Sophomore English – Reflective Final Exam
Question One: Reflection on the Literature Curriculum
On the lined paper provided, complete one of the following:
- A. Dialogue Write a brief dialogue between a pair of characters, each a central character from two different books we’ve read this year (for example, Shakespeare’s Rosalind and Shaw’s Eliza Doolittle, or Milton’s Satan and Achebe’s Okonkwo.) Try to demonstrate through this dialogue something you’ve learned about both of the texts, and shed some light on potentially interesting connections (and/or meaningful distinctions) between them. Include in particular how each character might represent his or her culture to the other character, and indicate whether the characters sympathize with and like each other, or not. Be creative. Length guideline: no more than a single page front and back.
- B. Meta-Literary Book Report Write a response paper or the text of a book talk presentation from the perspective of a character in one of our books, offering his or her take on another of our books. (For example, Charlie Marlow from Heart of Darkness offering his response to Things Fall Apart, or Elizabeth Bennett giving her take on As You Like It.) It doesn’t need to be an extremely formal essay, but it should offer detail and depth with regard to the character’s thoughts on the book.) Length guideline: no more than a single page front and back.
- C. Reflective Essay Write a brief essay discussing which book we read over the course of Sophomore English was most meaningful to you and which was least meaningful. Then reflect on what these responses might say about you as a reader. Focus on the most meaningful book and least meaningful book for at least one paragraph each, and spend at least one substantial paragraph reflecting on yourself as a reader. Length guideline: no more than a single page front and back.
Question Two: Reflection on Yourself as a Writer
On the lined paper provided, reflect on the following questions:
How have you grown as a writer this year? Consider the various writing projects, large and small, that you’ve completed this year. What have you learned about yourself as a writer in the course of the year? What have you discovered about your writing process and what is important to you as a writer? In what ways have you grown, and in what areas do you feel you still have a considerable amount of developing to do? Include as many specific details and anecdotes as you can, and don’t be afraid to take your reflective essay in surprising directions. Above all, be honest.
Sophomore English – Reflective Final Exam
An exam response that meets expectations:
- Offers detail
- Expands on the basic ideas presented, offering some depth
- Is reflective about your thoughts as a reader and/or your growth as a writer
- Communicates ideas clearly and without a lot of extraneous words
- Conforms to the basic rules of written English most of the time
A response that exceeds expectations embodies the above qualities, but also:
- Is thoughtful beyond the average response
- Is reflective to an impressive degree
- Offers an exceptional level of creativity and/or eloquence
A response that does not meet expectations may have one or more of these qualities:
- It merely describes general thoughts on the literature read and/or the writing done over the year without any thought or reflection
- It has so many errors that it does not successfully communicate the writer’s ideas
- It is too short or underdeveloped to convey your particular experience and ideas
