Many people have objects in their homes that are special to the people who live there. Think about an object in your home that has special significance or importance to you or to someone else.

Write a well-organized essay that describes the object in your home that is important to you or to someone else. Choose language that fully creates a picture of this object for your reader. Include why the object is important to you or someone else. Be sure your essay is fully developed and logically organized. Write your response on the lines below.

 
Sample Selected Response Items to Assess Understanding of Six-Point Rubric

(To be used with exemplar on pages E30-31 in the IRM)

1. Which of the following phrases from the student essay best shows the writer’s use of precise word choice?

1. personal qualities are needed
2. no matter what happens.
3. for sixty grueling days
4. I’m sure there were times

1. Which of the following organizational strategies was used by the writer in his/her essay?

1. a series of effects and their causes
2. a chronological presentation of incidents
3. a series of points with supporting evidence
4. a presentation of ideas from most to least important