The Rubrics

The following rubrics are designed to help you do your best possible work. They are guidelines on how your work will be assessed. Of course, during the process you may conference with Mr. Rice at any time to help refine your task or ask questions on how you may best fulfill your assignment.

All papers, scripts, etc. must be typed or word processed and should have one inch margins on all sides. The font size should be 12. Also, look at each individual task rubric for other requirements.

1. Character Analysis- You are to choose a character from the novel and describe that character's character traits in a paper that should be from three to four pages in length. You may focus on a single trait or choose more than one. You should include examples from the book to support your analysis. Critical to the paper will be your explanation of why a character acts as they do and support your position by citing examples from the text.See pages 162 -177 in The Writer's Craft for some guidance. Also some of the writing links will prove helpful.

2. Comic Book - You are to create a two to three page comic book that represents an event from the novel. Each page should have four to six panels.You may also create an imaginary scenario. In either case, you should include an illustrated cover and a page with a list of your characters with a brief personality description of each. The artwork need not be perfect but should be reasonably well done including backgrounds and characters. The story you tell should be consistent with the charater's personality and themes represented in the novel.

3. Imaginary Diary - You are to select one character from the novel and write a week long entry of an imaginary diary. Each day's entry should be at least one-half page long. You must include an introductory page that states the character who is writing the diary entries and include a brief description of that character's peronality. The events portrayed in the imaginary diary must be consistent with the themes from the novel and accurately portray the character's personality.

4. Group Project - If you choose this task, your group may consist of no more than four members. You are to write an imaginary script that accurately reflects characters and themes from the novel. Your script must include the dialogue as well as stage directions. It must be typed or word processed with a title page with one final copy for Mr. Rice. The skit should be from eight to ten minutes long. All cast members must participate equally. Your script must include a listing of the characters portrayed and which group member will be playing them. Include a brief physical and personality description of each character so we may understand why the characters act as they do. See pages 84-88 of The Writer's Craft for guidance.

5. Speech - You are to choose one character from the novel and write a speech as it might have been delivered by them at the time of the novel. Your speech must be from five to seven minutes long. You must include a brief description of the character and address a major theme from the novel. You need to try and become that character! You may look at Martin Luther King's speech as a model or starting point. You must provide a copy of your speech to Mr. Rice and include a brief description of your character's personality and beliefs so that we may understand why the speech connects to them.

6. Editorial as an Expository Essay - You are to write an editorial addressing a major theme from the novel. In this editorial you are to state a problem that exists and what you propose to solve that problem. The editorial must be from two to three pages long and include specific examples from the book to illustarte the problem you are writing about. You may look at pages 136 - 149 of The Writer's Craft for some guidance and also make use of the writing links provided.