English II In-Class Essay - Antigone

Read the following quotation.

If patriotism were defined, not as blind obedience to government, not as submissive worship to
flags and anthems, but rather as love of one's country, one's fellow citizens (all over the world), as
loyalty to the principles of justice and democracy, then patriotism would require us to disobey our
government, when it violated those principles.
Howard Zinn
Although some people believe that civil disobedience is a persons duty when living with unjust laws, others
believe that laws must be enforced in order to keep a city or country safe. Think carefully about this idea.
Write an essay stating your position on whether Antigone or Creons actions were justified. Support your position
with strong text evidence from Antigone and use appropriate persuasive strategies.

Be sure to

Clearly state your position (underline your THESIS)

Use concession and counterargument (put a STAR by it)
Include text evidence from Antigone (at least 2 quotes)
Plan your ideas before you write them
Contain your ideas to 26 lines

Plan your essay in the space below and write your final draft on the lined page.

Persuasive Rubric Total 100 points

O
R
G
A
N
I
Z
A
T
I
O
N

D
E
V
E
L
O
P
M
E
N
T

Score Point 1
LIMITED

Score Point 2
BASIC

Structure inappropriate
or not evident at all

Structure - evident but

not always appropriate or
clear

Structure appropriate,
clear, and adequate for
purpose

Structure clearly
appropriate and
responsive for purpose

Thesis weak or
somewhat unclear
position

Thesis clear position;

most ideas related and
focused

Thesis clear position;

ideas are strongly related
and focused

Inclusion of irrelevant
information interferes
with focus/coherence

Mostly unified
occasional lapses in focus

Strongly unified and

coherent

Shift and progression

logical and controlled;
transitions mostly
meaningful

Shift/progression logical
and well controlled;
transitions meaningful;
easy to follow

Thesis missing, unclear,

or illogical position
Fails to maintain focusdifficult to follow
Extraneous information
repetitive major
disruption

Score Point 3
SATISFACTORY

Score Point 4
ACCOMPLISHED

Shift or progression from

idea to idea is weak;
illogical

Shift or progression not

always logical and
controlled; repetition or
wordiness disrupts flow

Development of ideas are

weak

Development of ideas is
minimal and superficial

Development of ideas is
sufficient

Development of ideas
highly effective

Argument is ineffective
and unconvincing: Details
/ examples
inappropriate, vague, or
insufficient

Argument largely
unconvincing:
Details/examples not
always appropriate, too
brief, or only partially
presented

Argument largely
convincing:
Details/examples
specific and appropriate

Argument is forceful:
details/examples
specific and well-chosen

Vague/confused
Shows a lack of
understanding of prompt

Shows little or no
thoughtfulness more
formulaic

Reflects thoughtfulness
more original than
formulaic
Shows good
understanding of prompt

Limited understanding of
prompt

Essay is thoughtful and

engaging
Recognizes issues
complexity; considers
alternate points of view;
thorough understanding of
persuasive task

Of Ideas

L
A
N
G
U
A
G
E

Word Choice vague or

limited

Word Choice general,

imprecise, or basic

Word Choice mostly

clear and specific

Word Choice purposeful

and precise

No tone established

Little tone established

Tone is appropriate to
purpose

Simplistic, awkward, or
uncontrolled sentences

Sentences are awkward or

only somewhat controlled

Tone is appropriate and

strongly contributes to the
quality and clarity

Little or no command of
spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, grammar,
and usage conventions

Partial command of
spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, grammar,
and usage conventions

Sentences are mostly

varied and adequately
controlled

Sentences are purposeful,

varied, and well controlled

Serious/persistent errors
which interfere with
meaning

Errors create a minor

disruption in meaning

Adequate command of
spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, grammar,
and usage conventions
Errors create few, if any,
disruptions in meaning

Consistent command of
spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, grammar, and
usage conventions
Errors are minor and do not
disrupt strength of essay