Jestice/English 1
Name: _____________________________
Jestice
English 1/ Period: ___________________
Date: _____________________________
Analyzing Power Paragraphs—100 Daily Work Points
Due at the end of class today. All work will be done in class.
Objective: Students will learn to read and follow directions. Students will understand how to
organize and analyze a Power Paragraph in class. Students will understand how to read and
analyze the writing rubric. Students will understand how to apply the reading rubric to sample
paragraphs. Students will understand how to utilize the rubric to improve upon a sample
paragraph.
Part I: Please copy the paragraph on the front board, using the same colored pens as Mrs.
Jestice.
Jestice/English 1
With a partner . . .
Part II: Read the following Power Paragraph (Sample A).Using the colored pens, underline
what you think is the Claim in RED; underline what you think is the Support in BLUE; underline
what you think is the Explanation in PURPLE.
Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Sample A
A Sad Reflection
Placing his short story The Scarlet Ibis in the
rural South in the years surrounding World War I,
James Hurst enhances the plot by foreshadowing a
character’s death through various settings, which
may also be the backdrop for a personal life story.
In the story, the main character, Doodle’s brother,
remembers the blooms in the cemetery, which
foreshadow death. In another part of the setting, the
author describes the wind whispering names of the
Jestice/English 1
dead. Another proof that someone may die. Since
the author describes plenty of fields and gardens, the
setting seems rural rather than urban. In the middle
of the story, the setting focuses on a scarlet ibis
which dies and falls from the bleeding tree. This is
also a foreshadowing of Doodle’s death. The
gloomy mood of the story and the details in setting
all prepare the reader for Doodle’s death. After
reading the author’s biographical information, the
reader surmises that the setting of The Scarlet Ibis
reflects James Hurst’s own home and experience as
a child.
Jestice/English 1
Part III: Take out your Freshmen writing rubric. After we go through the explanation of the rubric, look
at the previous paragraph (Sample A) with your partner and decide what grade it should earn and why.
Grade for the Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Sample A: _____
Why? Reason 1:
Reason 2:
Reason 3:
Part IV: With your partner, look at the other provided paragraphs and decide what grade they should
earn.
Grade for the Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Sample B: _____
Why? Reason 1:
Reason 2:
Reason 3:
Grade for the Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Sample C: _____
Why? Reason 1:
Reason 2:
Reason 3:
Jestice/English 1
Grade for the Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Sample D: _____
Why? Reason 1:
Reason 2:
Reason 3:
Part V: With your partner, return to Sample A and revise the Power Paragraph to make it earn a 5 or
greater on the freshmen writing rubric. Write directly on this paper.
Part VI: On your own, rewrite the revised version of Power Paragraph Sample A (the previous
paragraph) on your own paper. Each student will have his or her own rewritten Power Paragraph.
Staple your paper to this packet and hand in everything to the front
basket.
Jestice/English 1
Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Sample B
Jestice
English 1/Period 3
September 19, 2014
Setting the Plot
James Hurst introduces his story “The Scarlet Ibis” by describing a rural environment in
the South during the years close to World War I; he uses this setting and others to show
someone’s death throughout the story. “The Ibis lit in the bleeding tree,” (594). This quote is
from the first sentence in the story when Doodle’s brother (the narrator) is describing the place
that the story will take place and is meant to foretell the death of somebody by using the key
word bleeding. It gives a deadly and gloomy mood to the reader. “Speaking softly the names of
our dead,” (594). Once again the tone of this line suggests to the reader that something fatal will
happen because of the mention of those that died. It also sets a dismal tone and gives the reader
a feeling of death. At one point the narrator gives an example of how mean he was to Doodle,
“One day I took him up to the barn loft and showed him his casket,” (597). This part tried to
specify who would be dying, but also is giving the reader a glimpse into forthcoming death. This
reference is the second time the narrator mentions the casket, so it becomes clear to the reader
that there will be a death. All throughout the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” the author uses
significant words and phrases to elaborate on setting, staging a melancholy mood and
foreshadowing the death of a main character.
Jestice/English 1
Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Student Sample C
Mrs. Jestice
English 1/ Period
September 20, 2016
The scarlet ibis
In the scarlet Ibis, James Hurst talks about a boy and his brother named
Doodle. The boy teaches his brother how to walk because he is embarrassed of a
crippled brother who might not be “all there” anyway. Doodle was not supposed
to live, but he kept denying death. When he was five, the brother wanted to teach
him to be normal before he went to school, so he wouldn’t be different from the
other kids, so he took him to Old Woman Swamp, which was the brother’s happy
place and filled with flowers. At Old Woman Swamp, Doodle learned to walk,
swim, and climb. Then, a storm came and the scarlet ibis flew a long way and died
at the boy’s house. Doodle was sad and buried the bird and then went to Old
Woman Swamp. The storm got worse and the boys tried to get back to the house,
but the boy didn’t wait for Doodle. When the boy went back to get his brother, he
was dead. The boy throw his body to protect his dead brother from the rain. This
is the reason why setting enhanced the plot.
Jestice/English 1
Fabulous Freshman Power Paragraph Student Sample D
Mrs. Jestice
English 1, Period 3
September 15, 2014
“The Scarlet Ibis” Power Paragraph
“The Scarlet Ibis” written by James Hurst is a short story that enhances the plot by using
creepy settings, which foreshadow the death of an important character. This story is mainly
about Doodle, written from the perspective of his older brother, about his adventurous life as a
child in Southeast America around the year 1914. “A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree
stood, just outside the kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die
up in the leaves, a silvery dust.” (p. 593). This quote describes the tree where Doodle was
buried, and how whenever a bird sings in the bleeding tree, the song seems to be unheard. This
creates a setting full of sadness and mourning. “Promise hung about us like the leaves, and
wherever we looked, ferns unfurled and birds broke into song.” (p. 601). This quote is different
because it describes a more hopeful setting. Doodle’s brother is confident that Doodle could live
life like a healthy boy. “For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my
fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain” (p. 604). When Doodle was found bleeding by the
nightshade bush, his brother held him because he realized he lost his pride and passion. The
scene refers to the depressing death of the Scarlet Ibis, a bird that died very similar to Doodle. In
conclusion, the setting enhances the plot in various ways. It seemed inevitable that Doodle
would die early on because of the eerie settings throughout the story.