Story Unit
When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine, by Jhumpa Lahiri Writing Assignment: 100 point summative assessment Name:
Prompt: Lilia was ten years old when Mr. Pirzada was eating dinner at her home each night during the fall of 1971. He was in New England for a year on a grant to study foliage, while his family in Dacca was living through a civil war. Lilia becomes attached to Mr. Pirzada, who is kind and generous with her, and her knowledge of the world and its suffering people grows as her family sits with him to watch the news each night. Write a four paragraph essay that analyzes how her experience with Mr. Pirzada changes Lilia.
Rubric:
Introduction: 25 points
Open with the title, story, and basic plot.
Use a few significant details about Lilias experience to lead logically to your thesis.
Your thesis should provide a clear assertion about how and why Lilia changes.
Middle Paragraphs: (two of them) 60 points
Begin each paragraph with a strong topic sentence that communicates a clear main idea.
Each main idea should develop and support your thesis statement.
Use specific details, examples, and explanations to support your main ideas.
Use one passage from the story in each middle paragraph.
The transition between your middle paragraph should be logical.
Conclusion: 15 points
Restate your thesis using different words.
Reference a few details from your middle paragraphs to remind your reader that you can support your analysis.
End on a broader note: something learned, a connection to another event, an additional claim about understanding the world, etc.
