Oak Park High School

Reflective Essay   (200 points)

Typed rough draft due Monday May 13 / Tuesday, May 14.

Final draft (with rough draft and peer critique) due Tuesday, May 21.

Prompt: 

This essay is different than the other style of essays we have been writing throughout the year.  Instead of analyzing literature, in this essay you will be analyzing your life over the past year.  In order to do this, I will return all of your journals to you, and you will need to begin “researching” your journals.  Read through them to find out how you’ve changed over the past year in the following areas:

ª     physically

ª     emotionally

ª     spiritually

ª     intellectually

ª     socially

ª     attitudes

ª     responsibilities

As you are reading through your journals, see what was important to you this year and what turned out to “be no big deal."

Ø       Describe what you were like one year ago.

Ø       Pick out three specific events that helped make you who you are.

Ø       Think about if you are comfortable with who you are today.

Ø       What are you like now?

Ø       Based on these events and how they changed you, what do you see for yourself in the future?  

•       Discuss 3 universal truths you have learned from these experiences.

Ø       BE CREATIVE IN YOUR WRITING!

Ø       BE HONEST.

To reflect on something is to look at something personal and relate it to a universal truth.  (Ex:  unconditional love of a parent)

Requirements:

Ø       A completed, typed, rough draft will be due ahead of time.  We will be completing peer editing with these rough drafts, so it is essential that you have them in class when they are due.  If you do not have a completed rough draft in class on the day it is due, your final draft grade will be dropped 50%.

Ø       The essay should be 5-6 pages typed, double-spaced, 12 point (normal) font, with 1” margins.

All essays are due on the date assigned; no late work will be accepted.  If you are not here on the day your essay is due, please find some way for your essay to be here. 

Answer the following questions as completely as possible.

1.  What do you like best about the piece?

2.  What do you like least?

3. How would you improve the introduction?

4. How would you improve the conclusion?

5.  Is the paper at least 5 pages and does it meet ALL of the requirements?

6.  What are the 3 universal truths?

7.  What are the three events?

8.  What is the most creative aspect of the paper?

9. What is the most honest aspect of the paper?

10.  Where would you add creative language and dialogue?

11.  How has the writer changed?

12. What does the writer want the future to look like?

13.  Overall, what would you do to improve this paper?