As I write, I’m basking in the joy that is the beginning of summer vacation, but that’s not gonna stop me from helping out my pathetic poor colleagues who are teaching summer school. Of course, you may have come across this quick ELA Common Core writing assignment while in the throes of depression another wonderful school year.
I’m here to help.
This assignment works particularly well when you have a substitute teacher, assuming the majority of your students are literate.
Let us not forget the common core standards.
- W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- W.9-10.1a Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in W.9-10.1-3.)
- You can add about 3,217 additional common core standards depending on what you feel like working on.
Here’s the actual assignment.
Distribute a list of quotes to each student. Have them choose 1 quote and write something that supports the quote or refutes the quote. It can be persuasive, informative, narrative, whatever you want. It should be 1-2 pages long. The grade should be based on how well the writer supports his or her claim. Obviously, you’ll want to look at basic writing principles, such as organization, voice, ideas, conventions and all that other stuff we teach. This assignment works best as a timed writing.
Sample quotations
Here’s a list of quotes I used for Great Expectations. These quotes on expectations don’t have to be used in conjunction with the novel. They make a great start of the year writing assignment. You can also use them as a journal type assignment and write one on the board periodically.
“If you expect nothing from anybody, you’re never disappointed.”
― Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar-
“I find my life is a lot easier the lower I keep my expectations.”
― Bill Watterson-
“Today expect something good to happen to you no matter what occurred yesterday. Realize the past no longer holds you captive. It can only continue to hurt you if you hold on to it. Let the past go. A simply abundant world awaits.”
― Sarah Ban Breathnach, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Jo-
“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and
he will become as he can and should be.”
― Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Chang-
Get more simple writing assignment handouts and lesson plans.
― Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid-
“You are your own worst enemy. If you can learn to stop expecting impossible perfection, in yourself and others, you may find the happiness that has always eluded you.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Love in the Afternoon-
“Unhappiness lies in that gap between our talents and our expectations.”
― Sebastian Horsley
“To expect to be kissed having bad breath is the secret of a fool.”
― Dejan Stojanovic-
I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.
-Bruce Lee-
Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.
-Earl Nightingale-
You can’t base your life on other people’s expectations.
-Stevie Wonder-
Let us be about setting high standards for life, love, creativity, and wisdom. If our expectations in these areas are low, we are not likely to experience wellness. Setting high standards makes every day and every decade worth looking forward to.
-Greg Anderson-
It’s when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached.
-Mike Huckabee-
I do know one thing about me: I don’t measure myself by others’ expectations or let others define my worth.
-Sonia Sotomayor-
Last Updated on February 29, 2016 by Trenton Lorcher
Share This:
