Sample Writing Assignment

Romeo & Juliet Persuasive Essay Assignment
Now that we've finished reading Romeo & Juliet, it is your turn to tell us what you think about the play. The way that you are going to do this is through a persuasive essay. The many characters in the play (such as Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, Tybalt, etc.) each have their own role in the main plot. Each has their own little story arc that adds to the whole. Your job is to decide which character is most important, and to explain why. In 3-5 pages, you will develop an argument wherein you will first summarize the character's role in the story, explain what happens to them over the course of the play, and then detail instances where they made a difference or helped move the plot forward. Sharing your own opinion is important because it helps connect you to the text by identifying areas that you find crucial to the plot.

You need to include:
- 3-5 pages
- bibliography/Works Cited page
- thesis statement in intro. paragraph
- introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion
- strong topic sentences
- "I" statements: this paper is YOUR opinion!
- at least one outside source properly cited in the paper
- at least three key passages from the text with close readings
- outline and rough draft turned in with final draft

This paper will be due in three weeks, on December 2nd. Here are important due dates you should know:
November 18th: Full sentence outline due
November 20th: Outlines returned; peer review outlines in class
November 25th: Rough draft due
November 27th: Rough drafts returned; peer review rough drafts in class
December 2nd: Final drafts due

The paper will be graded based on the following criteria (100 points total):
- Outline (10 points)
- Rough draft (10 points)
- Grammar and sentence structure (15 points)
- Thesis statement and topic sentences (15 points)
- Overall development of argument (20 points)
- Participation in peer review sessions (15 points)
- Turning in assignment components on time (15 points; 5 points for each component)