| Feature | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Justice and Motivation | No discussion of Justice; superficial discussion of motivation (if any); no connection between author and recipient | Tells what happened, not why; literally based on text events; no interpretation; connection between author and recipient unclear or inaccurate | Weak but attempted discussion of motivation; connection between author and recipient unclear or inaccurate | Doesn't go beyond or develop the ideas presented by the text; vague or undeveloped connection between author and recipient unclear or inaccurate | Discusses Justice and Motivation and develops connection between author and recipient but more narrowly focused than a "6" | Explains Justice from perspective of author; Thorough discussion of characters' motivation; accounts for contradictory actions and thoughts; develops connection between author and recipient |
| Supporting Position with Accurate and Relevant Information | Little or no historical or literary relevance; or serious misunderstanding, inaccurate or irrelevant support; | Superficial support - 1 or 2 ideas, and ideas may be poorly developed, lacking literary or historical relevance | Limited support with only a few ideas; minimal discussion of historical or literary basis | Adequately supported but lacks thoroughness; | Well supported but not as completely developed as "6;" | Position is richly supported and developed; expands on historical and literary context |
| Organizing Ideas Logically and Effectively | Lacks focus and a controlling idea; little or no organization; frequent digressions or abrupt shifts in ideas interfere with meaning | Usually stays on topic but lacks focus of a strong controlling idea; digressions/abrupt shifts | Controlling idea a simple restatement of problem; some organization but some digressions or abrupt shifts | Adequate organization with at least one controlling idea; some coherence; digressions, if present, are not disruptive | Well organized, one or more controlling ideas; may not be as unified as "6;" digressions are rare | Focused, one or more clear controlling ideas; unified response; sustained organization and control |
| Expressing Ideas with Clarity and Fluency | Little or no awareness of audience; most ideas are difficult to follow and understand; lacks fluency and transitions | Little, if any, awareness of audience; many ideas are difficult to understand; lacks fluency; | Some awareness of audience; some ideas may be difficult to understand; displays some transition and fluency; | Shows some awareness of audience; most ideas are clear and understandable; may lack fluency and transitions; | Shows sensitivity to audience; ideas are clearly expressed but may lack the fluency and polish of a "6;" | Awareness of audience; ideas are clearly and effectively developed; writing is fluent with effective transitions; |
Your Task:
Choose one of the historical figures from the Scottsboro Boys story and write a letter to
a character from A Gathering of Old Men. (You may choose to write from Gathering
back to a Scottsboro figure.) Your letter should not be a retelling of the experiences of
the author or the recipient; rather you should concentrate on interpreting and explaining
the motivation for each characters' action. Why did they do what they did? Why would they
write to the character you chose? How do they understand the motivation for the letter
recipient's behavior? Finally, discuss Justice. How would the author and recipient define
it? Is it or was it served?
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