Justice & Perspective Short Story
Unit 5: The Capstone Unit
Capstone Summative Option
Inquiry
How can we use Literary Skills to change communities for the better?
Goal
You will use the skills you learned about character, setting, and theme to craft a 1000-word short story that addresses the capstone unit’s Inquiry question above.
Role
[You choose.]
Audience
[You choose.]
Situation
It’s 2021. We’ve seen all manner of discrimination over the past year, and it is time to use art to take a stand. You have decided to use short fiction as a way to raise your voice and call others to join you.
Product
Create a “woke” short story utilizing your mastery of language and the elements of the short story genre (tension, characterization, setting, and theme) to raise your audience’s awareness of a social injustice. Your story should be well-organized, creative and use a variety of sentence structures. There will be time in class for this work--but it might not be enough for your creative flow.
AND
A 300- to 400-word Rationale that explains your authorial choices and their intended effects on your audience, with specific examples. A higher level submission will include a comparison with a work by another author.
Standards
The short story will be assessed according to Criteria B (Organization), C (Producing Text), and D (Using Language). The Rationale will be assessed according to Criterion A (Analysis).
Revising Checklist
Short Story Genre Requirements
Your story must include the following.
| Term | Minimum Number |
| Characterization | 3 instances of indirect characterization |
| Setting | 3 instances of vivid imagery |
| Theme | 1 recurring theme |
| Tension | Starts at the beginning/Increases Steadily/Resolved during Climax |
| Dialogue | 25% of your entire story should be within quotation marks |
Editing Checklist
Conventions
You must follow the conventions below.
| Convention | Requirement |
| Font | 12 point / Times New Roman |
| Word Count | 1,000-1,200 words |
| Page Numbers | Top Right Corner |
| Spacing | Double Spaced / Indented Paragraphs (no extra space between paragraphs) |
Timeline
You must turn in the below portions of this project on the assigned date.
| Task | Due Date |
| 1st Draft = Completed Short Story Builder | April 26th (end of class) |
| 2nd Draft = Written-Out Story (Revising Stage Complete) | May 12th (end of class) |
| Summative Version (Typed, Editing Stage Complete) | May 25th (on Managebac at end of class) |
Criterion B: Organizing
| Criterion B: Organize opinions and ideas in a logical manner | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to organize your opinions in a way that makes sense | |
| 1-2 | organizes opinions and ideas with a minimal degree of logic | You need to thoughtfully sequence your ideas so that they are more effective | |
| 3-4 | organizes opinions and ideas with some degree of logic | You need to ensure that all of your ideas are arranged in a way that makes it easy for the reader to understand | |
| 5-6 | organizes opinions and ideas in a logical manner, with ideas building on each other | You need to make sure that your ideas are artfully arranged and connected in ways that enhance their meaning | |
| 7-8 | effectively organizes opinions and ideas in a logical manner with ideas building on each other in a sophisticated way | You need to continue arranging and connecting your ideas in ways that enhance the meaning of your entire product |
| Criterion B: Use referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style suitable to the context and intention | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to follow the directions regarding the use of referencing and formatting tools | |
| 1-2 | makes minimal use of referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style that may not always be suitable to the context and intention. | You need to consistently make use of the referencing and formatting tools that were recommended in the instructions | |
| 3-4 | makes adequate use of referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style suitable to the context and intention. | You need to display more control when using the referencing and formatting tools that were recommended in the instructions | |
| 5-6 | makes competent use of referencing and formatting tools to create a presentation style suitable to the context and intention. | You need to master your use of the referencing and formatting tools recommended in the instructions | |
| 7-8 | makes excellent use of referencing and formatting tools to create an effective presentation style. | You should continue displaying your mastery of the referencing and formatting tools recommended in the instructions |
| Criterion B: Organizing Overall Grade | |
| Comment |
Criterion C: Producing Text
| Criterion C: Produce texts that demonstrate thought and imagination while exploring new perspectives and ideas arising from personal engagement with the creative process | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to infuse your work with your personality by demonstrating some creativity. | |
| 1-2 | produces texts that demonstrate limited personal engagement with the creative process; demonstrates a limited degree of thought or imagination and minimal exploration of new perspectives and ideas | You need to use more inventive strategies when exploring new ideas in your work. | |
| 3-4 | produces texts that demonstrate adequate personal engagement with the creative process; demonstrates some thought or imagination and some exploration of new perspectives and ideas | You need to display more control when using inventive strategies to explore new ideas in your work. | |
| 5-6 | produces texts that demonstrate considerable personal engagement with the creative process; demonstrates considerable thought or imagination and substantial exploration of new perspectives and ideas | You need to better convey your passion for the creative process by thoughtfully and imaginatively applying strategies that explore new perspectives and ideas. | |
| 7-8 | produces texts that demonstrate a high degree of personal engagement with the creative process; demonstrates a high degree of thought or imagination and perceptive exploration of new perspectives and ideas | You need to continue conveying your passion for the creative process by thoughtfully and imaginatively applying strategies that explore new perspectives and ideas. |
| Criterion C: Make stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating awareness of impact on an audience | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to make some intentional stylistic choices that demonstrate your awareness of the need of your audience. | |
| 1-2 | makes minimal stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating limited awareness of impact on an audience | You need to make more stylistic choices that address the needs of your audience. | |
| 3-4 | makes some stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating some awareness of impact on an audience | You need to be more intentional in the way you apply linguistic, literary and visual devices to meet the needs of your audience. | |
| 5-6 | makes thoughtful stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating good awareness of impact on an audience | You need to be more sensitive in the way you apply, with nuance; the linguistic, literary and visual devices that address the needs of your audience. | |
| 7-8 | makes perceptive stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices, demonstrating clear awareness of impact on an audience | You should continue perceptively applying the linguistic, literary and visual devices that address the needs of your audience. |
| Criterion C: Select relevant details and examples to support ideas. | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to select some details that support your ideas | |
| 1-2 | selects few relevant details and examples to support ideas. | You need to choose details that are more relevant to the ideas you are trying to support. | |
| 3-4 | selects some relevant details and examples to support ideas. | You need to ensure that all of your ideas are supported with relevant details and examples | |
| 5-6 | selects sufficient relevant details and examples to support ideas. | You need to ensure that all of your ideas are supported with relevant details and examples that derive from a broad and diverse range of sources. | |
| 7-8 | selects extensive relevant details and examples to support ideas. | You need to continue supporting your ideas with relevant details and examples that derive from a broad and diverse range of sources. |
| Criterion C: Producing Text Overall Grade | |
| Comment |
Criterion D: Using Language
| Criterion D: Write in an appropriate register and style | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to choose words and arrange them in a way that compliments the purpose and context of the task. | |
| 1-2 | writes in an inappropriate register and style that do not serve the context and intention | You need to display better control when matching the degree of formality, choice of vocabulary and syntax to the communicative purpose and social context of the task. | |
| 3-4 | sometimes writes in a register and style that serve the context and intention | You need to consistently control the matching of the degree of formality, choice of vocabulary and syntax to the communicative purpose and social context of the task. | |
| 5-6 | writes competently in a register and style that serve the context and intention | You need to completely match the degree of formality, choice of vocabulary and syntax to the communicative purpose and social context of the task. | |
| 7-8 | writes in a consistently appropriate register and style that serve the context and intention | You must continue completely matching the degree of formality, choice of vocabulary and syntax to the communicative purpose and social context of the task. |
| Criterion D: Use correct grammar, syntax and punctuation | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to proofread your work to make sure that you have noticed and corrected any catastrophic mistakes | |
| 1-2 | uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with limited accuracy; errors often hinder communication | You need to proofread and edit your work to make sure that you have noticed and corrected any major mistakes in grammar, syntax and punctuation | |
| 3-4 | uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with some degree of accuracy; errors sometimes hinder communication | You need to proofread and edit your work in a detail oriented manner to make sure that you have noticed and corrected any mistakes in grammar, syntax and punctuation | |
| 5-6 | uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with a considerable degree of accuracy; errors do not hinder effective communication | You need to proofread and edit your work with a perceptive attention to detail. Make sure your use of grammar, syntax and punctuation enhances your work. | |
| 7-8 | uses grammar, syntax and punctuation with a high degree of accuracy; errors are minor and communication is effective | You must continue proofreading and editing your work with a perceptive attention to detail. Make sure you continue using grammar, syntax and punctuation that enhances your work. |
| Criterion D: Spell and pronounce with accuracy | |||
| Achievement Level | Your grade | What you did | How you improve |
| 0 | You did not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below. | You need to make sure your spelling and/or pronunciation does not make it difficult for your audience to understand your ideas. | |
| 1-2 | spells/writes and pronounces with limited accuracy; errors often hinder communication | You need to make sure your spelling and/or pronunciation does not make it difficult for your audience to understand your ideas. | |
| 3-4 | spells/writes and pronounces with some degree of accuracy; errors sometimes hinder communication | You need to proofread and edit your work with an attention to detail. You need to make sure your spelling and/or pronunciation does not make it difficult for your audience to understand your ideas. | |
| 5-6 | spells/writes and pronounces with a considerable degree of accuracy; errors do not hinder effective communication | You need to proofread and edit your work with a perceptive attention to detail. You need to make sure your spelling and/or pronunciation does not make it difficult for your audience to understand your ideas. | |
| 7-8 | spells/writes and pronounces with a high degree of accuracy; errors are minor and communication is effective | You must continue proofreading and editing your piece so that your spelling and/or pronunciation does not make it difficult for your audience to understand your ideas. |
| Criterion D: Using Language Overall Grade | |
| Comment |