1. Robert E. Lee Constructed Response The Killer Angels

2. Analyze the prompt itself: Analyze Lee’s letters to determine what the reader gains in understanding Robert E. Lee, the man, which cannot be gained from Shaara’s interpretation of Lee, the character. Use evidence from all three letters to support your analysis.

3. Prompt Analysis: 1.Exactly what is the prompt asking of you? Underline the significant words in the prompt. 1.Do you have to make a claim or prove a point? 2.Do you need to evaluate the evidence before deciding on the point or claim? 3.Did you make some graphic organizer, set up according to the prompt’s requirements, that will clearly take you through your response? Formal or informal outlines are often helpful.

4. The Big Things 1.Organizational structure: Look at the space given. Judge how much you can include in that space. Organize accordingly. A well-organized paragraph trumps a poorly written multi-par. essay. Why is it acceptable to construct 1 paragraph or 3 or even 4 paragraphs, but it is NOT acceptable to construct a 2-paragraph response?

5. The Big Things 2.Topic sentence: TAG + prompt focus ONLY. Does your topic sentence contain a TAG the focus of the prompt? Fix it if necessary. Does your topic sentence or introduction include evidence? Take it out if necessary. Re-write to make a general statement if you must, but evidence does not belong in the introduction or in the topic sentence.

6. The Big Things 3.Evidence chain: Evaluate whether evidence should be presented in chron. order, strongest to weakest, or weakest to strongest. Have you presented your evidence in a logical order? – If so, why did you choose the order you chose? – If not, why not? – Studies have shown that the most convincing claims are supported with the strongest evidence presented first. Adjust the order if necessary.

7. The Big Things 4.Transitional words should reflect the organizational structure of the writing. Did you include transitional words, especially to introduce evidence? Include appropriate transitional words to reflect the best organization for this response. Avoid or eliminate “First,” “Second, “Next” and other simplistic words. Your transitional words should help to hold the response together and communicate something important to your reader based on the task of the prompt.

8. The Big Things 5.Analysis comes from your brain; evidence comes from the text. Analysis connects the evidence to the claim. Did you include original analysis that shows how each piece of evidence clearly supports the point you are making? Does your analysis look all the way around an issue? Does your analysis include logical inferences from a close reading of the text?

9. The Big Things 6.A concluding sentence must draw a logical conclusion without stating that the evidence supports the claim. No “That is why,” “This is how,” “For these reasons” or anything like them. Do you have a concluding sentence that draws a logical conclusion about the point you are making? You can find commonalities and distinctions in the evidence or in its effect on the task, if space & if appropriate. Think LARGE and think LIFE here. What conclusion makes a BIG statement about life/human nature? Answer SO WHAT and that might get you there.

10. The Little Things 1.Did you indent each paragraph? Why or why not? Fix it if necessary. 2.NO first- or second-person pronouns! Do the words ‘I, me, my, mine, you, your, yours’ appear in your constructed response? Re-write as needed to eliminate all of them except those within direct quotations. 3.Did you spell all words found within the passage(s) and prompt correctly? Fix them if necessary.

11. The Little Things 4.Do you use complete sentences throughout? Revise and adjust if necessary. 5.Do you stay in the present tense? Revise and adjust if necessary. 6. Do you use a few important words from the prompt, or synonyms, throughout the writing to maintain focus? 7. Have you planned well enough to stay within the space allotted? THIS can be a problem! Be careful!