EMBEDDED ASSESSMENT 18TH GRADE SB UNIT 1

Writing a Definition Essay

Assignment

You will write a multi-paragraph essay that defines

your concept of heroism. use a variety of strategies of definition

(function, example, and negation) to explain your unique opinion on the concept.

Prewriting/Planning

Revisit your responses to the Essential Question: What defines a hero?

Ask yourself, “To what extent or to what degree can a person or an action be heroic?”

Categorize your ideas on a tree map by the strategies of definition, and brainstorm details that will support your ideas. Details may come from texts, film, historical or current events, and your own ideas.

Prewriting/Planning

Drafting the Introduction

Introduce your ideas by providing a hook, context, and a thesis (your ideas should move from general to specific).

Ideas:Use a quotation related to the conceptContextualize your thesis by discussing

commonly held beliefs about heroism that do not match your definition. This allows you to point out the weaknesses in those definitions in comparison to yours.

Drafting the Body Paragraphs

Use a variety of definition strategies to define heroism as you draft your body paragraphs. Consider organizing each paragraph around a different strategy. Function strategy paragraphs should

demonstrate how heroism operates in the real world.

Example strategy paragraphs should use examples from texts to help the reader understand your definition.

Negation strategy paragraphs should contrast your definition with someone else’s.

Drafting the Conclusion

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a final impression about your definition.

Definition essays often end by answering the question: “So what?” It encourages the reader to accept your definition.

Revising

Go back and reread your thesis.Does your definition reflect your unique

opinion? Is your thesis directly stated in the

introduction of your essay?Make sure you have effectively used

various stratgies of definition.Can your reader relate to your examples?Do you use enough examples to help the

reader understand your unique point of view?

Revising

Consider the sequence of your body paragraphs.Will rearranging them make a greater

impact?Look at the rubric.

Make sure you have met the specific criteria for grading.

Editing for Publication

Carefully edit your essay for punctuation and language conventions using the provided guidelines.

Put three lines under any letter that needs to be capitalized, and slash through any letter that is capitalized and should not be.

Correct all capitalization errors. Add missing punctuation. Check to make sure

that your compound and complex sentences are punctuated correctly (I,ccI or I;I or D,I or ID).

Combine your simple sentences to make compound or complex sentences.

  Put boxes around every it, this, that, those. Attempt to replace with nouns.

Circle any word you are not 100% confident is spelled correctly.

Look up misspelled words in the dictionary.  Cross out got, get, getting, have gotten, have,

had, has. Attempt to replace with stronger verbs. 

Circle any linking verb and –ing word combinations (i.e. is running, was yelling, has been eating, etc.)

Attempt to replace with action verbs.

Type or rewrite your paper neatly and turn in with your rubric and all your planning and drafts.