Writing Stellar MCAT Essay

LIST OF SECTIONS
Title and Explanation
Relevant Learner Characteristics
Contextual Considerations
Content Rationale
Learning Activity Considerations
Instructional Aids Considerations
Assessment Considerations
Evaluation Considerations

WRITING A STELLAR MCAT ESSAY

TITLE AND EXPLANATION
I am employed as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at a large university in the
Midwest. I teach students how to write argumentative essays. My goal is to help
educationally and economically disadvantage students pass the verbal reasoning
section of the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The verbal reasoning section
includes forty reading comprehension questions and two writing samples
(argumentative essays). For the purpose of this paper, I will focus on the writing
sample component.
The students come from various academic backgrounds such as science,
business, and education. In most cases, students enter the program with a bachelors
degree or a masters degree, and are accepted into the program with at least a 2.0
GPA.
The module of instruction I plan to develop involves helping students to write a
stellar MCAT essay, hence the title, Writing a Stellar MCAT Essay. The requirements
of the writing sample have three tasks. (1) Explain what the prompt means. (2)
describe a specific situation that opposes the prompt, and (3) conclusion. Students
are expected to adhere to concepts such as clarity, depth and organization of the essay.
Some major topics that will be discussed in the module are main Ideas, major
supporting details, writing sample concepts, evaluation of writing samples, pre-writing
methods and writing sample tasks. The Subordinate Skills Analysis (SSA) that will be

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developed for this module will focus on pre-writing. Pre-writing tends to be one of the
main difficulties that students encounter in the writing process.
RELEVANT LEARNER CHARACTERISTICS
Age
The students ages range from 22 to 35. The students come into the program
from various backgrounds. Students who are part of the program are typically drawn
from underprivileged and underserved communities across the United States of
America.
Motivation
The students are usually very motivated to work on their writing samples and
are eager to get into medical school. As a result, they try their best to do well on the
essays.
Ability Level
Because the students enter the program from different backgrounds, naturally
they have varied ability levels. Some students enter the program with very good
writing skills, while others have average writing skills. For example, some students are
able to write an essay that is organized, flows well with minimal grammatical and
spelling errors, and exhibits good use of transitional sentences, while some students
struggle to meet these criteria. Additionally, some students have taken the writing
sample test prior to entering the program, and so, they usually have a better idea of
what is expected on the test more so than students who have never taken the test

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before. The writing sample scores range from 1 to 6, 6 being the highest. Most
students write at level 3 for the first two semesters.

Special Needs
After students have been introduced to the writing sample, they are given
homework to write essays on various topics. Students are also given in-class
assignments where they sit together in a computer lab to take the test. There have
been instances where some students require special attention. For example,
students who have difficulty taking the test with the other students usually get an
opportunity to take the test alone in a small computer room.
Entry Level Skills.
The instruction provided in the writing sample class is not intended to teach
basic writing skills. Therefore, students are expected to have taken some form of
writing class in the past, and must also be familiar with argumentative writing and at
least be able to express themselves in writing.
Developmental Consideration
Generally speaking, the skills and content that will be addressed in this module
will be based on how to write a stellar essay for the MCAT. In order to fulfill this
purpose, the instructor focuses on areas such as formulating arguments, topic

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sentences, supporting details, and prewriting. As part of students development,
students will be given several opportunities to practice writing essays. That is, during
the fall semester, students are given four in-class essays which will be completed
under timed conditions. Students also get four essays in the fall as a take home
assignment. In addition, students will be required to do peer evaluation on essays. In
order to protect the privacy of students, all peer evaluations are blind peer reviewed.

New Content
The new content that will be taught is designed to help students write a stellar
MCAT essay. Some subject areas that will be discussed are as follows:

Prewriting
Main Idea Sentences
Supporting details
o Major details
o Minor details
Thesis Statement
Grabber or Lead Sentences
Summary Statements

Foundation for Subsequent Years.

All the fundamental content of the writing sample is taught in the fall semester.
Students learn how to pre-write, and write a unified essay. This knowledge and skill is
carried over into the spring semester, where students will start evaluating essays
written by their peers.
Critical Student Information

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One critical information that the instructor will need to know about the
students is whether or not they have taken the writing sample test before. Another
critical information the learning styles of the students.
Diversity
Some students learn the content at a faster pace while others take a longer time
to grasp the information. For example, in the past, some students struggled with
spelling problems and typewriting (we had one student who was unable to finish
typing essays simply because she typed slowly. Students who have difficulties with
spelling are encouraged to use simple words, and practice spelling words that they
habitually get incorrect, not only on the essays, but in other subjects areas as well.
Students who have low typing speed are encouraged to use the free typing tutors that
are available on the internet.
Physical, Processing and Circumstantial Differences
Regardless of physical appearances students are treated equally. For example, in the
past we had students who could not hear well. This problem was evident in the help
sessions (students in groups of five meet with an instructor or a teaching assistant to
discuss, and get assistance with problems they were encountering). In order to
accommodate these students, one-on-one meetings were held with the students. This
approach made students feel more comfortable asking questions, hence not getting left
behind. We have also had incidences where students have broken legs, and so have to
wear a cast (very common during winter). If in the event students have to wear a cast,
these students are usually asked to sit at the front of the class or in a seat that is

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convenient and comfortable. As it relates to homework, special arrangements such as
extra time to complete assignments are always given to students with a broken arm or
leg (at least in the first two weeks after the accident).
Students process information differently. This may come about as a result of
their language. For example, some students native language may not be English.
MEDPREP accepts students who have not only African American backgrounds, but
students who have Hispanic background as well. In order to alleviate the language
barrier, the instructor not only presents the information orally, but uses other
strategies, such as writing on the black/white board, giving students handouts, and
encouraging students to e-mail questions they have concerning a particular lecture or
workshop.
Students who have circumstantial differences are also taken into consideration.
For example, in the event of a death of a family member or sickness of a parent
(situations we had to deal with in the past), students are usually given extra time to
grieve (in the case of death) or time off to meet with parent (in the case of a sick
parent). Instructors usually take the time to meet with these students to help them
get back on track with their academic studies.
Human Development
Since all the students in the program are adults, the instruction will be guided
by the adult learning theory which was developed by Malcolm Knowles. Concerning
adult learners, Knowles emphasized that the concept self-directed learning should be
taken into consideration when teaching adults. Self-directed learning, according to

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Knowles, stipulates that the learner takes initiative to learn with or without the help of
others.
Learner Type
Students learn differently. It is therefore crucial that the module caters for
students who are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. The writing sample
handouts showing sample essays that are designed for this module should prove
useful to students who are visual learners. The lectures and the electronic audio
feedback should be useful to students who are auditory learners. Students will be
given an opportunity to practice writing essays; this strategy should prove helpful to
students who are kinesthetic learners.

CONTEXTUAL CONSIDERATIONS
Characteristics of Classroom.
Wheeler 107 and two computer labs will be used to deliver the writing workshops.
Wheeler 107 is designed to accommodate 40 students, which is convenient, as the classes
usually have no more than 35 students. Wheeler 107 is equipped with an overhead projector,
two white boards, two black boards, and a computer. Wheeler 107 also has appropriate
lighting, heating, and air conditioning.
The two computer labs will be used when students write essays. One of the labs
consists of 15 computers, and the other has 10 computers. Both labs have printers,

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whiteboards, heating and air conditioning units and photocopiers. In order to accommodate all
thirty-five students in the computer labs, the students are placed in sections. For example,
students in section 1 will use the labs on Mondays and students in section 2 will use the labs
on Tuesdays.
Critical Classrooms Characteristics.
We try as much as possible to imitate a typical MCAT test center. It will be critical that
students produces their essays in Microsoft Office. Essays will also be done under timed
conditions. Signs will be posted on doors which will signify that testing is in progress.
Instructional Time
The overall instructional time for the fall semester will be no more than 16 hours. This
time will be used to present the information to the students, as well as to accommodate any
questions, suggestions or concerns that students may have.
Tools and Resources
Students will also be given a source sheet that provides information about radio station
and television programs that provide current information about politics, business, technology,
and education, to name a few. These are areas that students have been tested on in past
MCATs (verbal section). Students will also be given handouts which will include essays that
were done by past students. Some of these essays were given scores as low as 1 and scores as
high as 6. These handouts are very crucial, as students can see the criteria of a good essay as
opposed to a poor essay. In addition to these handouts, students will receive a document that
explains why the essays were scored 1 or 6. The only tool that the students are expected to
provide for themselves is simply a pen or pencil, which they will need for pre-writing.
Technological Needs

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The only type of technology that students will need is a computer with internet
connections, and Microsoft Word.
Number of Learners
There will be 35 students in the class, but only 25 computers are available. As a result
of this situation, the writing sample classes will be divided in two sections. Section one will
meet on Wednesdays and section two on Thursdays for one hour. Students will meet together
as a group in Wheeler 107 for two hours.
Decision Making
Some of the students have taken the MCAT prior to coming into the program, and so,
may have a high writing sample score. Students who have high scores usually do not join the
writing sample classes. However, students who need to work on getting a better score are the
ones who must take the writing sample class. As such, the admissions officer and the students
advisors make the decision to justify whether or not the students have to take the writing
sample classes. The writing sample classes will start in the fall semester where the
fundamental concepts are taught. In spring, students will not have writing sample workshop,
but will be given regular essays as class assignments and homework. A lot of peer evaluations
on essays are done in the spring, as well.

Instructors.
The writing sample workshops are taught by the teaching assistants with the support of
an instructor. The role of the instructor is to train the TAs about the relevant content that is
to be presented to the students. When assessing the writing samples, the essays are usually

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evaluated by at least two raters typically the instructor and a TA. If scores are significantly
different, then the TA and the instructor will meet to discuss the paper to decide on a final
score. Because there are so many students, there are times when students may not want to
ask questions in class. To help students who fall in this category, students are encouraged to
meet with the TA on a one-on-one basis to discuss any problems they are having with their
papers.
Instructional Challenges
One of the biggest challenges that an instructor will face with the writing sample class
is the difficulty to address the needs of all the students. The most difficult part of the writing
sample for students to grasp is task 3 (the discussion portion of the essay). One way to help
students who struggle with this problem is meeting with students on a face-to-face basis to
show them how to write a better task 3.
Remediation
If in the event students do not understand the content presented, help sessions will be
opened to address any difficulty students have with their writings. The remediation will be
provided by the teaching assistants.
Assessment
Students will be assessed under timed conditions. They will be given a prompt, a blank
paper (for pre-writing) and a computer which they will use to produce an essay. Students
outcomes will be measured based on the writing sample scoring rubric, where a score of 1 is
low while a score of 6 is high. Students outcomes are given to the students and the instructor.
Student Outcome
The student outcomes will be reported to the director and the students at the end of the
semester.

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CONTENT RATIONALE

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The content that will be taught in this lesson will focus on teaching students
how to pre-write and write an argumentative essay. Students will be given several
opportunities throughout the semester to practice writing essays. The prompts that
will be used in this module are prompts from past MCAT writing samples (essays).
For the purpose of this module, a Subordinate Skills Analysis (SSA) will be
developed to teach students how to write a stellar MCAT essay. The Gagn domain that
will be predominantly represented in this visual display will be intellectual skills,
specifically focusing on the concept, prewriting, and parts of an essay. These parts
include introduction, body, and conclusion. One justification for using intellectual
skills is that pre-writing is a concept - a concept that the students must learn in order
to be able to write an organized essay. Also, writing an essay requires the writers to
do some type of problem solving. Another Gagn domain that will be used is attitude.
One explanation of how attitudes come into play is that students will have to choose
the arguments that will be discussed, which are arguments for and against the
prompts. In addition, if students decide to use a grabber or lead sentence, students
will have to make a decision to start with an anecdote, a provocative question, or an
exciting quotation. There will also be some verbal information. For example, when
writing the thesis statement, students must recall and state that a thesis statement
must clearly express what the essay is about.
Pre-writing
Pre-writing is the first stage of the writing process. The aim of pre-writing is to
assist the student in developing ideas for writing an essay. Even though pre-writing is

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not submitted to MCAT, planning ideas before one starts writing an essay may help
students to organize their thoughts in a logical order, and eventually save time when
writing the actual essay. It should also help to increase the students scores, which is
the ultimate goal of the students and instructors.
Introduction, Body and Conclusion.
It is important that students learn how to write essays that shows clarity, unity
and coherence. These are critical factors that help to increase scores on the writing
sample section of the MCAT. Learners will pre-write before the start of every writing
sample (argumentative essay). Students are usually given thirty minutes to write an
essay. However, students are encouraged to take no more than five minutes to prewrite.
The main difficulty that students have with pre-writing is obviously finding
ideas to include in their outlines. For example, students may get a prompt to write but
due to lack of schema about the given topic, are unable to present their thoughts in an
outline, and therefore have difficulty writing the essay within the thirty minutes.
In the past, one remedy that has been used to help the students is to give them
a sample essay accompanied by outlines written by former students. This strategy
tends to work for some students, but others still continue to struggle. One of the
reasons why this strategy may not have worked could possibly be that all the students
have different learning styles what works for one may not work for another.
What makes the content difficult to teach is that, unlike procedural skills which
usually have steps to follow, teaching students how to pre-write is more complex. This

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is because the prompts change all the time and as such, I may teach the students how
to pre-write for an essay about politics; however, problems arise when students are
asked to respond to a prompt about a different subject area.
Content Outline
Writing a Stellar MCAT Essay
I. Workshop One:

Introduction to Concept Maps

A. What is a concept map?

1. Helps to plan ideas for essay
2. Helps in organizing information
B. Types of Concept Maps
1. Tree Branch Method
2. Brainstorm Method
II. Workshop Two: Parts of an Essay: The Introduction, Body and Conclusion
A. Parts of an Essay
1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion
B. Getting the Readers Attention
1. Interesting Questions
2. Anecdotes
3. Famous Quotations
C. Writing the Body of the Essay
1. Transitional Sentences
2. Main Idea Sentences
3. Supporting Details
D. Writing the Conclusion

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1. Summary Statement
2. Clincher Sentences

LEARNING ACITVITY CONSIDERATIONS

The instructional strategies that will be used in this module will include pre
instructional strategies, information presentation, student participation, testing, and
follow-through activities.
Pre Instructional Activities
Motivation
The MEDPREP students are highly motivated, so the instructor does not have
to exert much energy in motivating them to learn. However, the instructor designs the
information that is to be presented in PowerPoint with the students in mind. As such,
in order to get the students attention, the instructor will use colors and pictures.
There are times when I simply tell the students about past students who wrote essays
that received low MCAT scores for the first semester, but improved overtime, and
eventually get very good scores on the MCAT. Such statements gives the students
hope that they too will succeed. In addition, I usually try to maintain their attention
by highlighting important concepts.
Informing the Learner of the Objective

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In all my workshops I always write on the board what will be presented for that
particular workshop. In addition, I take the time to explain briefly what each item
entails. This strategy helps the students to be mentally prepared for the information
that will be presented.

Presentation of Information
Instructional Sequence
First, the instructor will inform the students of the importance of jotting ideas
or brainstorming ideas before they start writing the essay. The instructor will then
show the students how to construct a concept map. It is also critical at this stage that
the instructor emphasize that the essays are argumentative, and so, has two sides,
that is, argument for and against the prompt. This is especially important not only for
constructing the map, but also for writing the essay itself.
Second, the instructor introduces the argumentative essay to the students
focusing on the introduction section of the essay. At this stage the instructor
introduces the term grabber or lead statement (used to get the readers attention). The
instructor also introduces the concept, thesis statement. Several examples and non
examples of grabbers and thesis statements are shown to the students, this strategy

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helps the students to be able to recognize and write good grabbers and thesis
statements.
Forth, the instructor introduces the body of the essay. As such, the instructors
task at this stage is to introduce concepts such as main idea, supporting details
(minor and major), and transitional sentences.
Fifth, the instructor introduces the conclusion of the essay. At this stage the
instructor will present information on summary statements and clincher (closer)
sentences. Like all the other parts of an essay, the conclusion is very important as it
is the writers last opportunity to connect with the reader.

Student Participation
Since the information is presented in the form of a workshop, students get a lot
of opportunity to practice. The students are then given the opportunity to practice
constructing concept maps for different writing prompts (students work in groups for
this exercise). After completing the concept maps, the class then has discussion on
the maps that were produced; this discussion is facilitated by the instructor. Also, the
instructor gives the students samples of concept maps that were designed by former
students.
Regarding the introduction, body, and conclusion, students are given several
essays to evaluate. For example, the instructor will give them three or four essays to
critique. As such, students get an opportunity to decipher whether or not the essays

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have met MCAT standards. Students will also get a chance to evaluate their peers
essays. This strategy helps them to recognize, and correct mistakes that peers made.

Testing
Students will be tested on a regular basis in this unit of instruction. Students
will be given several essays as take home assignments. Students will also be tested
under timed conditions in the computer labs. These essays will have a variety of
topics such as, business, technology, education, and politics, to name a few. Giving
the students a variety of topics to write on should help to build their schema about
several subject areas.

Follow- through Activities

Remediation
After the information is presented to students, and students get an opportunity
to practice, some students still continue to struggle to write a good essay. When this
happens, help sessions are offered to those students who need extra help. These help
sessions are used to clarify and answer any questions or concerns the student may
have about the essays. The help sessions are usually small groups of three or four
students, and sometimes only one student.

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INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS CONSIDERATIONS

Equipment
For the purpose of presenting the information to the students, a computer
connected to an overhead projector will be used. A whiteboard will also be used to aid
instruction.
Textbooks
1. Punctuate it Right! Will be used as a reference book for the students
2. Making It Work: College Reading in Context will be used by the students to complete
assignments, and is also a good reference guide for students. The bibliographic
references for both books are listed below.
Shaw, H. (1993). Punctuate it right! New York, NY: Harper Collins.
DiYanni, R. (2003). Making it work college reading in context. Boston, MA:
Bedford/St. Martin.
Power Point Slides
Workshop One Covers concept maps and parts of an essay (Day 1). The slides were
created by Marcelene Cunningham
Workshop Two - Covers concept maps and parts of an essay (Day 2). The slides were
created by Marcelene Cunningham
Workshop Three This workshop will be used to give students an opportunity practice
writing and evaluating essays.

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LESSON PLAN CONSIDERATIONS

LESSON PLAN FOR WORKSHOP ONE
INSTRUCTORS NAME: Marcelene Cunningham
CONTENT AREA: Essay Writing - Concept Mapping
LESSON TOPIC: Workshop One - Introduction to Concept Maps

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AGE: 22-35
LESSON DURATION: 2 hours
UNIT TITLE: Writing a Stellar MCAT Essay
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE: Given a pencil, one sheet of plain paper, eraser, and a
writing sample prompt, the student will construct a concept map that meets the all the
criteria on the grading rubric sheet provided in class.
CONTENT OUTLINE: Students will be introduced to two methods of prewriting.
1. Tree Branch Method
2. Brainstorming Method

For the first 30 minutes the instructor will spend time explaining the concept concept map. The instructor will focus on the types mentioned above.

Thirty minutes will be spent on showing students how to construct a concept

map for a particular writing prompt.

The remaining hour will be used to give students an opportunity to work in

groups to construct a concept map. There will also be an opportunity to discuss
the maps students produce.

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY:
Formative: Students will be given an opportunity to draw their concept maps
on the board for others to critique
Summative: After students have received feedback from their peers they will be
given a second change to make improvement to the map. With the aid of a
behaviorally anchored rating scale, the teacher will grade and give her feedback on the
concept map at a later date.

REFLECTION QUESTION
How can concepts maps help you to write an essay?

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There are several ways to brainstorm. Two of which include tree branch method and
brainstorming method. Which do you prefer and why?

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LESSON PLAN FOR WORKSHOP TWO
INSTRUCTORS NAME: Marcelene Cunningham
CONTENT AREA: Essay Writing- Argumentative Essays
LESSON TOPIC: Workshop Two Parts of an Essay: The Introduction, Body and
Conclusion
AGE: 22-35
LESSON DURATION: 2.5 hours
UNIT TITLE: Writing a Stellar MCAT Essay
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVE: Given a pencil, eraser, one sheet of plain paper, a
computer connected to a printer and a writing sample prompt, the student will write
an argumentative essay that meets the all the criteria on the grading rubric sheet
provided in class.
CONTENT OUTLINE: Students will be introduced to the parts of an essay.
1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion

The instructor will discuss the significance of all three parts and explain how all
three form a unified essay (30 minutes).

Introduction: The instructor will inform the students of different strategies to

get the readers attention. (30 minutes)

Body: Concepts such as main idea sentence, supporting details and

transitional sentences will be introduced to the students. (30 mins)

Conclusion: Concepts such as summary statements and clincher will be

introduced to the students (30 mins)

Sample essays will be shown to the students (samples will vary- excellent, good
average, poor) (30 mins).

ASSESSMENT STRATEGY:

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Formative: Students will be given an opportunity to write essays, which will be
peer evaluated.
Summative: After students have received feedback from their peers they will be
given several other opportunities to write essays which will be graded by two raters (TA
and instructor)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What did you gain from the workshop? (Think about what you learned and how you
intend to apply it in your writing.
Reflecting on the three parts of the essay, what difficulties or challenges do you expect
to encounter when writing an argumentative essay

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ASSESSMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Below are samples of homework that students will use to practice what they
were taught in class. The first document requires that the student construct a
concept map and the second document requires the student to write an argumentative
essay. These types of assignments should serve as good practice for the students and
helps the teacher to know how they are performing.
I have also designed a checklist and two behaviorally anchored rating scales
(BARS). The first section of the checklist can be used for assessing whether or not the
concept map has the appropriate elements needed to guide the writer in writing an
essay. The two BARS can be used to assess the students knowledge and skills for
writing an argumentative essay.

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HOMEWORK
Prewriting: Brainstorm Boxes and Tree Branching
For the topic statement given below, compose either brainstorm boxes or two or
more tree branch diagrams suitable for developing a plan or beginning for a MCAT 30
minute essay (see the class handout for examples). You should, with practice, be able
to do either in five (5) minutes or less: that will be about right for an actual MCAT
essay; you may need to take longer and practice how you write the ideas down. The
brainstorm boxes or tree branch diagrams are worth 20 points. You can do either
prewriting method (or bothno extra points). Make each response detailed enough to
write an essay from. You can use this sheet and the back for your answers; but they
must be clear and legible.
YOU ARE NOT TO WRITE AN ESSAY FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT.

Your topic: One must learn discipline before one can learn anything else.

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HOMEWORK
REMEMBER: NO GRAMMAR OR SPELL CHECK FUNCTIONS ARE ALLOWED.
BE SURE THESE FEATURES ARE OFF BEFORE YOU START.
You have 30 minutes to read the prompt and directions below and write your response
(no longer). You should spend the first five (5) minutes Prewriting (do this on
scratch paper and staple it to the FRONT of your essay). You will only be writing
one essay. After time has expired, you may print out your response to the prompt. If
you finish writing early, go back and proofread what you have writtenyou may
make corrections until the time has elapsed. Be sure to follow these directions.

Prompt: Success is not a worthy goal when it achieved at the expense of others.
Write a unified essay that does all of the following. Explain what this statement
means. Describe a specific situation in which a person might be justified in pursuing
success at the expense of others. Discuss what you think determines when success
should be pursued at the expense of others.

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CHECKLIST FOR WRITING A STELLAR MCAT ARGUMENTATIVE

ESSAY
Concept Map

Has a topic
Ideas in leg
Ideas in leg
Ideas in leg
Ideas in leg

Introduction

one to explain prompt

two to express positive examples
three to express negative ideas
four express ideas for the conclusion

The first sentence is the grabber or lead and is designed to grab the readers
attention
Transition from the grabber or lead to the thesis statement
The thesis statement is the last sentence in the introduction paragraph
The thesis statement clearly and directly responds to the writing prompt
The introduction is at least 4 6 sentences

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Body Paragraphs

The main idea is the first sentence of each paragraph in the body
Major details support the main ideas of each paragraph in the body
Positive and negative examples are used to defend both side of the argument
Appropriate transitional sentence is used to make a smooth flow from one
paragraph to the other

Conclusion

Restates the thesis statement

Summarizes the main ideas without being repetitive
Use a clincher sentence, leaving the reader thinking and pondering
Use a summary statement
The conclusion is at least 4 6 sentences
Never write In conclusion

Other Important Aspects

Use formal writing style, tone, and language

Indent paragraphs
Use one inch margins for your document
Avoid slang, poor diction, non-specific language, and contractions
Pay attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar

Note: If any of the boxes are unchecked, go back and make the appropriate modification (s) to
your essay.
ALL BOXES MUST BE CHECKED THIS ENSURE THAT THE STUDENT HAS MET THE
CRITERIA OF THE CHECKLIST

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Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (option 1)

Total Possible Score is 25
Directions: Read the essay and assign a score for each category

Understands
Prompt

Needs
Work
0

Poor
1

Adequate
2

Good
3

Acceptable
4

Exemplary
5

Student
appears not
to
understand
prompt

Student
demonstrates
vague
understanding
of the prompt

Student
demonstrates
little
understanding
of the prompt

Student
demonstrates
adequate
understanding
of the prompt

Student
provides
information
that reflects
a good

Student provides
excellent details
that shows that
he/she
understands the

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Arguments
in favor of
the prompt

Student
arguments
is lacks
clarity

Student
argument
has some
flaws

Arguments
to refute
the prompt

Student
lacks
clarity

Student
argument
has some
flaws

Main Idea
Sentence

Missing

Transitional
Sentence

Missing

Students
show limited
knowledge of
the specificity
of a main
idea
sentence.
Has some
flaws,
Vague

Clincher
Sentence

Missing

Inappropriate

understandng of the
prompt

prompt

Student
provide very
little
information
to defend
argument
Student
provide very
little
information
to refute
prompt
Too broad

Student
provide
adequate
information to
defend
argument
Student
provide
adequate
information to
refute
argument
Correct
Specificity

Student
provide a
good
argument

Student provide
an excellent
argument

Student
provide a
good
argument

Student provide
an excellent
argument

Correct
Specificity
and
Interest
value

Extremely
Excellent
Specificity and
interest value

Poor

Adequate

Good

Excellent

Poor

Adequate

Good

Appropriate

POINTS THAT FALL UNDER 18 NEEDS MORE WORK, AND ARE CONSIIDERED
UNACCEPABLE
BEHAVIORALLY ANCHORED RATING SCALE FOR MACT ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
(Option 2)
Scores ranges from 1 6 (6 is the highest)
This essay has the following characteristics:
6

Clarity, depth, and complexity of thought.

The treatment of the writing assignment is focused and coherent.
Major ideas are substantially developed.
A facility with language is evident.
This essay has the following characteristics:

32

Clarity of thought, with some depth or complexity.

The treatment of the rhetorical assignment is generally focused and
coherent. Major ideas are well-developed.
A strong control of language is evident.
This essay has the following characteristics:

Clarity of thought and may show evidence of depth or complexity.

The treatment of the writing assignment is coherent, with some
focus.
Major ideas are adequately developed.
An adequate control of language is evident.
This essay has the following characteristics:

Shows some clarity of thought but may lack complexity.

The treatment of the writing assignment is coherent but may not be
focused.
Major ideas are somewhat developed.
While there may be some mechanical errors, some control of
language is evident.
This essay has the following characteristics:

Shows some problems with clarity or complexity of thought.

The treatment of the writing assignment may show problems with
integration or coherence.
Major ideas may be underdeveloped.
There may be numerous errors in mechanics, usage, or sentence
structure.
This essay has the following characteristics:

Demonstrate a lack of understanding of the writing assignment.

There may be serious problems with organization.
Ideas may not be developed.
There may be so many errors in mechanics, usage, or sentence
structure that the writers ideas are difficult to follow.

EVALUATION CONSIDERATIONS

The evaluation strategy that will be used will be the following course
evaluation form. The purpose of the form is to collect data about several
aspects of the course. The data collected will be used to make improvement to

33

future courses. As such, instruction will be revised based on the items

students ranked as being unacceptable, poor or fair.

End of Course Class Evaluation

Directions: Circle the appropriate number after each statement.

34

0 = Unacceptable, 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent

1 Information presented

2. Follow-up Activities

3. Homework

4. Teacher preparedness

5. Organization of course
materials

6. Overall quality of handouts

7. Teacher encouragement

8. Teacher feedback

9. The classroom environment

10. Overall, I would rate this

course

11. Overall, I would rate the

instructor

Comments (positive or negative):

35

BLOCK PLANS CONSIDERATIONS

WRITING A STELLAR MCAT ESSAY
BLOCK PLAN: WORKSHOP ONE
Marcelene Cunningham
SPRING 2012

Strategy:

Workshop

Objective:

Given a pencil, one sheet of plain paper, eraser, and a writing

sample prompt, the student will construct a concept map
that meets all the criteria on the grading rubric sheet
provided in class.

Topic:

Introduction to Concept Maps

Tree Branch Method
Brainstorm Method

Activities:

Student: Construct a Concept Map

Textbook:
Workbook:
Handout(s):
Worksheet(s):
Web Site(s):

DNA
DNA
Prewriting: Brainstorming Boxes and Tree Branching
DNA
DNA

Media:

Computer will be used to present the information

Overhead Projector used to show different types of concept
maps

Homework:

Student will be asked to construct a concept map from a

given writing prompt
Assignment(s) Due: DNA

36

WRITING A STELLAR MCAT ESSAY

BLOCK PLAN: WORKSHOP TWO
Marcelene Cunningham
SPRING 2012

Strategy:

Workshop

Objective:

Given a pencil, eraser, one sheet of plain paper, a computer

connected to a printer and a writing sample prompt, the
MEDPREP student will write an argumentative essay that
meets the all the criteria on the grading rubric sheet provided
in class.

Topic:

Workshop Two Parts of an Essay

The Introduction
Body
Conclusion

Activities:

Student: Critique essays

Teacher: Provide Feedback

Textbook:

DiYanni, R. (2003). Making it work college reading in context.

Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin.
D.N.A.

Workbook:
Handout(s):

Worksheet(s):
Web Site(s):

Writing Sample Workshop 2: Evaluating and Scoring

Handout 2
Writing Sample Workshop 2: Evaluating and Scoring
Handout 3
D.N.A.
D.N.A.

37
Media:

Computer & Overhead Projector

Homework:

Learn how to identify main ideas by Reading page 69-72 and

do exercise 3-1; numbers 1-5
In order to better understand supporting details, read pages
110-112 and answer questions 1-5
Given a writing prompt, students will be asked to write an
argumentative essay
Concept map will be collected today

Assignment(s) Due: