Assessment Checklist...
Once you have written your letter, review each point below. If you have not met each of these items, make revisions and edits where necessary:
I. Content
A. Purpose - Does your letter address the essay's theme - describing how a work of
literature somehow changed the reader's view of the world or yourself?
B. Audience - Did you demonstrate knowledge of your audience? In other
words, did you address the author, not your teacher?
C. Supporting Details - Does your letter provide explanations or examples, anecdotes
(very short stories) or other specific details to support your point of view?
II. Reader Response / Originality and Expression
A. Did you talk to the author rather than summarizing the book's plot or analyzing the
literary elements within the book?
B. Did you relate the book to yourself rather than asking the author questions
about why he or she wrote the book?
C. Did you correspond with the author rather than complement?
D. Is your vocabulary smooth and natural rather than tongue-tied or showy?
III. Organization and Grammatical Correctness
A. Did you present your ideas in a logical, organized manner
without unnecessary repetition?
B. Which organizational strategy did you use?
1. chronological (first, next, last) order if relating to the story
2. cause-and-effect
3. compare/contrast
4. steps in a process
C. Does the letter have bookends: an introduction (or lead) paragraph that
hooks the reader plus a concluding (closing) paragraph that may or may not
mirror the opening?
D. Have you proofread the letter for errors of spelling and punctuation?
You be the judge! Click here to complete this activity.