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Work Sample & Commentary:  Dear Cynthia Voigt
The task
Students were asked to read books by an author whose protagonists were teenagers. Students were then asked to respond directly to the author in a friendly letter (similar to the Dear Author Contest idea, “Letters About Literature” from student magazines). In this work, the student is writing to Cynthia Voigt, author of Homecoming.

Circumstances of performance
This sample of student work was produced under the following conditions:
alone in a group
in class as homework
with teacher feedback with peer feedback
timed opportunity for revision

What the work shows
b Writing. The student produces a response to literature that:
• engages the reader through establishing a context, creating a persona, and otherwise developing reader interest;
• advances a judgment that is interpretive, analytic, evaluative, or reflective;
• supports a judgment through references to the text, references to other works, authors, or non-print media, or references to personal knowledge;
• demonstrates an understanding of the literary work;
• anticipates and answers a reader’s questions;
• provides a sense of closure to the writing.

This work sample illustrates a standard-setting performance for the following part of the standards:
b Writing: Produce a response to literature.
The student’s opening line demonstrates a warm familiarity with the author’s work. The conversational tone, appropriate to the purpose and task, engages the reader while creating a persona that permeates the letter. The student established the context by stating the main idea of the novel and referring to Dicey’s journey.

The student conveyed a judgment of the author’s craft directly by admiring the depiction of Dicey’s journey, and indirectly, by discussing the effect that the novel had on her as a person. The student supported this judgment through reference to the text and through reference to her own personal experience.

The student developed an organizational structure through the comparison between Dicey’s life and her own life.
Through this comparison, the student made an evaluation not only about Dicey as a character, but also about what is important in life. The student resolved to become more like Dicey.
The student demonstrated an understanding of the literary text by making references to her own personal knowledge and experience with her family. The student recognized the protagonist’s bravery and self-sacrifice in helping her family.
The student provided closure to the writing by reiterating the author’s theme, “…that family comes first,” and by summarizing the effect the novel had on her.