ARealLifeSuperhero

Whenpeopleperceivethewordherowhatcomesintotheirmind?
Dotheythink
ofSupermansavingawomanfromthetopofthebuilding?Wellinreallifethereisno
onewhocouldliftupacarorflyintoaburningbuilding.
Oratleastwedon'tnoticethey
aretheretheymightnothavesuperstrengthbuttheirwillpowerisjustenoughtobea
superhero.Aheroissomeonewhoprevailsthroughtheinevitableanddoesn'tgiveup
nomatterhowhardthechallenge,withoutexpectingsomethingspecialfromanyone.

Aheroissomethingassimpleasadog.
Adognevergivesuponanythingand
weaspeopleusedogsforeverythingintheworldfromhelpingotheranimalstohelping
themselvesitmightseemlikethedogisbeingforcedtodohisjob,butthat'snotalways
thecasedogsareloyalandwilldoanythingforanyonewithouteventhinkingaboutit
theywillfightandprotectanyoneoranythingthattheythinkneedsitshelp.

AnothereverydayheroisAfirefighter,afirefighterissomeonewhonevergives
upevenintheextremeconditionstheyareworkingin.Theyevengivetheirlivesto
completestrangersandpeoplewhoaregoodandbadrealherosdontonlysavethe
goodguystheyhelpthebadpeopleto.Theygothroughdangersthatcouldendtheir
livesandrunthroughtheheatandsmokeofitalljusttokeepsomeonetheydon'tknow
alive.

Theirisaheroinalmosteveryhomeamom,shegivesherlivestoherkids
becausesheknowsthat'swhattheyneed.Amomwilldoanythingforherkidsshewill
workcountlesshoursjusttogetthemenoughmoneyfordinnerandsomeclothesfor
schoolorevenanewphone,butamomneverexpectsareward.Whensomeone'smom
drivesthemtoschoolorbuysthemabirthdaypresent,makesthemdinner,cleansthe
houseorhelpsthemwithsomething.Nooneevergivestheirmomagiftnotjewelrynot
anewTV.Noonereallysaysthankyouyetmomsdoitanywaybecausetheyneedand
wanttonotevenbecausetheyliketoandreallyathankyouisprobablyjustallthey
needtogetthemthroughtheday.

WhatisthequickestwaytodescribesomeonewhoisaheroisIthinkJoseph
CampbellhasthebestdescriptionhesaysAheroissomeonewhohasgivenhisorher
lifetosomethingbiggerthanoneself.
JosephCampbell.Allthingsconsideredaherois
someonewhoprevailsthroughtheinevitableanddoesn'tgiveupnomatterhowhard
thechallenge,withoutexpectinganythingfromanyone.Thepeopleorevenanimalsthat
youpassineverydaylifearehero'sandtheonlysuperpowertheyhaveistheir
willpowertonevergiveup.

Unit1EmbeddedAssessment2Rubric

Scoring
Exemplary
Criteria Theessay...
Ideas

34/40
pt
s

Structur
e

36/40
pt
s

Proficient
Theessay...

Emerging
Theessay...

Incomplete
Theessay...

...developsallthree
strategiesofdefinition
effectivelytodefineahero.
(15pts)

...maintainsapreciseand
originalthesis.(15pts)

...integratesrelevant
supportingdetailand
evidence(quotesand
paraphrases)withcitations
andcommentary.(10pts)

.
..usesstrategiesof
definition(function,
example,negation)to
defineahero.(13pts)

...maintainsaclear
thesis.(13pts)

.
..includesadequate
supportingdetailand
evidence(quotesand
paraphrases)with
citationsand
commentary.(8pts)

...usesatleastone
strategyofdefinitionto
defineahero.(10pts)

...hasanunclearor
unfocusedthesis.
(10pts)

...includesinadequate
supportingdetailand
evidencemayhave
inconsistentcitations
and/orweak
commentary.(5pts)

...doesnotdefinea
herousing
strategiesof
definition.(7pts)

...introducesthemainidea
withanengaginghook,
bridge,andthesis.(10pts)

...organizesideasinto
focusedsupportthat
strengthensthethesis.
(10pts)

...createscoherencewith
thepurposefuluseofa
varietyoftransitionsand
topicsentences.(10pts)

...providesaninsightful
conclusion.(10pts)

...introducesthetopic
witharelevanthook,
bridge,andthesis.
(8pts)

...organizesideasinto
supportparagraphs
thatprogresslogically.
(8pts)

...createscoherence
withtheuseof
transitionsandtopic
sentences.(8pts)

...providesa
conclusionthatfollows
fromtheideas
presented.(8pts)

includesan
ineffectiveorpartial
introduction.(5pts)

....hasunrelated,
undeveloped,or
formulaicsupport
paragraphs.(5pts)

usestransitionsand
topicsentences
ineffectivelyor
inconsistently.(5pts)

providesaweak,
illogical,orrepetitive
conclusion.(5pts)

...lacksan
introduction.(2pts)

...hasnodiscernible
thesis.(7pts)
...lackssupporting
detail,citations,
and/orcommentary.
(2pts)

...hasminimal,
absent,orflawed
supportparagraphs.
(2pts)
...usesfeworno
transitionsandtopic
sentences.(2pts)
...lacksa
conclusion.(2pts)

Useof
Langua
ge

16/20
pt
s

...usesconsistentdiction
andstyleappropriatefor
anacademicaudience.
(10pts)

...demonstratescommand
oftheconventionsof
standardEnglish
capitalization,punctuation,
spelling,grammar,and
usage(includingcomplex
sentences).(10pts)

Total:86/100pts

AdditionalComments:

...usesdictionand
stylethatisgenerally
appropriateforan
academicaudience.
(8pts)

...demonstrates
adequatecommandof
theconventionsof
standardEnglish
capitalization,
punctuation,spelling,
grammar,andusage
(includingcomplex
sentences).(8pts)

...usesdictionora
stylethatisbasicor
inappropriatetoan
academicaudience.
(5pts)

...demonstratespartial
orinconsistent
commandofthe
conventionsof
standardEnglish
capitalization,
punctuation,spelling,
grammar,andusage.
(5pts)

...usesflawed
diction.(2pts)
...lackscommandof
theconventionsof
standardEnglish
capitalization,
punctuation,
spelling,grammar,
andusagefrequent
errorsobscure
meaning.(2pts)