ENG4C: Application Essay Assignment

Assignment: • Students will critically explore the content of this short story unit by writing a three-page formal essay on the

following question.

• Students will explore the best way to structure a difficult essay.

• Students will learn to write efficiently – the paper is not intended to exceed three pages, not counting the title

and “Works Cited” pages.

• Students will practice incorporating secondary academic sources.

• Students will work on properly implementing MLA style and documentation.

Topic Question: Animal Farm was written long ago. Is it important for us to consider today? If so, what lessons can we take away from it?

Make sure that your argument is supportable with specific evidence to back up your points.

Directions: 1. Brainstorm some of the important lessons this book contains that may still be relevant today. Submit this list

(typed) to Mr. Vance by Wednesday, October 24th. This will be worth 1% of your course grade.

2. Construct an informal outline – but it should still be typed, and it should organize some key quotes for each

main point. This outline will be due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, November 7th, on turnitin.com, and

it will be worth 1% of your course grade.

3. Turn your outline into a well-written essay, following the instructions and guidance of the All-or-Nothing Essay

from last year. This essay will be due on turnitin.com at the beginning of class on Thursday, November 15th, and

it will be worth 6% of your course grade.

Important Notes: • This is a formal essay and should be presented as such. Use a twelve-point font, include page numbers at the

top right, and so on. Avoid using the first person or informal language.

• There should be no title page, but the first page should be formatted according to the MLA Style Guide (see the

handout for help with this).

• At least two quotes should be used per body paragraph, cited properly according using MLA citations. Don’t

forget in-text citations and a “Works Cited” page at the end. (See the MLA Style Guide handout for help with

this.)

• Try to respect the page limit requirement for this assignment.

Evaluation: Your essays will be evaluated according to the rubric on the next page.

Level 1 (50%-59%)

Level 2 (60%-69%)

Level 3 (70%-79%)

Level 4 – to Level 4 (80%-89%)

Level 4 to Level 4+ (90%-100%)

Below Expectations

Approaching Expectations

Meeting Expectations Beyond Expectations

Thinking/Inquiry (40) -Overall argument and thesis statement

Overall argument has more than one significant problem; your thesis has a significant issue, or it is ineffective in answering your topic question, but an effort is demonstrated

Overall argument has a significant problem; there is a problem with your thesis, or it doesn’t quite answer your question.

Overall argument is mostly good; thesis is simple, but it works.

Overall argument is very strong and logical; thesis is well developed and contains strong supporting points to back it up.

Overall argument in exceptionally creative and insightful; exceptionally well-formulated thesis is excellent in its development and in the insight of its supporting points.

-Quality of evidence in support of thesis (including good use of two external sources)

Little or ineffective evidence given, but an effort is demonstrated

Most points have some form of specific evidence, but you may need to use more quotes to demonstrate the truth of your claims.

Each paragraph is well supported by specific evidence, including at least two relevant and well explained quotes.

Each paragraph is very well supported with a range of specific evidence, including multiple well explained and well incorporated quotes.

Each paragraph is overwhelmingly supported with a great range of specific evidence, including several excellent, well-incorporated and well-explained quotes.

Communication (40) -Clarity, logical order

Points are random and, at this point, ineffective; paper is unclear and/or confusing, but an effort is demonstrated.

Organization is emerging; points may not be ordered appropriately (eg., strongest point is in the middle instead of the end); there may be some clarity issues that detract from your paper.

Every point is relatively clear and in logical order in relationship to the thesis and the other points.

Every point is very clear and in logical order in relationship to the thesis and the other points.

Your paper demonstrates superior clarity in expression and in the relationship of points to the thesis and to each other.

-Transitions between points (especially topic and concluding sentences)

Your paper has few, if any, transitions, which makes it really hard to follow your argument, but an effort is demonstrated.

Your paper is missing several important topic or concluding sentences, and as such it can be fairly difficult to follow the progression of your argument.

Your paper contains some good transitions that help the reader keep track of your overall argument. You may occasionally miss a topic or concluding sentence.

Your paper contains very good topic and concluding sentences in each point, making it easy to follow the progression of your argument.

Your paper contains excellent topic and concluding sentences in each point, and each of these transitions seems smooth and not forced.

-Appropriateness of style, expressed in formal English (phrasing, formality, vocabulary, flow)

-Your writing is currently suffering from significant formality issues and/or mundane language. Keep working on using even more powerful and precise language. -Your writing is not flowing smoothly, and as such, it is hard to understand. Use transitional words and vary your sentence structure to improve.

-Your writing in this paper is not yet effective due to significant formality issues and/or mundane language. Keep working on using even more powerful and precise language. -You are having difficulty in making your writing flow smoothly; use transitional words and vary your sentence structure to improve.

-Your writing is usually effective, but your paper contains some formality issues or mundane language. Keep working on using even more powerful and precise language. -Your flow is mostly good, but occasionally a little choppy, unnatural, or disjointed.

-Your writing is quite effective in its use of precise, powerful language, and in its range of vocabulary. -Your flow seems natural and smooth due to strong use of transitional words/phrases and a good variety of sentence structure.

-Your writing is exceptionally effective in its use of creative, compelling language as well as complex vocabulary and other literary devices where appropriate. -Your writing flows beautifully due to your excellent use of transitional phrases and a strong variety of sentence structure.

-Grammatical Precision and Spelling

Your writing contains mostly errors, including many sentence structure difficulties, but an effort is demonstrated.

Your writing contains many insignificant errors, or some sentence structure errors.

Your writing contains some insignificant errors, but not enough to detract from the clarity of your points.

Your writing contains only a few insignificant errors; overall excellent grammar.

Your writing contains very few errors at all – you have clearly proofread this carefully.

Application (20) -Strength and power of introduction and conclusion

Your introduction and/or conclusion is very short and undeveloped, or there is not enough difference between them.

Your introduction and/or conclusion is not quite full enough. Expand these discussions to add to their clarity and power.

Your introduction and conclusion are simple, but effective. Keep working to make them even more forceful and compelling.

Your introduction and conclusion are clear and effective, and they are also beginning to be powerful in their ability to engage the reader.

Your introduction and conclusion are exceptionally effective in their clarity, and moreover, they are very powerful and compelling.

-Success in adhering to the requirements of the assignment (Note that you cannot pass the application section without citations and a works cited page.)

Four of the Level 4+ requirements are met, but an effort is demonstrated

Five of the Level 4+ requirements is met

Six of the Level 4+ requirements are met

Seven of the Level 4+ requirements are met

-Correct first-page layout -Properly double-spaced -Pages are numbered -No spaces between paragraphs -At least two quotes per body paragraph -Proper 1-inch margins -Proper citations used -Strong “Works Cited” page

ENG4U: Topical Presentation

Assignment: • To explore deeply a particular topic related to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

• To communicate your findings to your classmates in a clear and professional presentation.

Directions:

• Choose one of the following topic questions and let Mr. Vance know what you would like to do. (Note that a

topic cannot be covered by more than one person. Students will be granted topics on a “first-come-first-served”

basis.)

• Research your chosen topic and prepare a presentation on it. You may explore the topic in any way or structure

that you choose.

• Your presentation should be five-to-seven minutes long.

• Presentations must include the following components:

o Each presentation must have a PowerPoint component.

o Each presentation must also have a handout to be distributed to the class.

o You must be prepared in advance to present. All handouts must be submitted to Mr. Vance, and

presentations emailed/shared with Mr. Vance by the beginning of class on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30.

Topic Questions: 1. Discuss the character of Julia. What are some of her more positive character traits? What might be some of her

weaknesses?

2. Explore and discuss some of the minor characters in this story (O’Brien is not considered a minor character).

Many of them are fairly one-dimensional. Is this a weakness in Orwell’s writing?

3. Compare and contrast the idea of “humanity” before the Revolution occurred and after the Party took power.

How has the Party changed what it meant to be human with regard to emotions, relationships, and daily life?

4. Discuss the use of symbolism in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Which would you say is the most important symbol in the

book?

5. Discuss the character of O’Brien in this book. How does his role change throughout the story?

6. Discuss the chapter on Goldstein’s book. Is this a boring, useless, distracting addition, or is it a valuable

contribution to Orwell’s story?

7. The idea of “social control” is central to this story. Discuss the various ways by which the Party maintains control

in Oceania.

8. Based on his writing in Nineteen Eighty-Four, discuss George Orwell’s worldview. What seems to be important to

him? What seems less important?

9. Come up with a question of your own to explore – but check with Mr. Vance, first.

Note:

• Students are strongly encouraged to research these topics thoroughly. You will be graded on the ease and

extent to which you are able to answer the class’ questions.

• Be sure to include a Works Cited slide/section at the end of your presentation. Separate this slide into two parts:

Research and Images. Be sure to use proper referencing according to MLA style and documentation.

• Be as specific as possible and try to provide examples, especially in your analysis. The more specific you are, the

higher your mark will be.

• Remember that this is a presentation – as such, you will be marked as heavily on your oral communication as on

your actual analysis. Remember to make and maintain eye contact, use your hands, and act professionally!

Evaluation: Your presentation will be marked on an individual basis according to the following rubric.

Level 1: Below Expectations (50-59%)

Level 2: Approaching Expectations (60-69%)

Level 3: Meeting Expectations (70-79%)

Level 4-: Exceeding Expectations (80-89%)

Level 4+ Exceeding Expectations (90-100%)

Knowledge and Understanding -Quality of research, information, understanding of ideas and concepts, ability to answer questions with ease (10)

No evidence of research is demonstrated, but you do seem to know a bit about the topic from your own reading. You were unable to answer many of the questions.

Some evidence of research is demonstrated, but not much. You seem slightly confused about some aspects of your topic. You were badly stumped by one or more of the questions.

You have clearly done some research, and you seem to understand what you’re talking about. You had difficulty with some questions, but did well on most.

You have clearly done much research on this topic, and it shows in your ability to tackle your classes questions with relative ease.

Your research on this topic is fantastic – you were impressive during the question period, and you seem really clear on all the concepts discussed.

Thinking and Inquiry -Quality of analysis (30)

Your analysis was really hard to follow, or your explanations seemed very illogical.

Your analysis was occasionally slightly illogical, or your explanations were unclear/difficult to understand.

Your work showed some solid logical analysis on this topic, and your explanations made sense.

Your analysis was not just logical and sensible, it was somewhat creative in the way you presented it.

Your analysis was not just logical and sensible, it was extremely creative in the way you presented it.

Communication (30) -Body language

-Your body language was very distracting – you didn’t stop fidgeting -You rarely made eye contact with the class

-Your body language and movement was a little distracting from what you were saying. -You looked up a couple of times, but more often were looking at your papers/presentation.

-Your body language and movement was unobtrusive and not distracting to your presentation -You mad e a point to made eye contact with the class here and there

-You occasionally used your hands and movements to enhance your points -You had eye contact with the class more often than not

-You used frequent hand gestures and movement to enhance your points -Your eye contact with the class was almost unbroken for the whole presentation

-Pace Your presentation was so fast that we could barely make it out! Or it was so slow that we had a hard time staying focused.

Your speed (either too fast or slow) unfortunately did detract from your presentation.

Your presentation was a little fast or slow, but still very understandable.

Your presentation was mostly a great speed, but speed up/slowed down occasionally

Your presentation was the perfect speed – not too fast and not too slow – and it was like this throughout the presentation.

-Volume and clarity Way too loud or soft – it was difficult to make out/understand your presentation.

Either too loud or too soft, and unfortunately, this hurt the clarity of your presentation.

Good volume, and usually pretty clear, with only a couple of incidences of less-than-clarity.

Very good volume and mostly strong clarity.

Perfect volume – great projection and clarity.

-Voice and Diction Your inflection and dynamics are not meeting expectations – your presentation was monotone, which hurt the interest it could provoke in the audience.

Your inflection and dynamics need some work – you were sounding slightly monotone at times, which made your presentation less interesting to listen to.

Good inflection and dynamics – you showed an effort to vary your tones, and as a result your presentation was interesting.

Very good inflection and dynamics. You were clearly making an effort to vary the tones you used, and it worked well.

Fantastic inflection and dynamics – your voice was extremely interesting to listen to.

Application (30) -Professionalism

Your presentation was unprofessional. You may have mocked someone or laughed about being in front of your peers. You may not have been able to keep a straight face, or demonstrated a poor attitude. You were not prepared for this presentation.

Your presentation was not the most professional. You may have had a hard time keeping a straight face, or seemed (visibly) very uncomfortable. -You were not quite prepared to present, or you missed emailing either the handout or presentation to Mr. Vance by the assigned date.

Your presentation was fairly professional. You did not mock or laugh with your classmates, you seemed mostly confident, and stayed on track.

Your presentation was quite professional. You treated your classmates with respect, appeared mostly confident, and maintained a serious demeanour.

Your presentation was extremely professional – you treated your classmates with grace and respect, appeared very confident and maintained a classy demeanour. -You were well prepared to present, and emailed the handout and presentation to Mr. Vance by the assigned date.

-Visual element Your visual element is pretty sloppy and hastily put-together. More effort would increase your mark in this area.

Your visual element is not fancy, and it seems slightly tacked-on – it doesn’t truly add to our understanding of your material.

Your visual element is not fancy, but it is effective in helping us understand the material you are presenting.

Your visual element adds much to your presentation, is colourful, and has no overt grammatical. spelling errors.

Your visual element is not just effective, it is extremely attractive, eye-catching, and engaging.

-Quality of handout Your handout is pretty jumbled, making it hard to read/understand.

Your handout is difficult to read/understand. It does not have the best layout, which limits its usefulness.

Your handout works. It has good information, though it is not organized in clear point form.

Your handout is very good. It is laid out well, in good point form, and has only a few errors.

Your handout is excellent – well laid-out, organized in clear point form, and has no noticeable errors.

ENG4C: Topical Presentation

Assignment: • To explore deeply a particular topic related to George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

• To communicate your findings to your classmates in a clear and professional presentation.

Directions:

• Choose one of the following topic questions and let Mr. Vance know what you would like to do. (Note that a

topic cannot be covered by more than one person. Students will be granted topics on a “first-come-first-served”

basis.)

• Research your chosen topic and prepare a presentation on it. You may explore the topic in any way or structure

that you choose.

• Your presentation should be five-to-seven minutes long.

• Presentations must include the following components:

o Each presentation must have a PowerPoint component.

o Each presentation must also have a handout to be distributed to the class.

o You must be prepared in advance to present. All handouts must be submitted to Mr. Vance, and

presentations emailed/shared with Mr. Vance by the beginning of class on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30.

Topic Questions: 1. Lay out the allegory of this book for us. What do the various animals and parties symbolize?

2. This is a really depressing book (kind of like Nineteen Eighty-Four). What kind of message do you think Orwell is

trying to send with this book, and do you think he is successful? Why / why not?

3. Come up with a question of your own to explore – but check with Mr. Vance, first.

Note:

• Students are strongly encouraged to research these topics thoroughly. You will be graded on the ease and

extent to which you are able to answer the class’ questions.

• Be sure to include a Works Cited slide/section at the end of your presentation. Separate this slide into two parts:

Research and Images. Be sure to use proper referencing according to MLA style and documentation.

• Be as specific as possible and try to provide examples, especially in your analysis. The more specific you are, the

higher your mark will be.

• Remember that this is a presentation – as such, you will be marked as heavily on your oral communication as on

your actual analysis. Remember to make and maintain eye contact, use your hands, and act professionally!

Evaluation: Your presentation will be marked on an individual basis according to the following rubric.

Level 1: Below Expectations (50-59%)

Level 2: Approaching Expectations (60-69%)

Level 3: Meeting Expectations (70-79%)

Level 4-: Exceeding Expectations (80-89%)

Level 4+ Exceeding Expectations (90-100%)

Knowledge and Understanding -Quality of research, information, understanding of ideas and concepts, ability to answer questions with ease (10)

No evidence of research is demonstrated, but you do seem to know a bit about the topic from your own reading. You were unable to answer many of the questions.

Some evidence of research is demonstrated, but not much. You seem slightly confused about some aspects of your topic. You were badly stumped by one or more of the questions.

You have clearly done some research, and you seem to understand what you’re talking about. You had difficulty with some questions, but did well on most.

You have clearly done much research on this topic, and it shows in your ability to tackle your classes questions with relative ease.

Your research on this topic is fantastic – you were impressive during the question period, and you seem really clear on all the concepts discussed.

Thinking and Inquiry -Quality of analysis (30)

Your analysis was really hard to follow, or your explanations seemed very illogical.

Your analysis was occasionally slightly illogical, or your explanations were unclear/difficult to understand.

Your work showed some solid logical analysis on this topic, and your explanations made sense.

Your analysis was not just logical and sensible, it was somewhat creative in the way you presented it.

Your analysis was not just logical and sensible, it was extremely creative in the way you presented it.

Communication (30) -Body language

-Your body language was very distracting – you didn’t stop fidgeting -You rarely made eye contact with the class

-Your body language and movement was a little distracting from what you were saying. -You looked up a couple of times, but more often were looking at your papers/presentation.

-Your body language and movement was unobtrusive and not distracting to your presentation -You mad e a point to made eye contact with the class here and there

-You occasionally used your hands and movements to enhance your points -You had eye contact with the class more often than not

-You used frequent hand gestures and movement to enhance your points -Your eye contact with the class was almost unbroken for the whole presentation

-Pace Your presentation was so fast that we could barely make it out! Or it was so slow that we had a hard time staying focused.

Your speed (either too fast or slow) unfortunately did detract from your presentation.

Your presentation was a little fast or slow, but still very understandable.

Your presentation was mostly a great speed, but speed up/slowed down occasionally

Your presentation was the perfect speed – not too fast and not too slow – and it was like this throughout the presentation.

-Volume and clarity Way too loud or soft – it was difficult to make out/understand your presentation.

Either too loud or too soft, and unfortunately, this hurt the clarity of your presentation.

Good volume, and usually pretty clear, with only a couple of incidences of less-than-clarity.

Very good volume and mostly strong clarity.

Perfect volume – great projection and clarity.

-Voice and Diction Your inflection and dynamics are not meeting expectations – your presentation was monotone, which hurt the interest it could provoke in the audience.

Your inflection and dynamics need some work – you were sounding slightly monotone at times, which made your presentation less interesting to listen to.

Good inflection and dynamics – you showed an effort to vary your tones, and as a result your presentation was interesting.

Very good inflection and dynamics. You were clearly making an effort to vary the tones you used, and it worked well.

Fantastic inflection and dynamics – your voice was extremely interesting to listen to.

Application (30) -Professionalism

Your presentation was unprofessional. You may have mocked someone or laughed about being in front of your peers. You may not have been able to keep a straight face, or demonstrated a poor attitude. You were not prepared for this presentation.

Your presentation was not the most professional. You may have had a hard time keeping a straight face, or seemed (visibly) very uncomfortable. -You were not quite prepared to present, or you missed emailing either the handout or presentation to Mr. Vance by the assigned date.

Your presentation was fairly professional. You did not mock or laugh with your classmates, you seemed mostly confident, and stayed on track.

Your presentation was quite professional. You treated your classmates with respect, appeared mostly confident, and maintained a serious demeanour.

Your presentation was extremely professional – you treated your classmates with grace and respect, appeared very confident and maintained a classy demeanour. -You were well prepared to present, and emailed the handout and presentation to Mr. Vance by the assigned date.

-Visual element Your visual element is pretty sloppy and hastily put-together. More effort would increase your mark in this area.

Your visual element is not fancy, and it seems slightly tacked-on – it doesn’t truly add to our understanding of your material.

Your visual element is not fancy, but it is effective in helping us understand the material you are presenting.

Your visual element adds much to your presentation, is colourful, and has no overt grammatical. spelling errors.

Your visual element is not just effective, it is extremely attractive, eye-catching, and engaging.

-Quality of handout Your handout is pretty jumbled, making it hard to read/understand.

Your handout is difficult to read/understand. It does not have the best layout, which limits its usefulness.

Your handout works. It has good information, though it is not organized in clear point form.

Your handout is very good. It is laid out well, in good point form, and has only a few errors.

Your handout is excellent – well laid-out, organized in clear point form, and has no noticeable errors.