PART 1
In this Unit, you identified the topic and theme of a text. Some possible themes or central arguments in Sojourner Truth’s text include:
- “Men tend to underestimate women”
- “Women can be just as strong as men, and deserve to be treated equally.”
In this writing assignment, you will relate a theme from this speech given over 170 years ago to a theme that is still relevant today.
Reflection assignment
Think about this question: What individuals or groups of people are underestimated in our society today?
- After reading and analyzing Truth’s argument, think about how you or someone you know has been underestimated. Compare this situation to Sojourner Truth’s situation in 1851. Sojourner argues that women can be just as strong as men and should be treated equally. What argument could you make about a similar situation in 2020? Include at least 3 specific details to support your claim. Start your paragraph with the statement:
Intro:Sojourner truth argues that women are underestimated and deserve equal treatment and respect. Today, I see _________ is/are underestimated. I have seen this when_______________.
Topic sentence that argues for a change:
Detail #1:
Commentary:
Detail 2:
Commentary
Detail 3:
Commentary:
Concluding sentence:
Example:
Intro: Sojourner Truth argues that women are underestimated and deserve equal treatment and respect. Today, I see that I am underestimated by my parents. I have seen this whenever I ask about getting my own car. They think I’m not responsible to pay for all the expenses of owning a vehicle.
Topic sentence: I am old enough and responsible enough to get a car.
Detail #1: I have had a job for two years and I have saved half of my paychecks.
Commentary 1 : Holding a job and saving money proves I’m responsible with my time and my money.
Detail 2: I paid for my own driver’s education class.
Commentary 2: If I paid for that, they should trust me to pay for my own insurance and gas.
Detail 3: I got a perfect score on the driver tests.
Commentary 3: I’m the only one in my class to get a perfect score. Clearly, I studied hard, and that shows responsibility. It also proves that I understand all the laws about license and insurance.
Concluding sentence: My track record with my job and drivers education classes should prove to my parents that I’m not an irresponsible teenager, and encourage them to allow me to buy my own vehicle.
Rubric:
| Category | Does Not Meet Yet (0-59) | Emerging Expectations (60-75) | Meets Expectations (76-89) |
Exceeds Expectations (90-100) |
| Intro and Topic sentence (15%) | The intro and topic sentence is missing or is too unclear. | Only topic sentence or intro is present, or both are present but don’t clearly relate to each other | The intro and topic sentence adequately introduce the topic and are clearly related to each other. They suggest a needed change | The intro and topic sentences are clear, specific, and engaging. They hook the reader immediately and clearly argue for a change. |
| Concrete Details (30%) | No concrete details are offered, or concrete details do not relate to the topic sentence. | Only one concrete detail directly supports the topic sentence. | 2 concrete details directly support the topic sentence. | 3 concrete details strongly and directly support the topic sentence. |
| Commentary (30%) | Fewer than two commentary sentences are offered. | 2 commentary sentences attempt to further explain the concrete details, and loosely link the theme of Sojourner’s speech to the student’s life | At least 3 commentary sentences address or further explain the concrete details and link the theme of the speech to the student’s life. | At least 3 commentary sentences are engaging and help explain, elaborate, or draw conclusions from the concrete details and link the theme of the speech to the student’s life |
| Concluding Sentence (15%) | The last sentence of the paragraph is not relevant to the topic sentence. | Concluding sentence is present but does not fully wrap up the argument. | The concluding sentence supports the topic sentence and wraps up the argument. | The concluding sentence effectively reaffirms all of the CD/CM and directly supports the topic sentence and the argument |
| Grammar & Spelling Conventions (10%) | Writer makes numerous errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. | Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. | Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. | Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content. |
PART 2
Argumentative Paragraph
In Activity 6.3.1, you made a connection between the difficulties Sojourner Truth and other women of her day experienced, and your own experience. You wrote an argument about that connection, supporting your claim with detail from your own life and commentary on that detail. In this assignment, you will be researching a current problem in our society, and writing an argument paragraph linking the research to your own life. Take a look at the rubric before turning in your argumentative paragraph. Then, follow the below format. Be sure to add commentary that links the concrete details to your own experience, to make this argumentative paragraph your own.
Topic Sentence
Concrete Detail
1-2 Commentary Sentences
Concrete Detail
1-2 Commentary Sentences
Concluding Sentence
To refresh your memory, topic choices are:
- Financial education should be required (or not required) before graduation.
- Police and school officials should have the right (or not have the right) to search students’ personal property, like lockers and backpacks if suspected of drug use.
- The use of social media should be (or not be) banned until 18 years of age.
- Students should (or should not) get a job while still in high school.
If you would like to write about a different problem in our society, please reach out to your teacher for approval.
Rubric:
| Category | Does Not Meet Yet (0-59) | Emerging Expectations (60-75) | Meets Expectations (76-89) |
Exceeds Expectations (90-100) |
| Topic Sentence (10%) | The topic sentence is missing or is too unclear. | The topic sentence is present but does not clearly introduce the topic. | The topic sentence adequately introduces the topic. | The topic sentence is clear, specific, and engaging. It hooks the reader immediately. |
| Concrete Details (30%) | No concrete details are not offered, or concrete details do not relate to the topic sentence. | 1 concrete detail directly support the topic sentence. | 2 concrete details directly support the topic sentence. | 2 or more concrete details strongly and directly support the topic sentence. |
| Commentary (30%) | Fewer than two commentary sentences are offered. | Commentary sentences attempt to further explain the concrete details, and loosely link the topic to the student’s life | Commentary sentences address or further explain the concrete details and link the topic to the student’s life. | Commentary sentences are engaging and help explain, elaborate, or draw conclusions from the concrete details, and strongly link the topic to the student’s life. |
| Concluding Sentence (10%) | The last sentence of the paragraph is not relevant to the topic sentence. | Concluding sentence is present but does not fully wrap up the argument. | The concluding sentence supports the topic sentence. | The concluding sentence effectively reaffirms all of the CD/CM and directly supports the topic sentence. |
| Sentence Fluency (10%) | Writing sounds repetitive, too lengthy, or choppy. | Writing is somewhat varied in sentence structure. | Writing is varied in sentence structure. | Writing is varied in sentence structure and reads fluently. |
| Sources (10%) | No sources were cited | An attempt was made to cite one or more sources. Source may not be properly cited and/or may not be reliable. | One or more reliable source was used to support concrete details and cited. | Two or more reliable sources were used to support concrete details and properly cited. |
