Develop a Claim Assessment

The foundation of any solid argument centers around its claim and the reasons that support it. In this
assessment, you'll create your claim and list the reasons for your claim based on one of the following
prompts:
Prompt #1: Prompt #2: Prompt #3:

Julius Caesar "The Minister's Black Veil" "Seven Floors"

Many scholars feel that
Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar as
a warning about what would
happen if Elizabethan England
were to engage in a Civil War.
Choose three literary elements in
this tragedy that you find to be the
most effective in achieving this
purpose and provide textual
evidence to defend your choices.
Many scholars feel that Hawthorne
wrote "The Minister's Black Veil" as
an allegory for the flaws and
secrets all humans choose to hide.
Choose three literary elements in
this short story that you find to be
the most effective in achieving this
purpose and provide textual
evidence to defend your choices.
Many scholars feel that Buzzati
wrote "Seven Floors" as an allegory
for the progression of life and the
acceptance of aging. Choose three
literary elements in this short story
that you find to be the most
effective in achieving this purpose
and provide textual evidence to
defend your choices.

Which prompt did you select for this assessment (1, 2, or 3)?

My Prompt Prompt 3

My Claim Type your one sentence claim:

Write one sentence that

includes:
Through the use of allegory, metaphor, and symbolism Dino Buzzati shows a
o the author's name
realistic portrayal of life heading towards death in the story “Seven Floors”.
o the title of the work
o the literary elements
you selected
o the effect of the
literary elements on
the text

Reason #1 What is the first reason for your claim?

In one sentence, explain The entire story is an allegory where the hospital represents the process of life.
how the first literary The very top floor represents the youth and as you ascend to the bottom floor
element in your claim
you get closer to death. Guiseppe Corte becomes nervous as he approaches the
worked to develop your
bottom floor.
author's allegory.

Provide one piece of evidence from your text that supports this reason:
 “In this way, he learned about the hospital's unique practice of assigning its
patients to different floors in accordance with the gravity of their illness. On the
seventh floor, the top floor, only the very mildest cases were treated. Those
whose forms of the illness weren't grave, but who certainly couldn't be neglected,
were assigned to the sixth floor. More serious infections were treated on the fifth
floor, and so on and so forth. Gravely ill patients were housed on the second
floor; and on the first floor, those for whom all hope had been abandoned”

Reason #2
In one sentence, explain
how the second literary
element in your claim
worked to develop your
author's allegory.
What is the second reason for your claim? e story to create an increase in anxiety
as you become closer to death. For example, the floors are called “barriers”
between Guiseppe Corte and “normal people”.
Provide one piece of evidence from your text that supports this reason:
"But, he was tormented by the thought that two barriers had now arisen
between him and the world of normal people."

What is the third reason for your claim?

Reason #3
The symbolism in the story is only obvious because they represent something
In one sentence, explain deeper in life's progression. The blurry view outside one's window once they
how the third literary reach the third floor represents a loss of touch with life and reality.
element in your claim
worked to develop your
author's allegory.
Provide one piece of evidence from your text that supports this reason:

"It was only from the third floor down was the view cut off by the belt of trees."

Develop a Claim Rubric

On Target Almost There Needs Improvement

5-4 points 3 points 2-0 points

● The claim is one sentence in
length and includes the
Claim author and title of the work,
(5 points) the literary elements
selected, and the effect of
those elements on the text.
● The claim makes appropriate
use of academic language
and a formal tone.
● The claim is one sentence, ● The claim may be missing or
but may be missing one or unrelated to the three
more of the following prompt choices.
elements: the author, title,
● The claim may illustrate a
literary elements, and/or
effect of the elements on the lack of understanding of the
text. text or the literary elements.
● The claim may include
opinion or informal
language.
 15-12 points 11-9 points 8-0 points

● Three reasons are included ● The chart may be missing a ● The chart may be missing
and are directly tied to the reason, or the reasons (with two or more reasons, or the
Reasons to
claim's selected literary literary elements) are not reasons are unrelated to the
Support Claim
elements and are insightfully clearly related to the claim. prompt and claim.
(15 points) expressed in a complete
● One or more reasons may be ● The chart may be missing
sentence.
missing textual evidence for most or all textual support
● Each reason contains at least support. for each reason.
one piece of specific textual
evidence to support it.