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Valuable Help for the English Advanced Placement Classroom! Advanced Writing Instruction Solutions for the English Honors and Literature Classrooms (Item 9001) by Duane Earnest - Spiral Workbook - 201 pages (June 2004) ISBN: 1928741312 A Sneak Poetry Preview Students then use the actual rubric in the second semester workbook:
Multiple-Choice Solutions for the English Literature and Composition
Classrooms
Here is an example from the first semester workbook and its accompanying checklist. Students are required to practice close reading in preparation for the writing of the essay. Therefor, they are asked to- Mark Up Anne Bradstreet 's "Author to Her Book" Directions: Read ìAuthor to Her Bookî carefully, marking it up following the close reading suggestions made previously. Pay special attention to how the controlling metaphor reveals her complex attitude. Here is the poem:
Thou ill-form'd offspring of my feeble brain,
Checklist for Anne Bradstreet 's Attitude in "An Author to Her Book" STEP 1: Check each item listed below which accurately describes the positive aspects of the essay being graded. This section describes the basic requirements for a well-written essay. (Grader one should check column one. Grader two should check column two): Section One: ___-___1. The writer demonstrates an understanding of Anne
Bradstreet 's complex attitude.
___-___2. The writer analyzes how the controlling metaphor
used in the poem distinguishes the complexity of Anne Bradsteet 's attitude.
___-___3. The writer offers a convincing interpretation of
the meaning and significance of the poem.
___-___4. The writer's use of quotes shows an appreciation
of the Anne Bradstreet 's style.
___-___5. The writer's explanations of the evidence are clear,
concise and consistent with the meaning of the poem.
___-___6. The writer makes a line by line analysis of
the poem, including every important detail.
___-___7. The diction and sentence structure of this essay
communicate a clear message.
___-___8. The implicit organization of this essay aids
in communicating a clear message.
___-___9. The grammar aids in communicating a clear message.
STEP 2: Score the essay by adding one point for each item checked from the list. Put your score in the "Grader One Score" slot below. Grader two does the same. The final grade is determined by adding the two graders' scores and dividing by two:
RESULTS:
Note: This number must correspond to the score given by the teacher or it is wrong. Here is a poetry essay test that appears in the workbook: Multiple-Choice Solutions for the English Literature and Composition Classrooms : "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
The following poem is a villanelle, a form having strict rules of
rhyme, meter, and repetition. Read the poem carefully. Then
write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the formal elements
of the poem contribute to its meaning.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
line Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
(10) Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Here now is the rubric used for this poem: AP Literature and Composition Several types of form poetry need to be taught at some time in the education of the Literature student. Making a list of definitions such as the one that follows and applying it to a poem of that type is an easy way to begin to understand how the form itself contributes to meaning. Here is the information that the student needs to know in order to score well on how the formal elements of a villanelle contribute to its meaning. : A villanelle is 19 lines long, but only uses two rhymes, while also repeating two lines throughout the poem. The first five stanzas are triplets, and the last stanza is a quatrain such that the rhyme scheme is as follows: "aba aba aba aba aba abaa." The tricky part is that the 1st and 3rd lines from the first stanza are alternately repeated such that the 1st line becomes the last line in the second stanza, and the 3rd line becomes the last line in the third stanza. The last two lines of the poem are lines 1 and 3 respectively, making a rhymed couplet. A villanelle needs no particular meter or line length. Use the following rubric to grade the Poetry Analysis Question:
9-8 These well-written essays analyze how the formal elements of a villanelle contribute to its meaning. To do so it is necessary to discuss the formal elements accurately, to suggest a plausible meaning of the poem, and to show how the two are related. The analysis makes some attempt to deal with most of the poem, and uses apt and specific references to the text. These essays need not be flawless, but they will be characterized by a cogent interpretation of the poem, and by an ability to express ideas with clarity and skill. Generally, the nine (9) essays reveal a more sophisticated analysis and a more effective control than do essays scored an eight (8). 7-6 These essays succeed in discussing the formal elements of the poem and their relationship to its meaning. They are, however, less precise, less thorough, or less convincing than the best essays. Their characterization of the poem's form may be uneven, or less specific. Their explication of its meaning may be incomplete, or the relationship between the form and the meaning may be unclear. They may deal with only the easier parts of the poem. These essays demonstrate the writer's ability to express ideas clearly, but with less maturity and control than 9-8 essays. 5 These essays attempt to answer the question, but they do so superficially
or unconvincingly. The discussion of the formal aspects of the villanelle
may be vague or over simplified. The explanation of the meaning of
the poem may be problematical. These essay may fail to relate form
and meaning, deal with only a part of the poem, or lack specific examples.
Although the writing adequately conveys the writer's ideas and is not marred
by distracting errors, these essay are not as well-conceived, organized,
or developed as the upper half essays. Often they reveal simplistic
thinking and/or immature writing.
4-3 These essays respond incompletely to the question. Their discussion of the formal elements and the meaning of the poem may be limited or erroneous. They may fail to discuss one or the other, or to relate the two. Their analysis of the language of much of the text is likely to be inadequate or inaccurate. The writing demonstrates weak control over the elements of composition. These essay typically contain unsupported ideas, recurrent stylistic flaws, and/or misreading of the text. 2-1 These essays compound the weakness of the papers in the 4-3 range. They may seriously misread the poem, may be unacceptably brief, or may be incoherent. They may contain pervasive errors which interfere with understanding. Although some attempt has been made to respond to the question, the writer's assertions are presented with little clarity, organization, or support from the passage. Essays scored a one (1) contain little coherent discussion of the passage. 0 A response with no more than a reference to the task. - A blank paper or completely off the topic. 
Check out these three NEW Workbooks that address the new changes in AP English: | Item 9001: Advanced Writing Instruction Solutions for the English Honors and Literature Classrooms | | Item 9002: Advanced Writing Instruction Solutions for the English Honors and Language Classroom | | Item 9003: Multiple- Choice Solutions for the English Honors and Language Classrooms| | Item 9004: Multiple- Choice Solutions for the English Honors and Literature Classrooms |
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