English Language Arts

Treasure Island Writing Assignment

Mr. Lucas

Your task is to compose four detailed paragraphs that discuss the following:

1. The novel Treasure Island.

2. Your own knowledge and/or experience.

Your response is to be focused as an answer to the following question:

What is your opinion of the idea that a the most important aspect
of a person’s life involves fulfilling a duty?

Please include the following in each paragraph:

 Paragraph 1: Introduce the topic, and indicate in general terms what your answer to the question is.
 Paragraph 2: Provide support for your answer by referring to the novel (Treasure Island).
 Paragraph 3: Provide support for your answer by referring to your own knowledge and/or experience.
 Paragraph 4: Conclude your essay by re-stating your answer using different words.

Evaluation criteria:

Thought and Understanding – 10 marks

 How effectively does the writer’s response address the assigned question?
 How sound and insightful are the writer’s comments on the chosen text(s)?

Supporting Evidence – 10 marks

 How thoughtful, detailed, ample, and precise are the writer’s references to elements from the text(s)?
 How thoughtful, detailed, ample and precise are the writer’s references to personal knowledge and/or
experience?

Organization – 5 marks
 How effectively does the writer follow the prescribed paragraph formatting?
 How unified, clear, and coherent is the writing?
 How well is the discussion concluded?

Matters of Choice – 5 marks

 How skilfully has the writer managed diction and syntax choices?
 How varied and interesting are the sentence constructions?
 How appropriate are the writer’s style choices?

Matters of Correctness – 5 marks

 How correctly has the writer used the conventions of written English─in particular, grammar, usage, spelling,
and punctuation?