English 300
Dr. Stewart
Fall 2005

Constructed Response

As part of the teacher certification process, you will be expected to write what is called a "constructed response," wherein you compare/contrast a pre-chosen poem and passage from fiction. You will be expected to write an analysis of the two selections and support your analysis with evidence from the texts. You will also be expected to identify and discuss a theme that the two selections have in common and compare and contrast the two writers' use of literary elements and/or devices to construct meaning in relation to this theme. Your analysis should:

You'll be writing two constructed responses for this class and you'll have some advantages. You'll be writing drafts, we'll be workshopping and brainstorming, and you'll get feedback from me. Still, in order to pass this course, you must write a successful constructed response.

You'll also have another advantage in that you'll be writing your first constructed response in stages. You'll first write an analysis/interpretation of a piece of fiction from the packet I give you; you'll later write an analysis/interpretation of a piece of poetry from that same packet. You'll ultimately create your constructed response from that.

Length and Audience: Each essay should be 4-5 double-spaced pages in length and should be written for an "expert audience" (an audience of English teachers who would have read the work and is familiar with literary terms). Please note that page count does not include the Works Cited page.

Format: All writing done in class (brainstorming/notes/drafting, etc.) should be on lined paper. Include your name, date, course number, and title of the piece you are working with in the heading.

All drafts done outside of the class should include a full heading and be typed (double spaced) using 12-pt. Times New Roman.

No cover sheets

Be sure to properly cite any material you use from an outside source using MLA guidelines. (All aspects of your essay should adhere to MLA guidelines.)

Supplies an Contents: You should keep each assignment in a separate TAMU-Commerce essay file. Each file should include ALL prewriting and drafts as well as the pieces you are working from showing your annotations.

Goals: The goal of these assignments is to learn more about analyzing literature. Secondly, this will help you become familiar with the structure of the essay on the compare and contrast or "constructed response" portion of the TExES exam. You will use strategies you've read in relevant chapters in the Short Guide as well as those in handouts assigned as additional reading and/or notes in class. You will also participate in discussions, workshops, and revise essays to meet comments/evaluation by me and your classmates in peer workshops.

Grading: Essays should meet the criteria given in the assigned chapters of Short Guide relating to analysis, argument/thesis, critical thinking, critical approach, style, format, editing, and genre/literary forms and terminology. Outside research is optional. Indeed, you will not have the opportunity to research the constructed essay you write for your exam, thus it might be wisest to work entirely from your own thoughts. However, if you do get information and ideas from other sources, it is imperative that you site this material and risk failing the class. .

Your essays will be evaluated on both process and product. Various parts of the writing process will be done both in and out of class. All evidence of your process (notes, prewriting, etc.) is expected to be kept in your file and turned in with each draft of your assignment. Revision is expected, and failure to revise will result in an unacceptable evaluation.

Selection of works: In CC 1, you will compare and contrast two literary works (one from fiction, one from poetry) in your previous essays. The second response will be provided at a later date.