ReflectiveExtraCreditforAmericanLiterature&Composition

Foryourextracredit,youwillwriteanessayreflectingonyourexperienceinAmericanLiterature.
Thisessayshouldbeminimumoffiveparagraphs.Youmustaddressallofthefollowingquestionsin
awell-written,coherentessay.ThekeytothisisREFLECTIONlookinginwardandexamination
ofyourself.

Istronglysuggestyouspendsometimeprewriting.Youcanuseextensivenotesthatyouveprepared
inadvance.EssaymustbewritteninStandardEnglish,usingMLAstyle(W1,W4,C1,C2)

TheParagraphs

Introduction:WhatdifficultiesdidyouexperienceinAmericanLit?Whatwasthesourceofthese
difficulties?Howcanyouaddressthesedifficulties/rectifytheseproblemsinfutureclasses?

Didyoucompletetherequiredreadingsforthecourse?Whyorwhynot?Explainyoursuccesses
anddifficulties.Whatcanyoudotoovercomethesedifficulties?

Whatinterestingthingsdidyoulearnthissemester?Whatpiecesofliterature/subjectsofstudydid
youenjoymost?Explain.Besuretohighlightatleastthreeliteraryworks,whatyoulearned,and
whyitwasinterestingtoyou.Discussthethemesoftheworks(atleasttwo),andhowthework
relatestotheModernWorld(atleastonce)(RL1,2,3).(Youmightalsowanttodiscusswhichprojects
youfoundtobethemostinteresting,difficult,etc.)

Describeyourresearchprocess(W3).Whatobstaclesdidyouencounterwhileworkingonyour
researchbasedprojects?Whatdidyoudotoovercometheseobstacles?Whatcanyoudointhe
futuretobemoreefficientandsuccessfulatresearchingandessaywriting?(Youcouldtalkabout
timemanagementhere.)

Conclusion:Basedontheinformationabove,whatdoyouneedtodotobecomeabetterstudent?
(DONTsayyoullneverbeastudentagainlearningdoesnotstopwhenhighschoolstopsin
fact,thatsprobablywhenittrulybegins)Howcanyouapplyyourlearningexperiencesinhigh
schooltoyourfutureendeavors?Whatadvicecanyouoffertofuturestudentswhohavetotakethis
class?

W2Writesinavarietyofgenres
LSV1verbalinteraction
LSV2Medialit
RL4Writingaboutlit
RL5Vocab
RL1,2,3
Sample(score7onrubric)

BritishLiteratureisboththehardest,andthemostinterestingliteratureclassItookinhighschool.The
readingsaredefinitelydifficulttoreadandunderstandingeneralbecauseamajorityofthemarenotStandard
Englishandtheyusewordsthatwedontanymore.Ittakesmeawhiletograspsomeoftheconceptsand
ideasthatotherstudentscomeupwithinclass.IdontknowifthisisbecauseIamunfamiliarwithcertain
poets,conceptsorideologiesthatstudentsdiscuss.However,Idoenjoysomeoftheworksthatwereadand
wentover.Sometimeseventheonesthatdontreallymakeanysensetome.ThiscouldbebecauseIenjoy
thesoundandstructureofthepoemsmorethanthecontentitself.

Ireadmostlyalloftherequiredreading,butsometimesIgotfrustratedanddidnttakethetimetogoword
bywordoverapiecetryingtofigureoutwhatitmeans.IknowIshouldhavedoneallthereadingforthis
classornotwaitedtillthelastminutetodoit.Thiswoulddefinitelyhavehelpedmeunderstanditalittle
betterandbeabetterstudent.Thereisreallynothingthattheteachercoulddotomakemereadtheworks
moreeffectively;itisjustmyfaultfornotputtingenoughtimeintothereadings.Although,maybeifwewent
overmoreofthepiecesinclassthatwouldhelpmeunderstandthembetter.

Ofallthethingsthatwerereadforclass,IthinkIenjoyedtheRenaissanceandMetaphysicalpoetrythemost.
AtfirstIonlysawpoemssuchasTheBaite,TheFlea,andBatterMyHeartatfacevalue,butasIread
andreread,Ibegantoseethedeeperlevels:TheBaitescomplexexplanationofexactlywhatwasbaitand
whatwasprey;TheFleasridiculouslycomplicatedconceitcomparingabloodsuckinginsecttovirginity,
marriage,children,eventheHolyTrinity,andDonnesskillfulreversaloncetheconceitisliterallypopped;
BatterMyHeartsdesperateconceit-fullpleatobebrokendownandrestoredbyGod.Lookingatthese
poems,Iadmiretheskillfulwordplayofthelighter-heartedpoems,andtheforcefulwords(break,blow,
burn)andimageryofBatterMyHeart.Despitetheirplacein17thcenturyliterature,theirmotifsandthemes
oflove/lustandredemptionaretimelessandapplyequallytoday.TherewerealotofthingsIdidntget
aboutthesepoems(andtheclass),Imsure,butthiswasthedeepestparttome,eventhoughitrepresents
onlyasmallpartoftheclass.OfcourseifwehadreadShakespeareratherthansimplywatchingthefilms,I
thinkIwouldhaveenjoyedthatequallyaswell.

Unlikesomeotheraspectsofthisclass,SeniorProjectwentfairlysmoothly.DespitethefactthatIwassort
oflazywithotherassignments,Iwasntonthisone.Itkindofscaredme.Istartedoutfindingplentyof
articlesonceIhadmykeywordssortedout.Ididprocrastinateonthereadingofmyarticles,butnottoo
badly.Ihadsometroublegettingstartedwithwriting,butwhenIactuallytookthetimetolookatthe
resourcesprovidedonline(especiallythesampleresearchpaper)Igotamuchbetterpictureofhowtomove
forward.Ithinkaslongasyoudontputitoffthetimetableprovidedenoughtime.Thehardestpartwas
makingrevisionsafteryoulookedatmyroughdraftinonlyacoupleofweeks.Iexpectthatsomeofmy
classmateshadamuchhardertimebecausetheyputoffthedeadlinesuntilthelastpossibleminute.

InordertobeabetterstudentinthisclassandinallmyclassesingeneralIneedtoworkonmytime
management.Ihaveatendencytowaittillthelastminutetodomyassignments,whichisnothelpfulatall,
sincealotofthetimeIenduprushingthroughthem.ThisissomethingIamworkingontofixandget
betterat,especiallysinceBritishliteratureisnotaveryeasytopicandIshouldbeputtingmoretimeintomy
workforit.Myadvicetootherstudentsis.

Grade Excellent (8-9 ) Good (6-7) Adequate (4-5 ) Insufficient (1-2-3 )

Knowledge %60 Demonstrates excellent Demonstrates good Demonstrates Average Demonstrates superficial
knowledge of subject knowledge of the subject knowledge of the subject. or insufficient knowledge
3+ works related to 2+ 3 works 2 themes, 2 works 2 themes connect of the subject. 1 work,
themes connects to Period connect to Period OR to Period OR Modern one theme OR no
AND Modern World Modern World World connection
Reflection %20 Answers all questions, Answers all questions, Answers most questions, Answers few questions,
thorough reflection adequate reflection some reflection no reflection,
Organization & Paper has strong Paper has a structure, Paper has a weak, but Paper is wandering,
Presentation %10 structure, logical flow, logical flow, and loose present structure, incoherent, has
and obvious agreement agreement between understandable flow, and mismatched introduction
between introduction and introduction and loose agreement between and conclusion, or lacks
conclusion conclusion introduction and either
conclusion
Written Expression %10 Writing presents no Contains only minor Contains some errors that Contains major errors or
obstacles to errors that do not do not detract from numerous minor ones that
understanding; high seriously detract from the overall essay/argument; detract from the
degree of skill and essay/argument; writing writing is competent essay/argument; illegible
complexity is skillful

Grading 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Scale:
AP Scale

Numeric 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 60 55
Grade