ELA3105-ABED_1: 3.2 Non-Fiction PRT

You will be writing a Personal Response to a Text (PRT). This assignment helps prepare you to write a PRT on Alberta Ed's Diploma Exam.

How many words should you write?
At the end of June 2018, Alberta Education created word count guidelines to help students when they write Part A of the Diploma Exam. The word count range lets you know that this assignment must be much longer than a paragraph or two but doesn’t need to be extremely long.

English 30-1 Diploma Exam
Assignment 1: Personal Response to Texts
Alberta Ed's Recommended Word Count Range

600–1200 words

The suggested word count range is not a cap.
Word processing programs automatically count the words. Typically, there are around 300 words per typed page, depending on the font size used, spacing, margins, etc.
Students who hand write personal responses will not be expected to hand count their words, but handwritten pages usually have fewer than 300 words per page, depending on the size of the handwriting, spacing, margins, etc.

Step 1	Select one of the 7 non-fiction essays provided earlier as the basis of your PRT. Please select one essay and do a thorough, in-depth response rather than discuss two or more essays at the surface level.
Step 2	Choose one EQ topic to explore. What does your essay suggest about the degree an individual's choices and actions influence the direction of his or her life? the importance of being responsible to others on a personal, local, global, and/or digital level? what it means to be successful and the role failure plays? how an individual's perspective of, and response to, a crisis defines him or her?
Step 3	Choose a format. You must: Use a prose form (don't write a poem, don't create a visual). You are allowed to respond personally, critically, or creatively, but you need to write in paragraphs that adhere to conventional rules of writing. Acceptable format options include an essay, script, newspaper article, short story, journal, or diary format. Choose the format that best suits you and the topic. Connect the essay to the topic and to your own ideas and impressions. Read the topic and the instructions carefully. Decide on which type of response you will write. Then make a plan to keep yourself organized as you write. For example, if you are writing an essay, plan the thesis and topic sentences.
Step 4	Write your personal response. Edit your response carefully (review the rubric). You will be marked on Your ability to connect personally to the topic as well as reflect on the topic. This means either incorporating stories from your life, and/or really showing your personality through your "voice" ( diction, details, creativity). You can use first person pronouns (I/me/my/we/our/etc.) in a PRT if you wish. Your organization of ideas. Your depth of thoughtful/insightful exploration of the topic. Your use of voice, details, and other stylistic effects such as figurative language. Your ability to edit and polish your writing.
Step 5	Submit your personal response as a PDF or MS Word file.

Assessment

Click the Assessment icon to see how your work will be assessed.

3.2 Non-Fiction PRT