Unit 3: Portfolio – Persuasive Essay

ENG 12A

Goals: In this task, you are to demonstrate your ability to…

Construct analytical paragraphs that include strong topic sentences supported by well-selected

concrete detail evidence and developed with a thoughtful, analytical commentary.

Establish an engaging introduction that provides an objective overview of the text before establishing a

thesis statement the essay will go on to prove.

Compose a strong conclusion that reviews, makes connections, draws conclusions, and brings your

essay to a convincing close.

Follow the rules and conventions of standard American English and MLA formatting.

Task: You will write a persuasive essay by taking a firm stance on the prompt and write a 5-paragraph,

double-spaced essay supporting your position. Make sure that you have a strong thesis statement at the end

of your introduction and clear topic sentences in each body paragraph that provide arguments in support of

your thesis. Be sure to provide textual support for each of your claims.

Prompt: Does power corrupt automatically? Apply this famous expression to the events and characters in

Macbeth. You can focus on a single character or several. You may take the position that it always corrupts,

never corrupts, or sometimes corrupts, but be sure to provide textual support.

Text: Macbeth by William Shakespeare (found in online textbook)

Grade: The Persuasive Outline is worth 10 points. The Persuasive Essay is worth 24 points. (Rubrics attached

below)

Rough Draft Submission is worth 10 points (submit in Lesson 6 )

o Persuasive Outline

Final Draft Submission is worth 24 points (submit in Lesson 11 )

o Persuasive Essay with CheckMyWork link attached (see message board for tutorial)

Format: As you write, keep these things in mind…

The paper must follow the MLA format guidelines.

Do not use first person pronoun (I, me, my, mine) unless they are in a quote.

Stay away from using contractions (can’t, won’t, don’t, shouldn’t, she’ll, they’re)

Do not to use abbreviations or texting language (etc., e.g., b/c)

You must use at least one quotation from the text in each of the three body paragraphs to support

your ideas. These quotations must be correctly documented according to MLA guidelines - refer to

“Format for Quotations” below.

Format for Quotations

Unit 3: Portfolio – Persuasive Essay

ENG 12A

Outline

Introduction

Hook or Attention Grabber: Thesis: (Topic (Title/Author of text) + Claim (Your position) + Main Points (reasons to support) = Thesis)

Body Paragraph 1 –

Transition Word:

1st Main Point:

Quotation/Evidence:

Explanation:

Wrap-up Sentence:

Body Paragraph 2 –

Transition Word:

2nd Main Point:

Quotation/Evidence:

Explanation:

Wrap-up Sentence:

Body Paragraph 3 –

Transition Word:

3rd Main Point:

Quotation/Evidence:

Explanation:

Wrap-up Sentence:

Conclusion: (restate your thesis)

Topic: Does power corrupt automatically? Apply this famous expression to the events and characters in Macbeth. You can focus on a single character or

several. You may take the position that it always corrupts, never corrupts, or sometimes corrupts, but be sure to provide textual support.

Unit 3: Portfolio – Persuasive Essay

ENG 12A

Grading Rubric for Outline:

Unit 3: Portfolio – Persuasive Essay

ENG 12A

Grading Rubric for Essay:

Criteria 6A six paper is superior. It

does ALL O R MO ST of the

following:

5A five paper is distinctly above

average. It does ALL O R

MO ST of the following:

4A four paper is adequate. It

exhibits ALL O R MO ST of the

following characteristics:

3A three paper is inadequate.

It is clearly flawed in SO ME

O R ALL of the following

ways:

2A two paper is very weak. It

reveals serious and persistent

problems in communications.

It compounds the weaknesses

of the 3 paper in SO ME O R

ALL of the following ways:

1A one paper is extremely

weak. It has few redeeming

qualities. It at least mentions

the topic, but generally fails

to communicate with the

reader. It does SO ME O R ALL

of the following:

Ideas and

Content

• Focuses and develops ideas in a

sustained and compelling manner,

showing creativity and insight.

• Clarifies and defends or

persuades with precise and

relevant evidence.

• Conveys fresh, useful

information using higher order

thinking skills and convincing

reasoning to provide unique

insights into complex ideas.

• Thesis statement is appropriate

and concise; supporting evidence

is well-chosen and leads the

reader through the essay.

• Focuses and develops ideas in

an effective and detailed manner.

• Defends and/or persuades with

important and relevant evidence.

• Presents useful, fresh

information or perspective with

logical reasoning that clarifies

complex ideas.

• Thesis statement is clear and

there is appropriate supporting

evidence to lead the reader

through the essay effectively.

• Adequately focuses and

develops ideas with detail.

• Defends and/or persuades with

support and clarity, using

relevant evidence.

• Presents useful information that

helps the reader understand the

author’s reasoning, logic, or

perspective.

• The thesis statement proposes

an idea that is supportable and

addresses the importance of the

topic but is weak.

• Focuses, but may not display

mature or well-developed

content.

• Attempts defense or persuasive

stance but position is unclear

and/or evidence is brief,

tangential or based solely on

personal opinion.

• The writer has an everyday

understanding of the topic, but

doesn't add anything new.

• Begins to develop supporting

ideas, some of which lack clarity

or obvious logical connection.

• Thesis statement is partial, non-

analytical, or wishy-washy; there

is some supporting evidence, and

some attempt to lead the reader

through the essay.

• Lacks focus and development;

may list items with little or no

supporting detail.

• Defense or persuasive stance is

unclear or absent; evidence is

vague or missing.

• Generalizes about the topic

without providing logical

connections among ideas, or uses

connections that are faulty.

• Thesis statement contains an

unfocused topic that lacks clear

direction for the body of the

essay.

• Simply repeats the topic or

fails to provide adequate

development.

• Fails to establish a position

and/or develop persuasive view;

evidence is not apparent.

• Does not show author’s

thinking in developing or

connecting ideas.

• There is no clear thesis

statement, no supporting

evidence, and no organizational

structure.

Voice • Demonstrates involvement with

the text and speaks purposefully

to the audience in an appropriate,

individualistic, and engaging

manner.

• Uses word choice effectively

and with a sense of control for

stylistic effect.

• Word choice is skillful and

precise.

• Communicates a sense of

commitment to the topic and to

the audience's involvement.

• Uses varied word choice

effectively.

• Word choice is precise.

• Uses a voice that is appropriate

to audience and purpose.

• Uses a variety of word choice,

but occasionally displays some

wordiness or ineffective diction.

• Word choice is adequate.

• Lacks sincerity of purpose in

the writer’s attempt to involve

the audience appropriately.

• Uses word choice that is

somewhat limited, simplistic,

mundane, or otherwise

inappropriate.

• Word choice is general.

• Attempts, but fails in the

writer’s attempt to involve the

audience appropriately.

• Uses word choice that is highly

limited, simplistic, or otherwise

inappropriate.

• Word choice is simplistic and

limited.

• Does not address the audience

appropriately.

• Uses limited and/or immature

word choice.

• Word choice is difficult to

comprehend.

Organization • Effectively organizes ideas in a

clear, logical, detailed, and

coherent manner using

appropriate structures to

enhance the central idea or theme.

• Transitions between and within

paragraphs strengthen the

relationships among ideas.

• Organizes ideas clearly and

coherently using structures

appropriate to purposes.

• Transitions between and within

paragraphs are apparent and

contribute to clarity.

• Organizes ideas in a

satisfactory manner with

adequate coherence and logic.

• Transitions between and within

paragraphs are predictable.

• Displays minimal organization;

contains irrelevancies, digresses,

rambles, or lacks logic.

• Attempts transitions and lacks

cohesion.

• Contains serious flaws in

structure, organization and

coherence.

• Transitions are poorly formed

or missing.

• Shows almost no structure,

organization or coherence.

• Transitions are missing.

Conventions • Uses multiple sentence

structures effectively and with a

sense of control for stylistic

effect.

• Commits few, if any, errors in

standard English rules for

grammar/usage and mechanics.

• Effectively meets all MLA

format and assignment

requirements and evidences

attention to detail; all margins,

spacing and indentations are

correct; essay is neat and

correctly assembled with

professional look.

• Effective integration of

quotations and documentation of

ideas and sources using MLA

format.

• Uses varied sentence structure

effectively.

• Commits few errors in standard

English grammar/usage and

mechanics.

• Adequately meets MLA

format and assignment

requirements; margins, spacing,

and indentations are correct;

essay is neat and correctly

assembled.

• Well‐integrated quotations and

documented ideas and sources

using MLA format.

• Uses a variety of sentence

structures, but occasionally

displays some wordiness or

ineffective diction; sentences

may be predictable.

• Commits some errors in

standard English grammar/usage

and mechanics that do not

impede meaning; indicates basic

understanding of conventions.

• Meets MLA format and

assignment requirements;

generally correct margins,

spacing, and indentations; essay

is neat but may have some

assembly errors.

• Awkward integration of ideas

and sources; MLA

documentation reflects some

errors.

• Uses sentence structure that is

somewhat limited, simplistic,

mundane, or otherwise

inappropriate.

• Contains flaws in Standard

English rules of grammar/usage

and mechanics that do not

impede meaning; indicates some

consistent misunderstanding of

the conventions.

• Multiple errors in MLA

format and assignment

requirements; incorrect margins,

spacing, and indentations; essay

is sloppy with errors.

• Ideas and sources reflect

numerous errors in MLA

documentation.

• Uses sentence structure that is

highly limited, simplistic, or

otherwise inappropriate.

• Displays consistent violations

in Standard English rules of

grammar/usage and mechanics

that impede understanding.

• Fails to follow MLA format

and assignment requirements;

incorrect margins, spacing and

indentation; neatness of essay

needs attention.

• Poor or missing integration of

quotations and MLA

documentation of sources.

• Uses limited and/or immature

sentence structure.

• Overwhelms the reader with

serious violations of Standard

English rules grammar/usage and

mechanics.

• No evidence of MLA

formatting.

• No quotations or MLA

documentation of sources.

Essay Grading Rubric Evaluate student essays based on the rubric below. Enter only whole numbers in the Your Score fields above.