The Adventures of Ulysses - Council Rock School District



Academic English Name: ____________________________________

The Adventures of Ulysses Section: _____

Culminating Activity

Ulysses Culminating Project

“Portrait of a Hero” Essay

(60 points)

Throughout this unit, you have been studying Ulysses, the protagonist in the novel The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin. Like many characters from Greek mythology, Ulysses is often called a hero. We all know what that term means, but rarely do we stop and think about what makes a person a hero. What qualities must a person possess to be considered heroic? This is just the question you will be out to answer as you complete your culminating project on the novel.

Directions: You will write a three-paragraph essay in which you identify Ulysses’ heroic characteristics. Your essay should be approximately 1 page long.

-Three Character Traits: You will select three character traits which qualify Ulysses as a hero. These traits will form the skeleton of your essay.

Your characteristics should all be adjectives (describing words such as “brave,” “protective,” “clever,” “selfless). Use the “Character Map” we completed in class as your prewriting.

-Paragraph Structure: You will need to use proper paragraph structure as you complete your essay. In class we will discuss the “Triple Cheeseburger” organizational plan. Be sure to include a topic sentence, three supporting ideas, and a concluding sentence with thought-provoking close. We will also be discussing transitions. I’ll be looking for these components in your final draft.

-Grading: See attached rubric.

Ulysses Name: ______________________________

Culminating Activity Period: ____

Topic Sentence: ________________________________

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First Idea: _________________________________

Supporting Detail 1: _____________________________

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Second Idea: ______________________________

Supporting Detail 2: _____________________________

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Third Idea: ______________________________

Supporting Detail 3: _____________________________

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Concluding Sentence: ____________________________ ______________________________________________________

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Thought-provoking Statement: ____________________ ______________________________________________________

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Academic English 7 The Adventures of Ulysses

Richboro Middle School Culminating Project

Portrait of a Hero

Interpretive Essay

Grading Rubric

Focus:

/5 points: Essay has a strong topic sentence which is stated in the introduction and maintained throughout the essay with no detours.

/5 points: Examples from the text directly relate to the main idea (Ulysses as hero).

Content:

/4 points: Essay meets the minimum length requirement of one page.

/4 points: Essay reveals textual mastery and a clear understanding of the character; there are no factual errors or misstatements.

/4 points: Each of the three traits is supported by a specific example from the text.

/4 points: The conclusion section offers an effective thought-provoking close.

Organization:

/5 points: Essay follows a logical order; plot events are arranged sequentially and there are separate and distinguishable introduction, body, and conclusion sections.

/5 points: Writer uses transition statements to enhance the flow of the text.

Style:

/12 points: Writing style is sophisticated and confident, demonstrating varied sentence structure, diverse vocabulary, and precise word choice.

Conventions:

/4 points: Essay reveals proper sentence structure. There are no errors with run-on sentences or sentence fragments.

/4 points: Spelling is correct, with few errors from the commonly confused words list.

/4 points: Punctuation has been used correctly.

Points Achieved: /60

Deductions:

Final Grade:

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