answered: The Writer’s Craft: Personal Essay Assignment Annie Dillard’

  

The Writer’s Craft: Personal Essay Assignment
Annie Dillard’s essay,“Transfiguration,” is based on a memory of a particular experience that allowed her to creatively develop an insight about the power of creative inspiration. For your informal, personal essay, you will do a similar thing. You will use a memory of something in your life (a moment, an experience, a person, etc.) that has taught you something either about you, about how the world works, about relationships, etc.
Write a brief, meaningfully-organized essay of 600-750 (about three pages – double spaced) that develops this memory and its impact on your sense of the world. The focus (thesis) of your essay will be clear, and that focus will be communicated with specific examples, anecdotes, and explanations to support and illustrate your thoughts (no research is required). Remember, in the real world, the thesis simply refers to the idea that your essay is focused on; personal essays rarely have an explicitly stated thesis.
You will share and discuss publishs of your essay in small groups. Your participation in the writing groups, and the notes that you take from your writing partners, will count as part of your process work. Be sure to keep all of your process work for your essay (brainstorming, notes, outline, at least one labeled publish with clearly marked revisions, notes from your peer’s evaluations in your writing groups; if you compose your work entirely digitally, rename your document at regular intervals so you can leave a “trail” showing your essay’s development essayv1, essayv2, etc.).
Your final essay must be typed and double-spaced, the pages should be numbered, and you will submit a printed copy for evaluation. Put your name, the date, and the title on the first page. (You do not need a cover page.)
Timelines:
First publish (for writing group peer evaluation) due: _______________
Final essay due: ________________________
Essay: (20 marks – Practicing the Writer’s Craft)
Process: (5 marks – brainstorming, notes, outline, publishs, peer evaluations – Practicing the Writer’s Craft)
Rubric: Personal Essay
Criteria
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Knowledge/
Understanding
information, ideas, concepts
5
? provides limited relevant information and few ideas to develop the topic
? provides some relevant information and ideas to develop the topic
? provides sufficient relevant information and ideas to develop the topic
? provides thorough, well-chosen information and ideas to develop the topic
Thinking/Inquiry
thesis
?develops a thesis of limited depth and refinement
? develops a thesis with some depth and refinement
? develops an effective thesis
? develops a highly effective, thought-provoking thesis
development
? offers little development of the topic or experience
?offers some development of the topic or experience
? offers meaningful development of the topic or experience
? offers highly effective development of the topic or experience
conclusion
5
? concludes with limited effectiveness
? concludes with some logic
? concludes appropriately
? concludes effectively
Communication
sense of audience
? offers little vivid description and detail to appeal to audience
? offers some vivid description and detail to appeal to audience
? offers considerable vivid description and detail to appeal to audience
? offers highly effective, evocative description and detail to appeal to audience
organization
? organizes material with limited clarity and logic
? organizes material with some clarity and logic
? organizes material with considerable clarity and logic
? organizes material with a high degree of clarity and logic
tone and style
? uses a personal, conversational style with limited effectiveness
? uses a personal, conversational style with some effectiveness
? uses a personal, conversational style with considerable effectiveness
? uses a highly effective personal and conversational style
language conventions
5
? applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with limited accuracy and effectiveness
? applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with some accuracy and effectiveness
? applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with considerable accuracy and effectiveness
? applies grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation with a high degree of accuracy and effectiveness
Application
• application and transfer of knowledge and skills 5
? limited application and transfer of knowledge and skills
?some application and transfer of knowledge and skills
?considerable application and transfer of knowledge and skills
? highly effective application and transfer of knowledge and skills
Practicing the Writer’s Craft: /20 Process: /5