Name: Sasha Alarcon

Mr. Farrell

March 9 2015

English Language Arts 9

Money Isn’t Life

For some people, money is everything. Like adults, they work for money they need it for many reasons

like for food, paying bills, for their families, transportation, shelter, water, etc. Some people might even go

crazy for it. They depend on money for almost everything, just like Walter in the play, A Raisin In The Sun

written by Lorraine Hansberry. My personal essential question is to what extent could money be source of

problems? My claim is, money is a problem in life because we use money to supply what we have.

You should be happy with what you have. Walter thinks that life revolves around money and he needs

money to have happiness he claims “ [life] was always [about] money…” (55). He thinks his family will also be

happy if they are rich. Later on he may realize its not always about money. When he was also talking to mama

and she’s fed up with all the money talk so she argues “ [Walter] how come you talk so much ‘bout money?”

( 55 ). Then Walter argues “ Because it is life, mama!” ( 55 ) I think mama should teach him a lesson and to stop

being selfish. Money isn’t always everything.

Another topic sentence I have is that is that money isn’t always everything. as mama declares “ .. once

upon a time freedom used to be life, now its money” ( 55 ). Walter needs to learn that his family should be more

important. I think Walter sort of thought of about his family when he admits “ … [He’s] thirty five years old,

[he’s] been married eleven years and [he’s] has a [son] who sleeps in the living room and all [he has] to give

him is stories about how rich white people live…” ( 16 ). I think Walter loves his son more than anything

because he’s always wondering about him but, he ends up thinking about becoming rich because he thinks that

will make his family happy. His mama needs to help him realize that family is important. Money isn’t going to

make you happy, you think you’ll be happy but trust me you wont. Just like online at

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-spend-money-and-be-happier-2013-7?op=1 it says "If the largest

material purchase most of us will ever make provides no detectable benefit for our overall happiness, then it

may be time to rethink our fundamental assumptions about how we use money." They moved into a bigger

house and their level of happiness didn’t change at all they felt the same. It didn’t really make a difference, they

were happy with their house but not their lives.

Money isn’t really a problem for Beneatha. She doesn’t really think its really important to have a lot of

money as being in love even though she needs it. She feels like that money was for Mama and that Mama will

give it to her for college since education is very important. Beneatha thinks George is shallow, and Ruth reasons

“... what do you mean shallow? Hes rich!” ( 31 ). I like Beneatha because she is independent and is different

than the other girls, she goes to college and wants to become a doctor. I want to be like her because I want to go

to college and become a vet or nurse. Ruth also points out “ … you wouldn’t marry George Murchison if he

asked you someday? That pretty, rich thing? Honey, I knew you was odd…” ( 31 ). I think Ruth is wrong, just

because he’s rich doesn’t mean she is automatically going to like him. There is no point in being in a

relationship if you don’t like the person that way.

Again my claim is that money is a problem in life because we use money to supply what we have. My

mom has had struggles with money since my dad would not pay child support some months and we would

never know when he would pay, it would be unexpected. But my mom works hard just to take care of us but

doesn’t go overboard and crazy about money. I think family is more important than anything because we only

have each other in the end.

Introduction
Hook: Importance of Topic or Theme
Introduce the author and the play
Introduce your PERSONAL ESSENTIAL QUESTION
CLAIM: Answer your Personal EQ

Supporting Paragraph 1
Topic Sentence about claim
Textual Evidence #1
Commentary
Textual Evidence #2
Commentary
Concluding Sentence

Supporting Paragraph 2
Topic Sentence about claim
Textual Evidence #1
Commentary
Textual Evidence #2
Commentary
Concluding Sentence

Counterclaim and Rebuttal Paragraph

Topic Sentence about counterclaim
Textual Evidence #1
Rebuttal/Commentary
Textual Evidence #2
Rebuttal/Commentary
Concluding Sentence

Conclusion
Restate claim: Answering Personal EQ
Personal experience
Concluding thought
TEXTUAL EVIDENCE REQUIREMENTS:
Minimum 4 quotations from A Raisin in the Sun
Minimum of 2 quotations or facts from an outside source
Maximum of 1 personal experience or story

HELP with CLAIMS, COUNTERCLAIMS, and REBUTTALS: http://goo.gl/nV5XEJ

Claims Essay Rubric

Standard Addressed 4 3 2 1 0
I can introduce With help, I can Even with help, I
I can introduce
precise claim(s), introduce precise cannot introduce
precise claim(s),
distinguish the claim(s), precise claim(s),
distinguish the I can introduce a
claim(s) from distinguish the distinguish the
PROBLEM claim from precise claim that
alternate or claim from claim from
FORMULATION: alternate or remains
opposing claims, alternate or alternate or
Formulates opposing claims, consistent
testable/researchable and and create an opposing claims, opposing claims,
and create an throughout the
relevant questions, problem organization that and create an or create an
statements, or hypotheses organizational text, and which is
establishes clear organizational organizational
that demonstrate clarity structure that evaluated against
relationships structure that structure that
about the nature of the task. maintains at least one
among claim(s), maintains maintains
consistency with counterclaim.
counterclaims, consistency with consistency with
the overall
reasons, and the overall the overall
argument.
evidence. argument. argument.
RESEARCH: I can draw
Collects information and data With help, I can Even with help, I
necessary to solve the evidence from a I can draw I can draw
draw evidence cannot draw
problem as formulated, range of texts to evidence from a evidence from at
from a range of evidence from a
drawing evidence from support my claim range of texts to least two texts to
informational texts, texts to support range of texts to
and refute a support my claim. support my claim.
conducting an investigation, my claim. support my claim.
or generating data. counterclaim.
I can develop
INTERPRETATION: claim(s) and
The student identifies and I can develop my
counterclaims
considers the most relevant own and other I can develop my With help, I can
fairly, supplying
information or findings and claims, own claims using develop my own
develops insights. To make evidence for
examining the evidence; claim(s) with
connections and draw each while Even with help, I
conclusions, the student evidence and counterclaims some evidence,
pointing cannot develop
uses structures and implications for may only but may ignore or
out the strengths evidence of a
strategies, which contribute each. Some be mentioned. dismiss
to the framework for and limitations balanced look at
recognition of The two sets of counterclaims,
communicating a solution. of both in a the issue.
The student reflects on the audience’s claims may not and cannot
manner that
quality of the conclusions knowledge is be fair or recognize the
anticipates the
drawn and may revisit and present or balanced. audience.
revise previous steps in the audience’s
implied.
process. knowledge level
and concerns.
I can utilize peer I can share my With help, I can
I can utilize peer Even with help, I
COMMUNICATION: feedback to work with peers utilize peer
feedback to cannot utilize
Incorporates feedback to improve my work and request feedback to
make appropriate revisions. improve my work peer feedback to
for precision and feedback for improve my work
for precision. improve my work.
style. precision or style. for precision.
I can write and Even with help,
PRECISION: With help, I can
revise a timely I can write and I can write and I cannot write
Assures that the final product write and revise a
meets all discipline-specific claims essay, revise a claims revise a claims and revise a
claims essay,
standards for language, attending to or essay, attending essay, attending claims essay,
terms, expressions, rules, attending to all
exceeding all to all aspects of to some aspects attending to all
terminology, and aspects of the
aspects of the the task. of the task. aspects of the
conventions. task.
task. task.