"The Treasure of Lemon Brown" and Positive Influence Expository Essay

Assignment:
Students will be required to expound on the story The Treasure of Lemon Brown by writing an expository essay about a person who influenced their lives positively.

WRITING PROMPT
Writing Situation:
Many people have someone who has had a positive influence on their lives. It may be a relative, friend, educator, celebrity, or historical figure.

Directions for Writing:
Think of a person who has positively influenced your life.

Now write to explain who that person is and how he or she has had a positive influence on your life.

Rhetorical Situation:
Explain how a person has positively influenced your life. Be sure to identify and address the audience directly. For example, the audience can be peers, specific letter, teachers, celebrities or historical figures.

Genre and Conventions:
The genre will consist of expository writing, varying sentence structure and word choice. In addition, use descriptive, factual and sensory details and organization.

Criteria:
Use descriptive, factual and sensory details, appropriate word- choice, audience must be identified of inferred. The following questions must be addressed in your writing.
· How do you feel about this topic?
· What is your audience likely to think?
· To whom are you writing, and for what purpose?

Invention Materials:
Students will use personal connections and The Treasure of Lemon Brown from the Language of Literature textbook.

Other Classroom Activities:
Prewriting Exercises: Character Descriptions
Literary Analysis: Dynamic and Static Character
Active Reading

Peer Review:
Rubric and Reflection

Self Review:
Rubric, Self Assessment and Class Discussion

Teacher Review:
Teacher questions, notations and talkbacks

LETTER TO PARENTS

August 6, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
Next week, we will begin the story The Treasure of Lemon Brown from our Language of Literature books. Your child will be required to read this short story and write about it. The writing will be based on students’ personal reflections and real-life experiences. Focus skills covered in this lesson include: cause/effect, characterization, setting, mood, tone, and how characters are motivated.
I ask that you read this story to and with your child at home. I also ask that you help your child to improve their writing by talking to them about people who have made positive differences in their lives. Please speak with them about the different things that can be viewed as treasures, such as money, houses, cars, education, etc. This will help your child participate in class discussion which will lead to better creative writing.
Thank you for taking the time to work with your child at home and supporting me. You are the best!
Thank you,

Mrs. Teacher