Mission Statement Summer Reading Task
Go to the Sean Covey website (http://www.seancovey.com/pdf/teens/The_Great_Discovery.pdf) and print two copies of “The Great Discovery” to use as a pre-writing sheet for your writing tasks. These MUST be completed and attached to the final draft of your mission statements. As you THOUGHTFULLY complete each step, include detailed information from the novel. Failure to be specific will result in a low grade.
Take the insights you have about this character and write a mission statement in first person (as if you are that character). The final drafts will be comprised of four paragraphs to show what the characters 1) revere, 2) recognize about themselves, 3) will utilize to achieve their goals, and 4) what they envision for their future. This table may help you decide what information to use to create these paragraphs. Feel free to use them differently if that works for you.
Paragraph: Pertinent Questions from “The Great Discovery” Revere … 1, 3, 4, 8, 9 Recognize … 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 Utilize … 3, 4, 7, 10 Envision … 1, 2, 3, 7, 9
REMEMBER that this is an English assignment which means you will be graded not only on your content and insight but also your writing style and proper use of grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitals. Please print and attach this rubric that I will use to grade the task. sample mission Statement for Lily Melissa Owens1
Throughout the fourteen years of my life I have learned to:
REVERE: Deborah Fontanel Owens, my mother, who I have finally come to forgive for abandoning me when she had her breakdown and for her strength in returning to face T. Ray to take me to Tiburon to live with August Boatwright. I would love to spend an hour with her to know she loved me (and still does) even though she had to leave me for a while. I’d also have to ask her if she has forgiven my four-year-old self for her death; August for the qualities I hope to one day have: her independence, warmth, understanding, spirituality, self-confidence, education, acceptance and love of me as I am, and, most of all, her refusal to give me platitudes and tell me everything will be fine when it might not; Rosaleen for her courage to register to vote despite Mr. Gatson imprisoning her and allowing Mr. Posey to beat her.
RECOGNIZE: that I would walk across a six inch beam suspended between two skyscrapers for a sign that my mother loved/loves me and is my guardian angel, watching over me as I escape from my abusive father, T. Ray, to discover the truth in Tiburon, South Carolina; that I love bees who are symbolic of me, more than anything else for their ability to take pollen and make honey with all its magical uses, and to create beeswax from which we make candles that light the darkness of my nights alone with the ghosts of my past; the power and strength that comes from learning to live productively within the hive of the Daughters of Mary where everyone sticks together and supports each other through love, acceptance, and self-sacrifice.
UTILIZE: my imagination to make the gloves I’ve stuffed with Kleenex filled with my mother’s hands that I can hold during the nightmares; the inspiration August gave me after I learned the truth about my mother, that “Our Lady is not some magical being out there somewhere like a fairy godmother … [I ] have to find a mother inside [myself]” (288). That’s where I found the courage to stand up to T. Ray after he punched me in the calendar sisters’ pink house to tell him I wasn’t going back to the peach farm with him ever again; my talent to write so others can understand this time of political upheaval and to understand what it is like to be me and live in a world that’s changing day by day to be more accepting and celebrating people’s differences; my ability at seeking the truth and accepting myself now without bitterness or regret to build a life beyond beauty school.
And ENVISION:
1 As in this model, use first person and be sure to include: 1) specific information which 2) shows insight into the character, and 3) uses the answers to all ten questions from Covey’s The Great Discovery. The pre-writing ten questions took about an hour to complete. This took longer – about two hours with proofreading and revision. a world where a person’s skin color isn’t so important, where Zach and I could let everyone know he kissed me during the ceremony of Mary of the Chains; my freedom from T. Ray leading to college where, when I’m nineteen, Rosaleen, August, and, yes, even June, will be proud of me earning my degree in literature. Rosaleen would say that I’m industrious and driven to get my education like she was driven to register to vote. Zach will say that I’m beautiful and that once he’s a lawyer and has helped make Civil Rights a reality, that he once loved me; in twenty years, I’ll be a famous writer who teaches in my spare time and raises bees. I will always study beekeeping since bees have been my guiding angels (although psychology wouldn’t be such a bad idea so I could understand survivor guilt and T.Ray’s hatred of me). With me will be my first love, Zachary Lincoln Taylor, my surrogate mothers, Rosaleen and August, and surrogate aunt, June; August and June (and May’s spirit) will be proud of me for finally accepting “There is nothing perfect …only life” (256). Name: ______SCORE: ______
Discussion Topic #: ____1: Mission Statement for Summer Novels___ Blog Comment Rubric
Score 25 20 15 0
Comment Commentary Commentary Commentary Entry is Insights and indicates critical indicates some indicates little generally a Sophistication thinking and under- critical thinking critical thinking simple retelling standing of the and under- and under- of events with literature as well as standing of the standing of the little specificity. the issues covered literature as well literature as well in the website. as the issues as the issues covered in the covered in the site. site. Personal Entry conveys Entry conveys Entry conveys Entry shows no Response to Key extensive evidence evidence of a little evidence of personal Concepts of a personal personal response a personal response to the response to the to the issues response to the issues/concepts issues raised in the raised in the issues/concepts raised through website, and website, and raised in the the website. demonstrates the demonstrates that website discus- author’s growth the author is sion. through insightful capable of reflection. reflecting on learning. Assignment Entry is completed Entry is either Entry is late and Complet on time and is the late or not the is not the ion appropriate length. X appropriate appropriate length. length. Engaged Writing Entry shows a very Entry shows a Entry demon- Entry uses good command of good command strates some incorrect Standard English of Standard evidence of grammar and and has some flair English. No correct spelling, syntax and a clear sense of problems for grammar, consistently, originality. your audience. punctuation, etc. making it Audience will difficult for have a little others to follow. trouble reading your entry.
K. Vilkas, rubric adapted from Kowgios/Popken, 2009