Name:
Date:
American Studies
Unit 1: Freedom,
Literature Essay: Based on the literature in this unit, explore ONE author’s view of American freedom. Would this author: agree or disagree that American freedom is something to boast about; claim that there is too much or too little freedom; claim that there are specific problems or benefits to this system; propose changes to the American system. These questions should not simply be answered in the essay, but rather be considered thinking about the topic as a whole, and then formulated into a coherent essay that deals with the issue of the author’s view of freedom in general. Specific examples, details, and quotations from the author’s work should be used to support the essay. This essay should be a minimum of 500-600 words.
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Ideas and Development
15
___1. minimum of 500-600 words.
___2. clear focus on ONE author’s view of American freedom.
___3. clear, concise thesis statement.
___4. broad discussion of author’s view of freedom, including benefits and/or problems they see, changes to the American system they might propose, and whether they feel we have too much or too little freedom.
___5. abundant details, examples, quotations from the author’s work(s) to support essay comments (with proper citations for quotations.)
___6. good judgment in choice of details.
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Organization
15
___1. appropriate title
___2. clear introduction, use engaging lead, summarize the issue, include the thesis (underline the thesis).
___3. paragraphing helped the reader follow the argument/analysis.(One topic per paragraph, building toward the strongest example or idea.
___4. effective transitions both within and between paragraphs.
___5. clear conclusion, restate the main points, clearly answer the thesis, connect issue to self or world, hook back to the lead.
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Sentence Fluency, Voice, and Word Choice
10 ___1. variety in sentence length, structure.(one 3 word sentence. Highlight this.)
___2. one example of parallel structure. (Highlight this.)
___3. at least four descriptive verbs. (Highlight this.)
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Conventions
10
___1. typed essay, double-spaced, one inch margins, 12pt standard font.
___2. proper spelling, punctuation, and usage.
___3. complete, proper sentences. (No fragments, run-ons, and comma splices.)
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50