BIOGRAPHY PROJECT ESSAY

Essay due: 12/16/14

You will write a 5-paragraph essay about your persons life
and how they used the Seven Habits to overcome
obstacles and achieve greatness.
An essay is a type of expository writing (writing to explain
something). An essay begins with a thesis statement in
the first paragraph. A thesis statement is the big idea
that you are going to explain in the essay.
Your thesis statement will tell the reader which of the
seven habits was most important in helping your person
overcome obstacles and achieve great things. You will
explain this to your reader in the rest of the essay by
giving examples from their life. You will need to use your
research notes and timeline to help you find the examples.
Paragraph #1: Introduce your person.

What are their personality traits?

What are 1-2 examples of their greatness? (just a summary, dont give
too many details in the first paragraph)
What are two of the seven habits that they used throughout their life to
overcome obstacles and achieve great things?

You may want to begin this paragraph with one of their famous quotes.

Paragraph #2: Describe how they used the first habit to

overcome a big obstacle when they were young

What was the obstacle that they were facing?

How did this obstacle get in the way of them achieving their dream?
How did they overcome this obstacle?
How did using one of the habits help with this?

Paragraph #3: Describe how they used the second habit to

overcome a big obstacle when they were older.

What was the obstacle that they were facing?

How did this obstacle get in the way of them achieving their dream?
How did they overcome this obstacle?

How did using one of the habits help with this?

Paragraph #4: Describe how they used one of the habits

to achieve one of their major accomplishments

What did they achieve?

Why was this achievement important?
How did using the habit help them achieve it?

Paragraph #5: Conclusion

Re-state your thesis statement

Summarize the major obstacles faced by your person and how they
used the habits to overcome them
Re-state their major achievements and/or their examples of greatness
Explain how they changed the world for the better or what you learned
from them

RUBRIC FOR BIOGRAPHY PROJECT ESSAY

4: Above
Standard
PreWrite/
Writing
Process

Structure
/
Organizat
ion

3: At Standard

2: Approaching
Standard

Uses a graphic
organizer (outline,
boxes and bullets,
etc.) to plan for the
logical and sequential
organization of
examples.

Uses a graphic
organizer (outline,
bubble maps, boxes
and bullets, etc.) to
plan for the
organization of
examples.

Completes a rough
draft and make
important changes
based on teacher and
peer feedback

Completes a rough
draft and make a few
changes based on
feedback

May have begun a

rough draft, but did
not seem to make
changes based on
feedback

Cites most sources

correctly(bibliography
page)

Begins to document
some sources (i.e.
bibliography page)

Introduces the topic

clearly (first paragraph
introduces the person
and contains a clear
thesis statement
about how they used
the seven habits)

Introduces the
topic (person
studied) but does
not provide a
clear thesis
statement for the
essay

Groups related
information in
paragraphs

Begins to group
related information
together, but not
necessarily in
paragraphs

Cites sources
(bibliography page)
using standardized
MLA formatting
Introduces the
topic clearly (first
paragraph introduces
the person, gives
examples of their
greatness, and
contains a clear
thesis statement
about how they used
the seven habits)
Groups related
information logically
in paragraphs
Includes a concluding
statement that
reminds the reader of
the thesis and
explains how they
could learn from the
life of the person

Includes a concluding
statement that reminds
the reader of the thesis
and summarizes the
most important
information presented

Attempts to use a
graphic organizer
(bubble map, boxes
and bullets, etc.) to
plan, but may not
be complete

Includes a
concluding
statement

studied

Elaborati
on

Includes at least
6 paragraphs
(introduction, four
paragraphs focusing
on examples from
their life,
conclusion)
Focuses each
paragraph on
describing one
important life
incident in detail,
and explaining how
it relates to the
thesis, rather than
listing events

Includes at least 5
paragraphs
(introduction, three
paragraphs focusing
on examples from
their life, conclusion)
Each paragraph
focuses one
section of their
life, and it is usually
clear how it relates
back to the thesis

Includes fewer
than five
paragraphs,
Each paragraph
may simply list
facts or life
events, rather
than describing
them in detail and
explaining how
they relate to the
thesis

Includes dates and

famous quotations
by the person
Craft/Styl
e

Regularly uses a
variety of linking
words and phrases
to connect ideas
within each
paragraph (ex: in
contrast, especially,
furthermore, in
addition)
Regularly uses precise
language

Conventi
ons

No more than
one mistake in
the skills listed
at level 3
Also..
Makes sure that the

Begins to use more

sophisticated linking
words and phrases
to connect ideas
within each paragraph
(ex: in contrast,
especially, furthermore,
in addition)

Uses simple
linking words and
phrases (e.g. and,
but, so) to connect
ideas

Begins to use precise

language

No more than two

mistakes in the skills
listed below:
Places ending
punctuation correctly
Follows rules of
capitalization

Three or more
mistakes in the
skills listed at a
level 3

verb tense is
consistent (all
present tense, or all
past tense)

Includes sentences
of different length
(simple, compound
and complex
sentences).

Uses quotation marks

appropriately when
needed
Uses commas to list,
and to set apart an
opening clause from
the rest of the sentence
Checks for subject/verb
agreement
Spells sight words
correctly
.