Curriculum and Assessment Writing Project: Grade 12 Unit 1 Assessment Level B Grade 12 Unit 1 Adapted Assessment & Scoring Rubric Unit s: RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. RL.11-12.3. Analyze the impact of the author s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). RL.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) RL.11-12.5. Analyze how an author s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. Question 1 Provide a brief objective summary of Gary Soto s La Bamba, and then discuss two themes, explaining how they interact and build upon each other. All of plus: Includes depth of analysis and synthesis of theme using sophisticated language, structure and style Provides a thorough, accurate, objective summary of the text Provides two themes with an they interact throughout the text Describes how each theme develops over the course of the text Provides an accurate, objective summary of the text Identifies accurately two central ideas/themes Provides unclear or inaccurate each theme is developed OR only provides ONE explanation Provides unclear the themes connect Provides a summary of the text that is missing key elements and/or is not objective Identifies no theme or inaccurately identifies one theme Does not identify how each theme is developed
to each other 1. Example of a 3 Two main themes interact with each other to produce the overall meaning of the story, La Bamba by Gary Soto. The themes of taking chances and getting unexpected recognition work together. Manuel Gomez, one of seven children, is a fifth-grader who wants to stand out from the crowd. Manuel s internal conflict is shown when he wonders, Why did I raise my hand? he asked himself, but in his heart he knew the answer. He yearned for the limelight. He clearly has a fear of public failure, but goes on with the talent show anyway and volunteers to lip-sync La Bamba. He even accepts the challenge that his friend suggests and dances during his performance because he wanted applause as loud as a thunderstorm, and to hear his friends say, Man, that was bad! And he wanted to impress the girls, especially Petra Lopez. Even though he was afraid, Manuel took the chance, and performed in front of the crowd despite his fears. This theme sets up the second theme of unexpected recognition. During rehearsal, Manuel drops his record, but fortunately it doesn t break. It does scratch it, however, in the climax of the story, the record sticks during his performance so Manuel has to move his lips and dance to the same words over and over again until Mr. Roybal took the record off. The audience breaks into wild applause and laughter as Manuel bows and runs offstage. He thought it was a disaster. He had never been so embarrassed. He would have to ask his parents to move the family out of town. Later, Manuel is amazed to find out that everyone thinks he meant to be funny and intentionally made the record stick and that the crowd really did love him. When the entire cast lined up for a curtain call, Manuel received a burst of applause that was so loud it shook the walls of the cafeteria. He got many compliments and as he mingled with the kids and parents, everyone patted him on the shoulder. Everyone was paying attention to him. Funny. Crazy. Hilarious. These were the words people said to him. Manuel got the recognition he had hoped for, even though it was not the way he had planned. Question 2 Analyze how a character from La Bamba changes over the course of the text AND explain how the order of events contributed to the character s development. Use ample textual evidence to support your assertions. All of plus: Includes depth of the character by using sophisticated language, structure and style Accurately describes the development of one of the characters Explains how the character changes over the course of the text, providing textual evident to support assertions Describe how the order of events impact character s development Provides a limited description of the development of the character Superficially describes how the character changes over time with very limited textual support Briefly references the order of events, but does not describe their impact on the character Inaccurately traces the development of the character Provides a limited analysis of how the character changes No explanation of how the order of events contributed to the character s development Insufficient textual evidence referenced
2. Example of a 3 In the short story La Bamba, Gary Soto develops the character of Manual, through the course of events in the story. The story takes place over a few days that center around sign ups, rehearsals, and a final performance at a school talent show. As the narrator, Manuel s confidence comes and goes through the order of events. In the beginning, the narrator felt amazed that he had volunteered, wondering to himself, Why did I raise my hand? He realized that he wanted the applause, and to impress his peers, and asked his friend, Benny, for advice. After Manuel finished, Benny said it looked all right, but he suggested Manuel dance while he sang. Manuel thought about it, and even though he begins the story nervous, he decided it was a good idea. As the days leading up to the performance passed, his confidence grew. As he watched the talent show rehearsal, he thought, his mother and father would be proud, and his brothers and sisters would be jealous and pout. It would be a night to remember. Although he had struggled with doubt, he fell asleep the night before confident that nothing would go wrong. But when the scratched record began to skip during his performance, and Manuel was forced to sing the same line Para bailar la bamba over and over, he couldn t believe his bad luck. When the audience laughed, he lost confidence and had never been so embarrassed. He felt his earlier fears had come true, and he stood alone, trying hard to hold back the tears. His character changes when the cast lined up for a curtain call and Manuel received a burst of applause which left him feeling confused, but beyond caring. Although it wasn t how he intended, he had gotten the attention and applause he had been looking for in the beginning. The chronological order of these events moves Manuel from fear to confidence to embarrassment to satisfaction. Question 3 Analyze the impact of Soto s specific word choices on meaning and tone. All of plus: Analysis of impact of specific words on meaning is sophisticated, deep and/or wide ranging States meaning and tone discusses specific word choices, and their impact on meaning and tone Implies rather than states meaning and tone discusses word choices in a general or broad sense, versus specifically implies impact of word choices on meaning and tone Fails to imply or state meaning and tone does not discuss word choice presents a confused or incorrect sense of the impact of word choice on meaning and tone
3. Example of a 3: Soto s word choices create meaning and tone in the short story La Bamba. The author uses word choice as a way to show the main character s feelings. Manuel is a young boy living in a Mexican neighborhood who, looked like a lot of kids in his neighborhood: black hair, brown face, and skinny legs scuffed from summer play neighborhood. Soto includes this description to help make a mind picture of the narrator and to understand the culture. This sets the tone and helps the reader understand the author s perspective. The author also adds meaning to the story by including references to the time period, including Ritchie Valens s La Bamba, Michael Jackson s dancing, the song Like a Virgin, and the karate kid. As the story continues Soto develops tone by using words like, Funny, Crazy, Hilarious to describe the audience s reaction to Manuel when he has to repeat the words of the song because the record skips. This shows how Manuel gained the attention he was looking for, even though it was in a different way than he had planned. Finally, Soto uses one word in the last sentence that adds the most meaning to the themes in the story. He says, Next year, when they asked for volunteers for the talent show, he wouldn t raise his hand. Probably. The word probably tells the reader that Manuel still feels the fears he felt in the beginning of the story, but since he manages to get the attention he had wanted, he would consider making the same choices, and possibly the same mistakes as long as the outcome was also the same. Question 4 Briefly discuss Soto s specific structural choices in La Bamba. Provide two specific examples showing how the structure contributes to the meaning and aesthetic value of the story. All of plus: In depth detailed analysis of style that contributes to an enhanced understanding of both the meaning and aesthetic impact of the text Analyze the structure of the text including: the beginning and end of the story, and the resolution of Discuss how the author s choices contribute to the aesthetic impact on the reader using specific textual references. Identifies some of the key elements of the structure of the text including: the beginning and end of the story. Discuss how the aesthetic impact is created through personal response with general reference to the text Identifies one of the key elements of the structure of the text including: the beginning or end of the story or plot Makes little or no reference to the resolution to the story Little or no attempt is made to discuss specific choices that impact the text Discusses how the aesthetic impact is created through a personal and or superficial response with no or little reference to the text
4. Example of a 3: The story La Bamba by Gary Soto is told in chronological order over the course of a few days that lead up to a school talent show. It begins with the main character discussing his feelings of fear around volunteering to perform in the show, as he wonders, Why did I raise my hand? The author then includes his family s reaction and excitement around the performance when, the next morning his father and mother beamed at him. They were proud that he was going to be in the talent show. This is followed by the day of rehearsal, and includes the way he feels while watching others perform, especially how this increases his confidence as he fell asleep confident that nothing would go wrong. The story uses words that give time clues to help the reader understand how characters feelings change over the course of a few days. Some of these include, that morning, that night, the next morning, tonight, next, and after. The action rises with the performance, and the problems that come with the skipping record, followed by the reaction of the audience as one Manuel is happy with, but did not expect. It ends with a reflection by Manuel he wonders if he will do this again next year, considering he did get what he wanted but not in the way he wanted it. In the end, he was relieved that the day was over. The day by day telling of the story adds value by helping the readers understand the change and emotions of the main character over the course of these few days.