English I CP Exploratory Essay Assignment Overview: For this assignment, you will write an exploratory essay that explores

through research and personal experience a current issue that impacts you, your peers, or people in your community. This is the issue that you will also research in depth for your multi-genre research project over the next eight weeks. The purpose of this assignment is to explain your interest in, personal experience with, and new knowledge of this issue. You are required to find and discuss one credible source, which will be one of the sources you will use for your multi-genre research project. Author and Audience: You are writing as yourself (a high school freshman). Because this is a description/explanation of your exploration of this topic, you will write in first person. You are writing to me and to the students in our class to explain why you are interested in this issue and what you learned about it through your initial research. Your tone should be informative, but also comfortable and easy to understand. This will be posted on your blog, which will be shared with me and with the rest of the students in our class. Form: Your exploratory essay will begin with an introduction that explains your initial interest in this issue (why you were drawn to this topic). The body of your essay will be at least two paragraphs. The first paragraph will narrate your personal experience with this issue through descriptive writing you are telling a story. This story may be about first-hand experience, the experience of someone you know and have spoken with, or observations you have made of the people in your community. The second body paragraph will explain what information you have uncovered about your topic through your research. You will explain the source from which you found your information (include the name and author), and you will paraphrase information that you discovered in your source. You will finish with a conclusion that explains why you want to research this issue further and that suggests a possible argument that you could make about this issue for your multi-genre research project. Focus Skills Content: B3 Write a clear and focused paper Organization: C4 Uses paragraphs effectively Style: D3 Uses specific, interesting, precise words (vivid verbs and adjectives) Style: D18 Uses figurative language to create clear images for the reader Conventions: E4 Spells words correctly Conventions: E5 Avoids sentence fragments Format: F10 Paraphrases correctly Depression Gang Violence Eating Disorders Cyber-bullying Obesity Mental Health Animal Rights or Abuse Possible Topics Physical Disabilities Drug Abuse Low Self-Esteem Racism Child Abuse Unemployment Literacy (ability to read) Bullying Pollution/Environmental Issues Teen Pregnancy Homelessness Public Transportation Health (diabetes, epilepsy, celiac, etc.) Mental Disabilities

If you do not want to research any of the above topics, but you have an idea of your own, please run it by me. Write about and research something that interests you! Your writing will end up being more interesting and effective if you care about your topic. Plus, this is the topic you will be working with for the next eight weeks.

Procedures: First you will choose the issue (topic) that you would like to focus on and reflect on your personal experience with this issue. Then, you will research this issue, find one credible source that provides relevant information on your issue, and complete the student credit report I give you for this source. Next, you will write a rough draft of your essay. When the rough draft is complete, look at the focus skills and your feedback from peer review, and revise your essay accordingly. After you finish your final draft, annotate it and complete the self-assessment and reflection on your rubric. As you annotate and reflect, be sure to explain why you made the choices you made in regard to your writing. Prove that you have mastered each skill. Format: Please adhere to MLA format. Your paper must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1inch margins all around. Your header should include your last name and the page number, and your heading must include your name, the class name and block, the teachers name, and the date (day, month, and year). Refer to the example paper to make sure your format it correct. Rough Draft Due Date: Friday, February 1 submit on Edmodo and bring a hard copy to class for peer review. Final Draft Due Date: Friday, February 8 publish on your blog and bring a printed hard copy to class. We will annotate this final draft and complete the rubric together in class. After this first assignment, you will annotate your final drafts on your own. Dont forget that I deduct ten points per day if you turn it in late.

Exploratory Essay Scoring Rubric

Name Skill Levels 0 = provides no evidence of skill 1 = demonstrates minimal understanding of skill 2 = uses skill correctly to some extent 3 = correctly, competently achieves skill 4 = uses skill consistently and/or can manipulate skill for rhetorical effect 5 = meets level 4 criteria and is able to justify and explain rhetorical choices A. Essay meets criteria set forth on assignment sheet Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Class Block Writing Type Exploratory Essay

B3. Content: Writes a clear and focused paper Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5

C4. Organization: Uses paragraphs effectively (introduction, body, and conclusion) Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: D3. Style: Uses specific, interesting, precise words Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: D18. Style: Uses figurative language to create clear images for the reader Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5

E5. Conventions: Avoids sentence fragments Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5

E4. Conventions: Spells words correctly Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5

F10. Format: Paraphrases correctly (MLA) Self-assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5 Reflection: Total score for self-assessment: ________ Comments: Total score for teacher's assessment: ________ Teacher's assessment: 0 1 2 3 4 5