10th grade - "Girl Trapped..." & "...Clay Are We Created" Essay (old)
Writing Project: Compare a fictionalized story to a non-fiction newspaper article about the Armero, Columbia mudslide in November of 1985 with specific emphasis on why and how details were changed in the fiction story to affect the tone and mood of the story. Then explain whether you prefer the fiction or non-fiction story and why.
Standards:
Reading Comp. 2.4 Synthesize the content from several sources or works by a single author dealing with a single issue; paraphrase the ideas and connect them to other sources and related topics to demonstrate comprehension.
Literary Resp. and An. 3.11 Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction and figurative language on tone, mood, theme, using the terminology of literary criticism.
Written and Oral Lang. Con. 1.1-1.5
Grammar and Mechanics of Writing: Identify and correctly use clauses, phrases, and mechanics of punctuation. Understand sentence construction and proper English usage. Demonstrate an understanding of proper English usage and control of grammar, paragraph and sentence structure, diction, and syntax.
Manuscript Form: Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization. Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements including: title page presentation, pagination, spacing and margins, and integration of source and support material with appropriate citations.
Writing Strategies 1.9 Evaluation and Revision – Revise writing to improve logic and coherence of the organization and controlling perspective, the precision of word choice, and the tone by taking into consideration the audience, purpose, and formality of the context.
“Girl Trapped . . .” Fact Chart
Headline: “Girl Trapped in Water for 55 Hours Dies Despite Rescue Attempts”
Byline: Julia Preston
Jumpline: Armero, Columbia
Questions – Copy and Answer in complete sentences
1. Who is the article about? The article is about Omaira Sanchez.
2. What happened to her and why? Omaira was trapped in a mudslide because a volcano erupted that buried the town she lived in.
3. How is she trapped? Include specific details. The cement slab of her house was leaning on her legs, which kept her stuck in the muddy water, and she was also trapped by the body of her aunt.
4. Where did the event of this article take place? (Hint: Jumpline) The mudslide happened in Armero, Columbia.
5. When did the eruption happen? The eruption took place on a Wednesday night in November of 1985.
6. How long was Omaira trapped? She was trapped in the water for 55 hours.
7. Who was trying to save her and what equipment was needed? Alejandro Jimenez, a medical student, and several other volunteers tried to save her. They needed an electric pump, picks, shovels, and winches to free her from the water and rubble.
8. How and when did she die? Her blood pressure dropped too low and she died from a heart attack at 10 a.m. on a Saturday in Nov. ’85 after over two days in the water.
“And of Clay Are We Created” Story notes
Author: Isabel Allende Genre: Fiction
Mood: The imagery and details in the story created a sad, sorrowful, or tragic mood.
Tone: The tone was sympathetic towards the girl.
1. Who is the story about? It is about the little girl, Azucena, who is trapped in the mud.
2. Who is the person that is reporting on the trapped girl? Rolf Carlé is the reporter with Azucena.
3. Who is telling the story? Rolf Carlé’s girlfriend or wife (his life partner) is the narrator.
4. What happened to Azucena and why? She was trapped in a mud pit because of a volcanic eruption. When did the eruption happen? It happened on Wednesday, November 13, 1985.
5. How is she trapped? Include specific details. Azucena is trapped by the collapsed walls of her house and also the bodies of her brothers and sisters.
6. What equipment did they need to get Azucena free? They needed a water pump. What did the doctors need? The doctors needed fresh water, painkillers, serum, and antibiotics.
7. How did Rolf Carlé comfort Azucena as they waited? They talked, and he told her about his adventures as a news hound and then made up stories to entertain her.
8. What equipment were the TV and movie teams able to get? They were able to bring in cables, film supplies, cartons of supplies, cameras, personnel, and electrical equipment. Do you think this was fair? (This is your opinion)
9. Why did the author include the sad details about Rolf Carlé’s past? The sad details of his past like witnessing the concentration camps, the child abuse, and the loss of his sister added more sadness to the mood of the story and sympathy for the characters.
10. How did Azucena die in this story? In this story, it describes her as just giving up and dying on the third day.
If needed, you can review the article on p. 998-999 and the short story on p. 984-993 in your textbooks at home.
Venn Diagram (formatted into 3 columns for the web page) – compare similarities and differences of the story and the article.
| “Girl Trapped in Water for 55 Hours Dies Despite Rescue Attempts” Differences |
Similarities | “And of Clay Are We Created”
Differences |
| Omaira Sanchez was trapped by a cement slab and body of her aunt
The article did not have a mood. It was an informative text.
The author, Julia Preston, focused on what happened to Omaira.
The newspaper article reported only the facts of what happened
Alejandro Jimenez helped Omaira Sanchez
Omaira’s blood pressure dropped and she had a heartattack
Julia Preston reported Omaira’s story | Girl trapped in a mudslide
Tone was sympathetic towards the girl
Volcanic eruption on November 13, 1985
More than 20,000 people died
Location: Armero, Columbia
She was 13 years old
They needed a water pump
| Azucena was trapped by rubble from her house and the bodies of her brothers and sisters
The imagery and details in the story created a sad, sorrowful, or tragic mood
Allende’s narrator focused on what happened to Rolf Carle because of his interactions with Azucena
Characters were added and details were changed to make the story more emotional and dramatic
Rolf Carle helped Azucena
Azucena gave up and passed away
Allende’s narrator told the story of Azucena |
Thesis Statement and Gathering Evidence
FATt Thesis Statement
While Allende’s story, “And Of Clay Are We Created”, and Preston’s article, “Girl Trapped . . .” are both about _______________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________, the main differences are ________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Gather Evidence
“Girl Trapped . . .”
Copy a sentence that explains how Omaira Sanchez was trapped.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ (Preston 998).
Copy a sentence that explains how Omaira Sanchez died.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ (Preston 998).
Copy a sentence down that explains what Omaira Sanchez came to represent.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ (Preston 999).
“And of Clay Are We Created”
Copy a sentence that explains how Azucena was trapped.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ (Allende 986-987).
Copy a sentence that explains how Azucena died.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ (Allende 993).
Copy a sentence that explains what Azucena came to represent.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________ (Allende 989).
Answer this question: Do you prefer the newspaper article or the fictional story? Why?
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Essay Draft Notes – on the board
(FATt thesis statement example: While Allende's story, "And of Clay Are We Created," and Preston's article "Girl Trapped . . ." are both about the tragedy of the eruption that buried Armero, Columbia, the main differences are that the article focused on the facts of what happened to Omaira Sanchez and the fiction story added characters and changed details to make the story more dramatic.)
(indent the lines that follow the first line when they are part of the same cited source)
Copy the following notes - it will be the last page of your essay.
This is how your essay will be scored - a double weighed 4-point rubric.
Remember, if you type your final draft and works cited page, 12pt font, 1 inch margins, double spaced text, and indented paragraph format with no extra gaps between the paragraphs, you can earn 2 extra points.
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Compare and Contrast – A non-fiction story compared to a fictionalization of the same story
Texts Used:
“Girl Trapped in Water for 55 Hours Dies Despite Rescue Attempts” – Julia Preston
“And of Clay Are We Created” – Isabel Allende
RUBRIC
4 points
* A clear and correct FATt (Focus, Author, Title, text type) thesis sentence in the Intro paragraph
* Body contains a paragraph that clearly compares how the newspaper article is similar to the fiction story
* Body contains a paragraph that clearly compares how the newspaper article is different from the fiction story
* Body contains a paragraph that clearly explains how the difference in details and characterization affects the mood of the story, and explains the tone in the article and short story
* Conclusion contains the final thoughts about the similarities and differences and a final opinion on whether the student preferred the newspaper article or the fiction story and why.
* In text citations from both texts are written correctly and the sources are properly cited.
* Grammar and mechanics of writing feature few or no mistakes.
* The writing is logical, organized, and written for the intended audience.
3 points
* FATt (Focus, Author, Title, text type) thesis sentence in the Intro paragraph that is basically correct
* Body contains a paragraph that compares how the newspaper article is similar to the fiction story
* Body contains a paragraph that compares how the newspaper article is different from the fiction story
* Body contains a paragraph that explains how the difference in details and characterization affects the mood of the story and/or the tone of the article and short story
* Conclusion contains the final thoughts about the similarities and differences and a final opinion on whether the student preferred the newspaper article or the fiction story and why.
* In text citations from both texts are written correctly and the sources are properly cited.
* Grammar and mechanics of writing are acceptable.
* The writing is generally logical, organized, and written for the intended audience.
2 points
* FATt (Focus, Author, Title, text type) thesis sentence in the Intro paragraph that is basically correct
May be missing one of the following paragraphs or parts of the paragraphs:
* Body contains a paragraph that compares how the newspaper article is similar to the fiction story
* Body contains a paragraph that compares how the newspaper article is different from the fiction story
* Body contains a paragraph that explains how the difference in details and characterization affects the mood of the story and/or the tone of the article and short story
* Conclusion contains the final thoughts about the similarities and difference and final opinion on whether the student preferred the newspaper article or the fiction story and why.
* In text citations may not be written correctly, have only one text source, or the sources may not be cited.
* Grammar and mechanics of writing may have several problems.
* The writing may have some issues with logic, organization, or the intended audience.
1 point
The essay is incomplete
It may not have a FATt thesis sentence or it is written incorrectly
It may be missing two or more of the body paragraphs
It may not have a conclusion
In text citations may not be in the essay or are written incorrectly
The grammar and mechanics may impede the understanding of the writing.
0 point
The essay is illegible, off topic from the writing task, or nothing is written.