greek or Latin roots, on the second
students are asked to complete a set of exercises using the words, on the third day the words are
checked by the teacher and reviewed, and on the fourth the students take a quiz. The quizzes are
multiple-choice and fill in the blank, and words from previous units are always included in the
quizzes. A final vocabulary test is given at the end of the year.
AP Language and Composition Curricular Requirements
CR 1: This course teaches students to write in several forms and about a variety of
subjects. The formal writing assignments are primarily thematic (Things Fall Apart essay
and outside reading essay), argumentative (Epic of Gilgamesh essay and Aeneid essay),
and analytical (Egyptian Love Lyrics comparison, flood story comparisons, Oedipus Rex
essay on Aristotelian theory). Students also write a review of literature about their
National History Day topic (Rights and Responsibilities). The final essay of the year
requires the students to synthesize information from literary criticism in a character
analysis (Julius Caesar).
CR 2: At the beginning of the course, emphasis is placed on development of
comprehensive thesis statements, as well as topic sentences. Students submit an outline
containing thesis statements, topic sentences, quotations, and explanations before major
essay assignments for teacher approval. Rough drafts of major essay assignment are
evaluated through peer review before the final deadline. The teacher indicates areas
needing improvement by circling the problem areas, questioning, and writing a brief
narrative to each student. As the year progresses, more emphasis is placed on peer and
self-editing, and the teacher indicates problem areas with circles and brief comments.
CR 3: There is much writing done in informal contexts in this course. Some examples
include: imitation of Egyptian lyric poetry, persona journal for a character from the Iliad
and many persona writings when studying Julius Caesar, speeches and scripts (Greek
Hero for President, Ilaid news conference, African oral tale reenactment), journals
(Things Fall Apart quote journal and quote explication journal for Julius Caesar),
collaboration on small group essays (Flood myth comparison/contrast, Oedipus Rex ode
analysis) and presentations.
CR 4: The reading in this literature course represents many genres: novel, religious texts,
drama, tragedy, epics, myths, and poetry. Devices unique to each genre are examined in
terms of their effectiveness, and are discussed in class and through writing assignments.
CR 5: Nonfiction readings are work required for the History Day review of literature.
Students learn how to research nonfiction sources, use databases, and evaluate academic
journals in terms of their relevance and subjectivity/objectivity. Nonfiction is also used in
the essay assignments for Roman literature; the in-class essay on the Aeneid asks students
to agree, disagree, or qualify Adam Parry‟s claims in “The Two Voices of Virgil‟s
Aeneid”, Aristotle‟s Poetics is utilized in the writing of an analytical take-home essay on
Oedipus‟ tragic flaw, and literary criticism used in the Julius Caesar essay. In terms of
the fiction work in this course, the varied writing assignments are appropriate for
developing an understanding of the plot, literary devices, as well as the effects the
author‟s choices have on the audience.
CR 6: Graphics and visual images are used to relate to written texts when studying
Joseph Campbell‟s Hero Cycle, and artistic representations of Helen of Troy (and their
connection to literature written about Helen) are used to demonstrate that art can be used
as an alternative form of text.
CR 7: The History Day review of literature is the major research assignment for this
course. Students use and cite primary and secondary sources in their reviews of literature,
as well as synthesize their research under a unifying thesis statement. Other research
assignments include research and presentation of another journey to the underworld and
its similarities and differences to Gilgamesh‟s journey, and finding an example of lyric
love poetry and comparing it to ancient Egyptian love lyrics. MLA is reviewed many
times throughout the year.
CR 8: MLA style is used in this course, and is taught in detail in preparation for the
review of literature.
CR 9: Students receive much feedback on their writing in this course. The teacher aims to
encourage the use of appropriate, effective, and wide-ranging vocabulary, varying
sentence structures, logical organization, and generalized and specific details to help
these 9th grade students become more thoughtful, effective, and academic writers.
Course Planner and Student Activities
Each unit of study within each quarter addresses Common Core state standards for English,
Language Arts, and Literacy, grades 9-10.
First Quarter – How does a culture create order out of chaos?
Things Fall Apart
Summer reading assignment: Students choose five significant quotes and
analyze/explain them in terms of literary devices and impact on the text.
Class discussions: Discussion focuses on students‟ chosen quotes and a series of
Achebe quotes on the role of a writer and storyteller in society, and how well he
fulfills role. Plot events and characters are also discussed.
Accompanying readings and assignments: TPCASTT on “The White Man‟s
Burden” by Rudyard Kipling, as well as discussion of how the poem is or is not
reflected in the novel. “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats is read, and
why Achebe used it as the epigraph is discussed. Pre AP applied practice, or close
reading analysis of literary devices and author‟s craft/purpose, will be used to
discuss passages from the novel. This activity will encourage the students to
analyze the novel, not to summarize the novel.
Thematic essay: Each class generates a list of possible themes of the novel.
Students vote on the five favorite themes, and students can choose which of the
five will be the focus of their five paragraph essay. Students will be instructed on
how to embed quotations to support their ideas. An outline will be required for
this essay. Peer review will be used on the rough draft with emphasis on thesis
statements and topic sentences. Teacher will assess in terms of use of quotations,
MLA format, and effectiveness of examples.
Outside Reading
All selections are set in outside of the United States, with the exception of Bless Me,
Ultima, which is set in the Southwestern United States near the Mexican border. Students
will read, discuss, and write about one outside reading book per semester.
Class discussion: Students will spend one day in class sharing their book with a
small group. Students will be asked to comment on the following in their book
talk: genre, significance of title, brief research on author, setting, main characters,
conflict, plot events – especially climax, mood, and theme. A whole class
discussion will seek to draw connections between books, but highlight the themes
of all books read. Students will then be able to reflect on whether or not a
discussed theme was present in their book as well.
Accompanying assignments and reading: Students can choose one of the
following for their outside reading: One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya, Bless Me,
Ultima by Rudolpho Anaya, The Good Earth by Pearl Buck, For Whom the Bell
Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway, The Aguero Sisters by Cristina Garcia, Sold by
Patricia McCormick, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana deRosnay, Paradise of the Blind by
Duong Thu Huong, The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan, or The Alchemist by
Paulo Coehlo.
Thematic essay: In this in-class essay, students will defend the theme of their
book through ample evidence and quotations from the text. They will also
comment on the effect and impact that theme has on the reader.
Epic of Gilgamesh
Class discussions: The discussion of Epic of Gilgamesh will follow the
SOAPStone method of analysis (Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject,
Tone).
Accompanying readings and assignments: Students will be taught general
characteristics of epics, epic heroes, and archetypes. Campbell‟s Hero‟s Journey
will also be read about and discussed. Students will create a visual representation
of Gilgamesh‟s journey using the terminology of the Hero‟s Journey. Outside
research will be conducted on other literary journeys into the underworld.
Students will present findings to a small group and submit a one page discussion
of how the researched journey is similar or different than Gilgamesh‟s journey.
Persuasive essay: This in-class essay will address whether or not Gilgamesh is an
epic hero based on the general characteristics discussed and/or Campbell‟s Hero‟s
Journey. Students will be assessed on their use of specific examples to persuade
and the overall effectiveness of their argument.
Egyptian Poetry
Class discussions: The first class discussion will be to analyze “The Great Hymn
to the Aten” through use of the TPCASTT method. Apostrophe and figurative
language and how they emphasize the theme of the poem will be mentioned
specifically. Excerpts from “The Book of the Dead” will be used to draw
connections between Egyptian views of death and burial and the idea that rituals
create order out of chaos. The discussion of “The Book of the Dead” will also
address the nature of a culture‟s beliefs and the origins of those beliefs. To
introduce the Egyptian love lyrics, students will brainstorm a list of modern love
songs. Then the list will be narrowed to ten, and students will create generalized
lists of types of speakers in modern love songs, themes discussed in modern love
songs, and typical tones used in modern love songs. “Most Beautiful Youth Who
Ever Happened” and “Voice of the Wild Goose” will then be read and discussed
with particular emphasis on speaker, theme, and tone. Connections will be drawn
between the modern love songs and the ancient lyrics.
Accompanying assignment: Research – Find a modern love poem (post 1900) that
shares at least two of the following: speaker, theme, and/or tone with one of the
Egyptian Love Lyrics. Write an explanation discussing how the poems are similar
(one page minimum).
History Day Review of Literature
“Rights and Responsibilities” is the National History Day 2014 general topic.
Class discussions: Multiple class discussions will be held over the course of this
research project. First, students will be discussing the meaning of the topic itself
and evaluating suggested topics of the National History Day organization.
Students will learn how to choose a good topic through discussion, in other
words, making sure that their topic is not too broad or narrow. Another important
discussion will be how to divide the topic (for this project, students are working
with a group of up to five the same topic, but everyone must submit their own
literature review. When students collaborate on the project that is submitted for
the National History Day competition, they will work with this group to produce
the product, combine their research, and in this way, one student is not burdened
with the creation of the product). Discussion is also held on how to evaluate
sources, use of databases, and the difference between a review of literature and a
research paper.
Accompanying assignments: The students are required to have selected their
groups and topics by the end of October. They are required to have their primary
and secondary sources by the end of the first week of November. Students may
not use the same sources as anyone else in their group, therefore an assignment
requires them to list their sources and remove any duplicates and share extra
resources with group members if needed and/or appropriate.
***First Quarter Humanities Block Collaborative Activity: History Day***
Second Quarter- How does character manifest destiny?
History Day Review of Literature (cont.)
Class discussions: Teacher will model annotation for the students, highlighting
identification of significant quotes, paraphrasing, identification relevant facts,
recognizing opportunities to question the author and their purpose. For the
following class period, students will annotate a second source for the topic. After
this annotation, students will be introduced to synthesis through a teacher model.
Then in pairs, students will write a paragraph that synthesizes the information of
both sources. At least two class periods are dedicated to discussion of MLA
citation style before students begin preparing their review of literature outlines.
Discussion of MLA outline format and seriating are held during those two days as
well. Students spend time discussing their outlines with their groups. The
assessment rubric is also discussed with the students during this time. Peer editing
of rough drafts occurs first as a whole class discussion, and then students
exchange papers with their group members where each member of the group is
critiquing a different element.
Accompanying assignments: Students are required to complete an MLA
formatted outline and references page by November 11, 2013. This outline will be
read by both their group and the teacher. Students will mostly be assessed on
their MLA formatting, as well as depth and quality of research. A draft of their
review of literature will be November 15, 2013. It will first be peer reviewed in
class, and at least three samples from actual student papers will be
critiqued/revised. The first sample will only be edited by the teacher using the
document camera, then the second sample will be edited with student input, and
the third and subsequent examples will be edited by students with teacher input
only upon request. Students will submit final drafts on Tuesday, November 26,
2013.
Mythology and the Hebrew Bible
Class discussion: “How the World and Mankind Were Created” from Edith
Hamilton‟s Mythology is discussed in terms of similarities and differences
between the Genesis creation myth (“In the beginning”) in the Hebrew Bible. The
same is done with the companion flood myths. With the flood myths, the reasons
for the destruction of the earth are specifically discussed how the myths share
details that are similar and seemingly universal and how some details seem to be
culturally specific. For the next activity, the class is introduced to a few rhetorical
strategies appropriate to a presidential campaign speech: allusion, anecdote,
appeals to patriotism, hyperbole, imagery, and repetition.
Accompanying assignments and readings: The flood myths that are not discussed
in Hamilton‟s Mythology are found in our textbook: “Noah and the Flood”, “Tata
and Nena”, “Deucalion”, and the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Heroes for President
presentation and visual project require students to work in a small group of
approximately six students. Groups will be assigned one of the four heroes read
about in Mythology: Atalanta, Hercules, Theseus, Perseus, Posideon, or Athena.
In this scenario, each hero is running for President of the United Sates and must
make a campaign speech. A “President” will be elected from each class, and the
voters will be another section of HWL. The rhetorical strategies are expected to
be utilized effectively in the presented speech.
Compare/Contrast essay: With a small group of four students, they are asked to
compare/contrast flood myths a five paragraph in-class essay. They are asked to
address the relationship between humanity and a supreme being in each account
and how each account is about both destruction and rebirth.
Iliad
Class discussion: Much of the discussion of for the Iliad deals with the following:
plot events, use of foreshadowing and flashback and the effects these achieve,
epic similes, epithets, and character motivation. Additional attention will be paid
to Greek values which demonstrate the cultural context, such as the importance of
spoils of war and the public humiliation that comes with the loss of war prizes, the
belief that the gods intervened in the affairs of humans yet humans still did retain
an aspect of free will in their lives, and lastly, how an unburied corpse was an
offense to the gods and how the soul of the unburied was doomed to wander the
earth. The rhetorical strategies introduced in the Heroes for President project will
be revisited. Students will look for examples of these argument techniques in the
Book 24 of the Iliad, where Priam begs Achilles for the return Hector‟s body.
Accompanying assignments and readings: Students begin study of the Iliad with a
discussion of two poems about Helen of Troy, “To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe
and “Helen” by H.D., each of which presents an opposite view of Helen, her role
in the war, and her legendary beauty. Students also examine multiple art paintings
of Helen to reinforce the concept that Helen was a polarizing figure in the war,
and she has continued to be so throughout history. A “character portrait” is
created based on a different character than the persona journal. For the character
portrait students are asked to find textual support (quotes) about a character in all
of the following areas: biographical information, personality traits, ideas and
beliefs, struggles and obstacles, and quotations that reveal the most about the
character. An artistic representation of the character is also required for the
character portrait. Students will research various artistic depictions of their
character portrait subject and analyze in writing the artists‟ depiction of the
character and what that depiction emphasizes in terms of the five components of
the “character portrait”.
Persuasive essay: The topic of this persuasive essay whether the Epic of
Gilgamesh or the Iliad is the more effective epic in terms of characteristics of an
epic discussed at the beginning of the semester. Or, the students may persuade
that either Gilgamesh or Achilles or Hector (students must choose one of these
two) is more effective in their fulfillment of the role of an epic hero.
Oedipus Rex
Class discussion: The origins of Greek theater are discussed before the reading of
the play, and this history is reinforced with a film (unable to locate citation
information). Much of the discussion of Oedipus Rex centers around Sophocles‟
use of irony, especially dramatic irony, and how that irony intensifies the tragedy.
The other focus of discussion is of Aristotle‟s Poetics and the following concepts:
tragic hero, hamartia, hubris, catharsis, and tragedy. A BBC adaptation (1986) is
viewed in class, and students discuss the effectiveness of this staging of the
tragedy (sets, costumes, lighting, blocking, and acting).
Accompanying assignments and reading: Students will read Barbara McManus‟
discussion of the Poetics to prepare for the discussion of that text. At the end of
Part One, students are assigned to small groups. They are asked to analyze the
Parados or one of the odes in terms of the ode‟s function as a response to the
scene it follows. This brief essay should be three paragraphs, and students will
peer edit the essay before submission. Examples from other classes will be shown
using the document camera to illustrate effective and/or ineffective analysis of the
odes.
Persuasive essay: This essay assignment will ask the students to defend whether
or not Oedipus fits the description of the tragic hero as stated in our textbook.
They are asked to agree or disagree with whether or not Oedipus‟ misfortune and
downfall are brought about by “some error of judgment or frailty.” This essay
does not have a length requirement, but students are expected to use ample
evidence and direct quotations (with proper MLA citation format) from the play
as support.
***Second Quarter Humanities Block Collaborative Activity – Greek Day***
Third Quarter – What is the nature of belief?
Oedpius Rex will continue into third quarter.
Roman Poetry
Class discussion: The students will be divided into small groups and assigned a
poet (Sappho or Catullus) and poems. They will conduct focused discussions of
the biographies of their poets, as well as analyze their assigned poems using
TPCASTT charts.
Accompanying assignments and readings: The small groups will present a
Powerpoint which discusses the poet‟s biography, addresses the content of the
TPCASTT charts, asks and answers relevant discussion questions, compares and
contrasts the poems you were assigned (e.g. do they discuss similar/dissimilar themes,
utilize similar/dissimilar figurative language devices, etc.). The audience will take notes
on the presentation, and a quiz will be generated based on the content of the
presentations. Students will be allowed to use class notes on the quiz.
Aeneid
Class discussion: The class discussion for the Aeneid will focus on how Aeneas is
a different hero than the others read about over the course of the year: Gilgamesh,
Achilles, Hector, and even Oedipus. Students will discuss how Aeneas is not
immortal, superhuman, or even larger-than-life, how he courageous and valiant,
yet at the same time how he is divided by the conflict between duty and passion.
Accompanying assignments and readings: Students will be divided into groups
and asked to read selections from Adam Parry‟s “The Two Voices of Virgil‟s
Aeneid”. In a fishbowl activity, students will report about their selection with
special attention paid to Parry‟s claims. These claims will be listed on the board.
Argument essay: Students will write an in-class essay on whether or not they
agree or disagree Parry‟s claims from the previous class period and why.
Students are expected to give ample evidence from the text, but quotations do not
need to be used excessively.
Julius Caesar
Class discussion: Much class discussion of Julius Caesar revolves around the
characters, their development, their motivations, tragic flaws, plot events, and
basic paraphrasing of the text. Discussion about the following literary devices,
conventions of drama, and rhetorical strategies are also critical to the work
required for this play (and helping students come to an understanding of its
meaning): metaphor/extended metaphor, simile, personification, foreshadowing,
allusion, theme, soliloquy, aside, conflict, irony (verbal, dramatic, situational),
parallelism, antithesis, and logical fallacies.
Accompanying assignments and reading: Pre AP applied practice, or close
reading analysis of literary devices and author‟s craft/purpose, will be used to
discuss passages from the play. This activity will encourage the students to
analyze the play, not to summarize the play.
***Third Quarter Humanities Block Collaborative Activity – Comparative Religions Guest
Speaker Forum***
Fourth Quarter – Does a culture regenerate or find a new direction?
Julius Caesar (cont.)
The quote explication work for Julius Caesar continues into this quarter. Students
will need to conduct research to find the pieces of literary criticism necessary for
their essay. Students will primarily use JSTOR for this research.
Analysis and argument essay: Students will analyze the character of Brutus, his
actions, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and tragic downfall and flaw. Students will
incorporate the ideas of two teacher-approved pieces of literary criticism into their
essay. One piece of literary criticism must run counter to their claims, and
students will be expected to refute those claims in their essay. The length of the
essay will be a minimum of 700 words.
End of Course Examination Preparation
Class discussion: The following concepts will be addressed in preparation for the
End of Course Exam: reading comprehension, audience, purpose, context clues,
characterization, fact vs. opinion, writing technique, sentence completion,
drawing inferences from visual media, order of ideas, basic grammar (comma
usage, fragments, run-ons, relevance, pronouns and antecedents, quotation marks,
subject-verb agreement, simple/complex sentences, underlining/italicizing),
research strategies and evaluation of sources, identification of thesis statements,
interpreting graphic organizers, word choice, literary elements and devices
(irony, allusion, dialogue, monologue, conflict, tone, mood, symbolism),
rhetorical strategies (allusion, rhetorical question, parallelism, repetition, tone,
mood), and summary and paraphrase.
Accompanying assignments and reading: Students will take a minimum of four
practice tests of varying length to prepare for this examination.
Middle Eastern and Far Eastern Literature
Class discussion: Students will discuss the influence of the ancient Eastern culture
and philosophy on modern, Western society (ideals, mathematics, technology,
science, medicine, calendar, trade, astronomy).
Accompanying assignments and reading: Excerpts from the Koran, Rubaiyat,
“Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline” from Bhagavad-Gita, and Japanese Tanka
will be read in this unit. Students will choose one of the Middle or Far Eastern
countries, and within teacher-set parameters, individually research aspects of that
country‟s culture. Students who select then same country will collaborate to
ensure that no one uses the same three resources. For their presentation students
select the medium, such as: Powerpoint, video, brochure, flip charts, handouts,
and an option to bring food to class.
African Oral Tradition
Class discussion: The purpose of this final, short unit at the end of the year is to
bring the students back to the continent where we started our studies, but also help
students realize that the literature of the past is being imitated in the literature of a
more modern time. Even stories as simple as folk tales carry tremendous cultural
insight. The devices specific to this short unit are: griot, refrain, mood, sound
devices, personification, parallelism, archetype, trickster, moral, motif, repetition,
and chain tale.
Accompanying assignments and reading: Students will read the Malian epic,
Sundiata, and discuss how Sundiata mirrors or mimics other epic heroes read
about during the year. Students will be divided into small groups (6 to a group)
and assigned one of the four following tales: “Elephant Hunter, Take Your Bow”,
“Why We Tell Stories About Spider”, “The Five Helpers,” and “Talk”. Students
will be responsible for reenacting the tale for the class, as well as addressing
examples of the aforementioned devices and their impact on the tale in a
PowerPoint presentation. After the African folk tales have been presented,
students will be asked to read the following tales from Zora Neale Hurston‟s Of
Mules and Men: “How Jack O‟Lanterns Came to Be”, “How the Snake Got
Poison”, “How the Possum Lost the Hair off His Tail”, and “How the „Gator Got
Black”. Similarities between the older African tales and the more recent works
will be discussed.
***Fourth Quarter Humanities Block Collaborative Activity – Cultural film experience:
The Bridge of San Luis Rey***
Student Evaluation
In this course, student thinking, reading, writing, listening, and speaking are at the center
of all class activity. Grading is viewed in this context. Students are continuously assessed in
terms of performance and progress, as evidenced by papers, in-class task commitment,
homework, quiz/test performance, and daily preparation.
Student‟s grades are based on an accumulated points system. Each graded assignment or
activity is assigned a certain number of points based on its complexity and overall importance to
the objectives of the course. Typically, essays and projects are worth 100 or more points, tests
are worth 75-100 points, quizzes are worth 25-45 points, and homework and class work are
worth 10-20 points. At the end of each quarter, the student‟s quarter grade is determined by
dividing the number of points earned by the number of points possible. Twenty percent of the
final grade comes from a state End of Course examination.
The percentages that are figured using the accumulated point system translate into the
following letter grades:
100-93 = A
92-85 = B
84-77 = C
76-70 = D
69-0 = F
Parent Teacher Communication
Students are not required to return signed progress reports, but parents are expected to ask their
child about their progress frequently. Additionally, Parent Portal is available to monitor the
student‟s work and progress. The assistant principal will provide can information on how to
access Parent Portal. Teachers are also available to the parents through the following avenues.
1. Call the school and the office will leave a message on teacher‟s voicemail.
2. Email the teacher through the teacher page on the school website or Charleston County
email. Email is checked frequently and teachers usually respond within 24 hours. Please
reference your child‟s name in the text of the email, but not in the subject line.
3. Call the office to set up a conference. Each teacher has a day set aside for meeting with
parents to discuss student progress.
General Pre AP Writing Rubrics
Pre AP Analysis Essay Rubric
Essays earning a score of 9 meet the criteria for a score of 8 and, in addition, are especially
9
8
Effective
7
sophisticated in their argument, thorough in their development, or impressive in their control of
language.
Essays earning a score of 8 effectively analyze the topic. They develop their analysis with evidence
and explanations that are appropriate and convincing, referring to the texts explicitly or implicitly.
The prose demonstrates a consistent ability to control a wide range of the elements of effective
writing but is not necessarily flawless.
Essays earning a score of 7 meet the criteria for a score of 6 but provide more complete explanation,
more thorough development, or a more mature prose style.
6
Adequate
Essays earning a score of 6 adequately analyze the topic. They develop their analysis with evidence
and explanations that are appropriate and sufficient, referring to the texts explicitly or implicitly. The
writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but generally the prose is clear.
5
Essays earning a score of 5 analyze the topic. The evidence or explanations used may be uneven,
inconsistent, or limited. The writing may contain lapses in diction or syntax, but it usually conveys the
student‟s ideas.
Essays earning a score of 4 inadequately analyze the topic. These essays may misunderstand the texts
or may use the texts insufficiently. The evidence or explanations used may be inappropriate,
insufficient, or less convincing. The prose generally conveys the student‟s ideas but may be less
consistent in controlling the elements of effective writing.
Essays earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for a score of 4 but demonstrate less success in analyzing
the topic. They are less perceptive in their understanding of the texts, or the explanations or examples
may by particularly limited or simplistic. The essays may show less maturity in control of writing.
Essays earning a score of 2 demonstrate little success in analyzing the topic. These essays may
misunderstand the prompt, misread the poems, fail to analyze the texts, or substitute a simpler task by
responding to the prompt tangentially with unrelated, inaccurate, or inappropriate explanation. The
prose often demonstrates consistent weaknesses in writing, such as grammatical problems, a lack of
development or organization, or a lack of control.
Essays earning a score of 1 meet the criteria for a score of a 2 but are undeveloped, especially
simplistic in their explanation, or weak in their control of language.
4
Inadequate
3
2
Little
Success
1
0
Indicates an off-topic response, one that merely repeats the prompt, an entirely crossed-out response,
drawing, or a response in a language other than English.
Pre AP Argument Essay Rubric
Essays earning a score of 9 meet the criteria for essays that are scored an 8 and, in addition, are
9
8
Effective
7
6 Adequate
5
4
Inadequate
3
2
Little
Success
1
0
especially sophisticated in their argument and synthesis of cited sources, or impressive in their
control of language.
Essays earning a score of 8 thoroughly address all the tasks of the prompt in well-organized
responses. The writing demonstrates stylistic sophistication and control over the elements of
effective writing, although it is not necessarily faultless. Essays contain developed, intelligent
ideas; sound and logical organization; strong evidence; and articulate diction. Essays demonstrate
an ability to construct a compelling argument, observing the author‟s underlying assumptions and
discussing many sides of the issue with appropriate evidence.
Essays earning a score of 7 meet the criteria for essays that are scored a 6, but are distinguished by
more complete or more purposeful argumentation and synthesis of cited sources, or a more mature
prose style.
Essays earning a score of 6 complete the essay tasks well. They show some insight but with less
precision and clarity. There may be lapses in correct diction or sophisticated language, but the
essay is generally well written. Argument essays demonstrate the ability to construct an adequate
argument, understand the author‟s purpose, and discuss the purpose with suitable evidence.
Essays earning a score of 5 complete the essay task, but with no special insights. The analysis may
lack depth and state the obvious. Ideas are predictable and the paragraph development weak.
Although the writing conveys the writer‟s ideas, they are presented simplistically and often contain
lapses in diction and syntax. These essays present an argument, but they frequently provide limited
and inadequate discussion, explanation, or evidence for the writer‟s ideas. Oversimplification of
the issue(s) minimizes the essay‟s effectiveness.
These essays are weaker than a 5 because the writer overlooks ore misreads ideas in the passage.
The student may summarize the text‟s ideas instead of analyzing them. Although the writer‟s ideas
are generally understandable, the control of language is often unsophisticated. The essay
demonstrates little ability to construct an argument. They may not clearly identify the author‟s
point and may offer little evidence for the student‟s position.
Essays earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for the score of 4 but demonstrate less understanding
of the cited sources, less success in developing their own position, or less control of writing.
These essays demonstrate minimal understanding of the topic or the passage. Perhaps unfinished,
these essays offer no analysis of the passage and little or no evidence for the student‟s ideas.
Incorrect assertions may be made about the passage. Stylistically, these essays may show
consistent grammatical problems, and sentence structure is usually simple and unimaginative.
These essays demonstrate little ability to understand the author‟s point and then construct an
argument that analyzes it. Minimal or nonexistent evidence hurts the essay‟s effectiveness. Some
students substitute an easier task by presenting tangential or irrelevant ideas, evidence or
explanation.
Essays earning a score of 1 meet the criteria for a score of 2 but are especially simplistic or weak
in their control of writing or do not cite even once.
Essay earning a score of zero are off-topic responses that receive no credit, such as those that
merely repeat the prompt.
Pre AP Compare/Contrast Essay Rubric
Thesis statement clearly delineates whether similarities or differences are paramount to understanding the works.
5
4
3
2
1-0
These essays offer a persuasive, well-detailed, and precise response to the question, including ample textual evidence from
the entire work that is incorporated into the essay with sophistication. Evidence is immediately followed by exacting
analysis.
The writer provided an insightful and original interpretation, which grapples with the complexity of the text while
demonstrating consistent control over the elements of composition.
These essays are perceptive in their analysis and original in the conception and definition of the terms compare/contrast.
These essays are tightly focused with only relevant details.
These essays employ evidence and purposeful organization with effective topic sentences and fluid transitions that provide
cohesion.
These essays demonstrate writing, ides, vocabulary, and analysis that are clear and sophisticated.
Lively, powerful verbs provide energy.
Thesis statement suggests (without stating clearly/explicitly) whether similarities or differences are more important to
understanding the text.
These competent essays offer a reasonable yet less persuasive response to the question.
The analysis of terms is more global, less focused, selecting areas to compare and contrast that are surface level.
These essays demonstrate the writer‟s ability to express and support ideas using ample and apt textual evidence, although
they do not exhibit the same level of effective writing as the 5 papers.
Conclusion restate the point of comparison/contrast without explaining the outcomes of the compare/contrast exercises – in
other words, the reader is left wondering what conclusion the writer came to about the topics addressed.
These essays are less focused (that the 5 essays) and may contain irrelevant details or unnecessary plot summary; these
essays address the thematic concerns of the work as a whole, though perhaps not as successfully as the 5 essays.
Writers use adequate verbs and their word choice is appropriate academic writing.
These essays are organized logically, using adequate topic sentences for each paragraph to address a specific aspect of the
thesis/topic; transitions are used fairly and consistently.
This essay may have a few grammatical errors.
Even though the writers respond to the assigned task with a plausible self-generated theory, they often rely on simple
generalization or are vague, formulaic, or unsupported by specific examples in the writing.
There may be minor inconsistencies or contradictions in the writing. These writers demonstrate control of the language and
an understanding of the question but the writing may be marred by surface errors.
These papers fail to take a stance, comparing and contrasting without asserting which is more important – the similarities or
the differences – and what they are more important.
These essays have an inconsistent focus and may include irrelevant details and/or irrelevant plot summary. These essays
tend to be superficial in analysis of the terms presented and the questions explored – analysis may be present, but lacking in
depth.
The textual evidence may be lacking and/or it may not directly support or pertain to the thesis or it may be only partially
developed.
The textual support may be awkwardly or clumsily embedded into the essay.
These essays need more structure, especially in the area of topic sentences and transitions.
These essays may have numerous and distracting grammatical errors.
These papers have weak thesis statements lacking in specificity and stance.
These papers offer an inadequate analysis relying on summary of ideas discussed in class or no a surface level
interpretation of the terms/question.
These papers lack originality of thought. They may demonstrate a misreading of terms and the analysis may be partial,
unconvincing, or irrelevant to the central focus of the paper.
These papers may only compare or contrast but neglect to do both.
There is little concrete textual evidence used to back up assertions.
The evidence that is used may be misconstrued or presented out of context
The writing demonstrates a focus that is unclear, inconsistent, undeveloped, and/or repetitive.
These essays lack essential development of ideas and may lack adequate examples from each work.
These essays may lack structure as well as defining topic sentences.
These essays compound the weakness of papers in the 2 range.
Although some attempt has been made to respond to the question, the writer‟s assertions are presented with little clarity,
organization, or supporting textual evidence.
The thoughts are not fully developed and the writing seems to work simply to answer the question instead of presenting an
analysis.
These essays contain far too much unnecessary plot summary and provide inadequate, unfocused examples from the text.
There may be serious errors in grammar and mechanic and word choice may be juvenile.
Pre AP Project Rubric
Thoroughly develops all aspects of the task evenly and in depth
5
4
3
2
1
0
Is more analytical than descriptive (analyzes, evaluates, and/or creates information)
Incorporates relevant information from at least ____ documents
Demonstrates a logical and clear plan of organization; included an introduction and a conclusion
that go beyond a restatement of the theme
Develops all aspects of the task but may do so somewhat unevenly
Is both descriptive and analytical
Incorporates relevant information from at least ___ documents
Demonstrates a logical and clear plan of organization; includes an introduction and a conclusion that
go beyond a restatement of the theme
Develops all aspects of the task with little depth or develops most aspects
Is both descriptive and analytical (applies, analyzes, evaluates, and/or creates information)
Incorporates relevant information from at least ____ documents
Demonstrates a satisfactory plan of organization; includes an introduction and a conclusion that may
be a restatement of the theme
Minimally develops all aspects of the task or develops some aspects of the task in depth
Is primarily descriptive; may include faulty, weak, or isolated application or analysis
Incorporates limited relevant information from the documents, or information only copied from the
text with no analysis
Demonstrates a general plan of organization; may lack focus; may contain digressions; may not
clearly identify which aspect of the task is being addressed; may lack an introduction and/or a
conclusion
Minimally develops some aspects of the task
Is descriptive; may lack understanding, application, or analysis
Makes vague, unclear references to the documents or consists primarily of relevant and irrelevant
information copied from the documents
Shows limited understanding of the task with vague, unclear references to the documents
May demonstrate a weakness in organization; may lack focus; may contain digressions; may not
clearly identify which aspect of the task is being addressed; may lack an introduction and/or a
conclusion
Fails to develop the task or may only refer to the theme in a general way; OR includes no relevant
facts, examples, or details; OR includes only the task as copied from the assignment; OR includes
only text copied from a book or other source; OR is illegible; OR is a blank paper.
Teacher Resources
Texts
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Print.
Bhagavad-Gita. “Philosophy and Spiritual Discipline.” Trans. Barbara Stoller Miller. Elements
of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 372378. Print.
Catullus. “If Ever Anyone Anywhere.” Trans. Peter Whigham. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 300. Print.
---. “I Hate and I Love.” Trans. Peter Whigham. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 300. Print.
---. “Lesbia Says She‟ld Rather Marry Me.” Trans. Peter Whigham. Elements of Literature:
World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 299. Print.
---. “Wretched Catullus, Leave off Playing the Fool.” Trans. Reney Myers and Robert J. Ormsby.
Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston,
2006. 299. Print.
Deucalion: A Greek Myth. Trans. J.F. Bierlein. Trans. William Kelly Simpson. Elements of
Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 64-65.
Print.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Trans. Wallace Budge. New York: Penguin Classics, 2008.
Print.
“Elephant-Hunter, Take Your Bow!” Trans. C.M. Bowra. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 506-507. Print.
Epic of Gilgamesh. Trans. N.K. Sandars. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 23-33. Print.
“The Five Helpers.” Trans. A.W. Cardinall. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando,
FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 510. Print.
“The Great Hymn to the Aten.” Trans. Miriam Lichtheim. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 39-41. Print.
Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1999. Print.
H.D. “Helen.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 June 2013.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Mules and Men. New York: Perennial, 1990. Print.
Homer. Iliad. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 123-169. Print.
“In the Beginning – Genesis.” King James Bible. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 53-56. Print.
Khayyam, Omar. Rubaiyat. Trans. N.J. Dawood. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 554-556. Print.
Kipling, Rudyard. “The White Man‟s Burden.” Modern History Sourcebook. Fordham
University, n.d. Web. 25 June 2013.
Komachi, Ono no. “Though I Go To You.” Trans. H. McCullough. Elements of Literature:
World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 443. Print.
Komachi, Ono no. “Doesn‟t He Realize.” Trans. K. Rexoth & I. Atsumi. Elements of Literature:
World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 443. Print.
Koran. “The Cessation.” Trans. N.J. Dawood. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 543-544. Print.
---. “Comfort.” Trans. N.J. Dawood. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 543. Print.
---. “Daylight.” Trans. N.J. Dawood. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 544. Print.
---. “The Exordium.” Trans. N.J. Dawood. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando,
FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 543. Print.
McManus, Barbara. “Outline of Aristotle‟s Theory of Tragedy in the Poetics.” Greek Tragedy.
College of New Rochelle, 1999. Web. 24 June 2013.
Lady Ise. “A Flower of Waves.” Trans. Etsuko Terasaki. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 443. Print.
Mitsune, Oshikochi. “The Sight of the Flowers.” Trans. Steven Carter. Elements of Literature:
World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 443. Print.
“Most Beautiful Youth Who Ever Happened.” Trans. William Kelly Simpson. Elements of
Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 47. Print.
Niane, D.T. Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. Trans. G.D. Pickett. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 521-531. Print.
“Noah and the Flood.” From Genesis. Jewish Publication Society of America. Elements of
Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 60-63.
Print.
Parry, Adam. “The Two Voices of Virgil‟s Aeneid.” Arion: A Journal of the Humanities and the
Classics 2.4 (1963): 66-80. JSTOR. Web. 24 June 2013.
Poe, Edgar Allan. “To Helen.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 June 2013.
Saigyo. “One Lone Pine Tree.” Trans. Hiroraki Sato. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 444. Print.
---. “Drops of Dew.” Trans. Hiroraki Sato. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando,
FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 444. Print.
Sappho. “Don‟t Ask Me What to Wear.” Trans. Mary Barnard. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 178. Print.
---. “He is More than a Hero.” Trans. Mary Barnard. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 178. Print.
---. “Sleep, Darling.” Trans. Mary Barnard. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando,
FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 176. Print.
---. “Tonight I‟ve Watched.” Trans. Mary Barnard. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 178. Print.
---. “You Are the Herdsman of Evening.” Trans. Mary Barnard. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 176. Print.
---. “You May Forget But.” Trans. Mary Barnard. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 176. Print.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. New York: Washington Square Press,
1992. Print.
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Trans. Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Elements of Literature:
World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 203-262. Print.
“Talk.” Retold H. Courlander. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 511-512. Print.
Tata and Nena: An Aztec Myth. Trans. J.F. Bierlein. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 65. Print.
Tsurayuki, Ki no. “Unseen by Men‟s Eyes.” Trans. Helen McCullough. Elements of Literature:
World Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 444. Print.
---. “Now that the Blossoms.” Trans. Steven Carter. Elements of Literature: World Literature.
Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 444. Print.
Virgil. Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Elements of Literature: World Literature. Orlando, FL:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 273-293. Print.
Vogler, Christopher. “Hero‟s Journey.” The Writer’s Journey. Storytech Literary Consulting,
n.d. Web. 24 June 2013.
“The Voice of the Wild Goose.” Trans. William Kelly Simpson. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 47. Print.
“Why We Tell Stories About Spider.” Trans. Jack Berry. Elements of Literature: World
Literature. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 508-509.
Yeats, William Butler. “The Second Coming.” Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, n.d. Web.
25 June 2013.
Videos
Julius Caesar. Dir. Joseph Mankiewicz. Perf. Calhern Louis, Marlon Brando, John Gielgud,
James Mason. Warner Home Video, 2006. DVD.
Oedipus the King. Dir. Don Taylor. Perf. Michael Pennington, Claire Bloom, John Gielgud.
British Broadcasting Corp., 1986. DVD.
Texts for Teachers
Achebe, Chinua. No Longer at Ease. New York: Fawcett Premier, 1991. Print.
Bullfinch’s Mythology. New York: Gramercy Books, 1979. Print.
College Board. The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English. New York: College Board, 2002.
Print.
Elbow, Peter. Writing Without Teachers. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. Print.
Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. New York: New Directions, 1951. Print.
Rosenlatt, Louise M. Literature as Exploration. New York: Modern Language Association,
1995. Print.
Shakespeare, William. Julius Caesar. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print.
Sophocles. Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1984. Print.
World History: Patterns of Interaction. Evanston, IL: McDougall Littel, 2005. Print.