1. Journal Options: Defend your answer with textual evidence.
Choice 1: Ishmael Beah’s descriptions of death and violence in A Long Way Gone are graphic and disturbing. Are these depictions of violence necessary to the reader’s understanding of the Sierra Leone conflict? Are the respectful to the victims?
Defend your answer with textual evidence.
Choice 2: Describe how time functions in A Long Way Gone. How does Ishmael Beah choose to represent the present/past/future/dreams? How does this help the reader understand his experiences?
Defend your answer with textual evidence.

2. With a Partner
Revisit the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Track any violations of these Human Rights that have occurred in A Long Way Gone so far. Write the Article #s on a sticky note.
Based on these violations:
What role should foreign governments, the United Nations and the United States play in situations like those that Beah describes? In your discussion, try to be as specific as possible– almost like an action plan for how you think the problem should be fixed. Defend your answer.

3. Homework!!!
Get started on Double Entry Journals (They will be due OCT. 10 at midnight)

4. PTA Stuff: Good, Bad and Ugly (and how to fix it)
Strengths
Word Choice/Academic Language
AMAZING IDEAS
Big Issues
No paragraphs? No claim? No evidence?
Quote integration
½ way analysis (telling the reader what a quote means but not why that is significant)
How to make your grade even better?
Swing by my office after school and chat with me for about minutes about your paper.
Use that conversation to go to the Scribe and get some more feedback.
Revise your paper at home and turn it back in with a 1 page(ish) reflection about what you learned in the process.

5. Advanced
Proficient
Developing
Emerging
Not Yet
Organization
Well-structured with clear thesis/claim, evidence and progression of analysis. Natural transitions.
Well-structured with clear thesis/claim, evidence and progression of analysis. Standard transitions (e.g.: first, next, last).
Clear thesis/claim, evidence  and progression of analysis. Transitions are lacking.
Unclear thesis/claim, evidence and progression of analysis. No transitions.
Lacking paragraph structure. Thesis/claim cannot be readily identified or is unconnected to the writing. No transitions.
Evidence
Writing shows clear understanding of the text and effective use of direct quotations with no citation errors. Quotations are artfully integrated into the piece through context.
Writing shows understanding of the text and effective use of direct quotations with minimal citations errors.
Quotations are integrated into the piece with some context.
Writing shows surface-level understanding of the text and uses direct quotations with minimal citations errors. Quotations may not be fully integrated into the piece.
Writing shows little understanding of the text and uses direct quotations but lacks citations. Quotations are not integrated into the piece, or dominate the bulk of the piece.
No direct quotations used. Evidence shows little to no understanding of the text.
Analysis
Writing shows deep analysis of the effects created by use of specific literary elements. It is both focused and thorough.
Writing shows analysis of the effects created by use of specific literary elements. It is thorough.
Writing shows an attempt at analysis of the effects created by use of specific literary elements.
Writing lacks analysis of the effects created by use of specific literary elements, leaving the reader questioning the importance of the evidence.
Writing little to no analysis of the effects created by use of specific literary elements, or is highly unfocused.
Language Usage
No distracting errors made. Language is academic and appropriate for the task. Word choice and voice are thoughtful and engaging.
Minor distracting errors made. Language is academic and appropriate for the task. Word choice and voice are engaging.
Several distracting errors made. Language is mostly academic and is appropriate for the task. Word choice shows an attempt to use unique voice.
Multiple distracting errors made. Language is rarely academic or is not appropriate for the task. Lacking in voice and word choice.
Numerous distracting errors make the piece difficult to understand. Register is not appropriate to audience and task. Word choice is repetitive.