Night & Schindlers List

In Class Essay Assignment

English 30-2 Writing Assignment
The Assignment
Read the attached excerpt. It describes the source of strength for two
war prisoners. All three men are facing hardships, but deal with the
hardships in different ways.

What is your opinion of the idea that

individuals develop identity in the face
of adversity?

You must:

Discuss a character from literature or film that you have studied

in English Language Arts 30-2. You may choose to discuss more
than one character.

Ensure the details you select support your opinion of the idea
that individuals develop identity in the face of adversity.

Present your ideas in prose.

You should:

Reflect upon your own knowledge and/or experience and/or the

reading selection provided.

Use the Initial Planning section to help you plan your response.
Carefully consider your controlling idea or how you will create a
strong unifying effect.

Select a character who is relevant to your ideas about the topic

and interesting to you from the short stories, novels, plays,
poetry, nonfiction, or films that you have studied from English
Language Arts 30-2.

Organize your discussion so that your ideas are clearly and

effectively presented.

Assignment: Literary Exploration

Suggested time: 70 to 80 minutes

Read the following nonfiction excerpt and complete the assignment

that follows.
The narrator of this excerpt is Laura Hillenbrand, the author of a
biography about Louis Zamperini. Zamperini was an American
competitive runner in the 1930s. During World War II he crashed the
plane he was flying and was stuck at sea before he was captured and
tortured by the Japanese.
from Unbroken: A Word War II story of Survival, Resilience, and
Redemption
For Phil, there was another source of strength, one of which even
Louie was unaware. According to his family, in his quiet, private way,
Phil was a deeply religious man, carrying a faith instilled in him by his
parents. I had told Al several times before to always do his best as he
knew how to do it, Phils father once wrote, and when things get
beyond his skill and ability to ask the Lord to step in and help out. Phil
never spoke of his faith, but as he sang hymns over the ocean,
conjuring up a protective God, perhaps rescue felt closer, despair more
distant.
From earliest childhood, Louie had regarded every limitation placed on
him as a challenge to his wits, his resourcefulness, and
his determination to rebel. The result had been a mutinous youth. As
maddening as his exploits had been for his parents and his town,
Louies success in carrying them off had given him the conviction that
he could think his way around any boundary. Now, as he was cast into
extremity, despair and death became the focus of his defiance. The
same attributes that had made him the boy terror of Torrance were
keeping him alive in the greatest struggle of his life.
Though all three men faced the same hardship, their differing
perceptions of it appeared to be shaping their fates. Louie and Phils
hope displaced their fear and inspired them to work toward their
survival, and each success renewed their physical and emotional vigor.
Macs resignation seemed to paralyze him, and the less he participated
in their efforts to survive, the more he slipped. Though he did the
least, as the days passed, it was he who faded the most. Louie and
Phils optimism, and Macs hopelessness, were becoming self-fulfilling.

In Class Essay Planning Sheet

Step ONE: Come up with a thesis statement and get it approved by Ms. Toth.

WRITE Your Thesis:

*Remember that your thesis statement identifies the focus of your writing including
your topic, your opinion on that topic, and the ideas you will use to support that
opinion, presented in the order they will appear. It is a good idea to leave your
strongest supporting point and best body paragraph for last so that you leave your
reader with a great impression.
Step TWO: Write your introductory paragraph (it should be at least five sentences).
Your thesis should be the LAST sentence of this paragraph. Some tips for writing a
good introduction are as follows:

Begin
Begin
Begin
Begin

with a quotation followed by an explanation

by referring to or repeating your interesting title
with a shocking statement
by asking a question.

Step THREE: Gather evidence for your three body paragraphs and design each
paragraph using the SEXC strategy (below). Each body paragraph should be AT LEAST
8-10 sentences.
A Strategy for Writing Body Paragraphs: SEXC
S stands for Statement:
Write an opening topic statement about what the body paragraph will discuss.
E stands for Example:
Provide an example from the text that works to provide evidence to support your
opening statement.
X stands for Explanation:
Explain why the example works to prove your point.
C stands for Conclusion:
Conclude the paragraph and sum up what you have said.
HINT: REMEMBER TO USE TRANSITIONS!
A paragraph has COHERENCE when all of the ideas are clearly connected and are
joined in a logical order. TRANSITIONAL DEVICES are words or phrases that link
sentences and paragraphs together in a smooth order.

Common examples:
Also, next, thus, first, second, third, although, therefore, in addition, as a result, however,
accordingly, meanwhile, nevertheless, furthermore, for instance, consequently.

Step FOUR: Write the concluding paragraph. Like the introductory paragraph, it
should be at least five sentences. You need to restate your thesis and sum up your
argument effectively. Some tips for writing a good introduction are as follows:

Do your best to end on a positive note and NEVER introduce new facts, ideas, or arguments.
ASK YOURSELF: Is my conclusion smoothly written? Does my last sentence have a sense of
closure?

ASK YOURSELF: By restating my central idea, have I reminded the reader that Ive accomplished
my purpose?
ASK YOURSELF: Does my conclusion leave the reader with a sense of completeness about the topic?