Essay Brackets Day 1 Objectives: To examine open response essays and identify quality analysis and style. To apply learning gleaned from samples to one’s own essays that will be written in the future. Day 1 pacing: The first 15 minutes: Slides 1-3 The second 10-15 minutes: Slides 4-7 The final 15-20 minutes: Slide 8

The Rubric Together, let’s read through the rubric that was used by the College Board to score essays in 2008: this rubric was designed for the prompt you used for your Alice essay last week. You will be using this rubric to score some sample essays in just a minute. Pass out the rubric

We will look at 3 essays and how the College Board scored each one. Sample Essays We will look at 3 essays and how the College Board scored each one.

This essay scored a

Thoughts? This essay scored a…..

Here’s why…

Thoughts? This essay score a….

Here’s why…

Thoughts? This essay scored a ….

Here’s why…

Now, You Try In your assigned group, give a quick score to each of the essays provided for your cohort. Do not write on the essays themselves (not the score, nor any notes of reasoning). Feel free to note reasoning, too. You only have until the end of the hour to read and score all of the essays handed to your group. Once all essays assigned to your group have been read and scored, decide which of them is best Put a star atop this essay and hand this essay to your teacher Put all other essays in the basket provided Collect the class sets of essays. Divide the class into 8 groups. Then, pass out 8 different piles of essays.

Essay Brackets Day 2 Objectives: To examine open response essays and identify quality analysis and style. To apply learning gleaned from samples to one’s own essays that will be written in the future. Day 2 pacing-- First 15 minutes: Allusions Next 15 minutes: Going from 8 to 4 Next 10 minutes: Going from 4 to 2

The Brackets ID Number: Advancing to finals! You will need to change this each hour to note which essays, for that hour, are moving forward. Ideally, you will finish this today.

Essay Brackets Continued Day 3 Essay Brackets Continued Objectives: To examine open response essays and identify quality analysis and style. To apply learning gleaned from samples to one’s own essays that will be written in the future. Day 3 Read the top 2 essays that have been selected. Have the class come to a consensus on the best essay. Hand out their own essays and have them use the rubric to evaluate their own essay.

Evaluating your own essay Using the rubric and the ideas discussed in class, read and evaluate your own essay. Answer the following questions in your RJ, on the left side of you Alice in Wonderland notes. Metacognition: 1. What score should you have received for your essay? 2. What elements from the rubric are fitting for your essay? 3. Identify two areas in which you excelled on this essay. 4. Identify two areas that need further development.