Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun

To earn a “C” on essay #1, a student must

1. Respond to all of the constraints of the assignment:

a. Paper should be formatted according to MLA style guidelines with no major errors.

b. Paper should incorporate at least one secondary source.

c. Paper should meet the minimum length requirement specified on the assignment sheet.

d. Paper should adequately respond to one of the assigned topics.

2. Posit a clear thesis/argument:

a. Thesis must center on a concrete claim.

b. Essay should be comprised of textual analysis from both primary and secondary sources in support of the thesis.

c. Essay should illustrate an understanding of the text that extends beyond surface level or summary.

3. Present a well-organized essay:

a. Essay should contain distinguishable introductory and conclusion paragraphs of adequate length and appropriate tone.

b. The majority of body paragraphs should provide supporting evidence from both primary and secondary sources with accompanying analysis.

c. Paragraphs should contain topic sentences and/or transitions.

4. Maintain a tone appropriate for the audience:

a. Essay should not contain colloquialisms or excessively informal language.

b. Essay should not rest on personal opinion.

5. Construct grammatically sound paragraphs with no pervasive pattern of grammatical errors and/or sentence-level incoherence.

To earn a “B” on essay #1, a student must

1. Adhere to all assignment requirements (MLA style and formatting, length, assigned topic, incorporation of secondary sources).

2. Anchor essay via concrete thesis statement focusing on a thoughtful analysis of the assigned text(s) and topic(s).

3. Provide sound analysis that follows standard rules of paragraph construction (topic sentences, supporting evidence, explication) and displays adequate paragraph development.

4. Effectively incorporate secondary source(s) in support of the thesis.

5. Have no distracting pattern of error.

6. Display tangible improvement with respect to errors marked on previous essays/graded writing (meaning the student cannot have a repeated pattern of errors marked on previously graded work).

To earn an “A” on essay #1, a student must

1. Adhere to all assignment requirements, with no major errors in MLA style or formatting.

2. Provide a thesis that is insightful, sophisticated and well-articulated.

3. Remain focused on the topic and thesis, providing sound and compelling analysis throughout the essay

4. Demonstrate the ability to connect primary and secondary sources in a logical .

5. Guide argument via strong topic sentences and appropriate transitions.

6. Have very few grammatical errors, none of which interfere with coherence.

7. Display significant improvement with respect to errors marked on previous essays/graded writing.

A “D” grade results from

1. Failing to adhere to basic assignment requirements (length, flagrant disregard for MLA style and formatting).

2. A lack of substantive analysis (i.e. an essay resting primarily on observation or summary).

3. A pervasive pattern of minor errors that undermines sentence-level coherence.

4. A pattern of repeated errors marked on previously graded work.

An “F” grade results from

1. Failure to adhere to basic assignment requirements.

2. Two or more of the faults listed under “D.”