10 th Grade Evaluator Training “Long Walk to Forever” and “Human Story Machine”

10th Grade Evaluator Training

“Long Walk to Forever” and “Human Story Machine”

LITERARY SELECTION

What is one conflict faced by Newt and Catharine in “Long Walk to Forever”? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.


The reason there is a conflict is that Newt and Catherine never told each other how they felt before Newt went away.

Score Point: 0—Insufficient

In this response the student attempts to respond to the question (the reason there is a conflict) but actually answers “why” there is a conflict rather than “what” one conflict might be.

What is one conflict faced by Newt and Catharine in “Long Walk to Forever”? Support your answer

with evidence from the selection.

the story was really hard to follow. Catherine didn’t want to go on a walk with Newt cause she was getting married in a week

Score Point 0—Insufficient

This student attempts to respond to the question (Catharine didn’t want…she was getting married in a week), but the information provided is too vague to determine if it is a reasonable conflict.


Newt leaves his army base to visit Catherine. They go for a walk and talk about their lives. They kiss and at the end of the story Catherine runs to Newt.


The student provides a basic plot summary, but the response does not address a conflict.


The main conflict or issue would have to be the fact that Catharine believes she loves someone else. This causes a problem for Newt and her, but in the end all is what it should be.

Score Point: 1—Partially Sufficient

In this response the student provides a reasonable conflict (the fact that Catharine believes she loves someone else) but does not offer relevant textual evidence for support.


Newt has gone AWOL from his Army base to try to win back the women he loves. Cathrine, however has already committed herself to another man. Newt will try anything to win her back, he kisses her and knows he sees love in her eyes for him, but can she break up with her husband to be?


This student starts to provide a specific synopsis and does present a reasonable initial conflict that Newt and Catharine face (Newt has gone A.W.O.L… Catharine, however, has already committed herself…). However, the student’s sequence of events becomes inaccurate (kisses her, Knows he see love in her eyes…) and somewhat irrelevant (…but can she break up…?)

The object of Newt’s affection, Catherine, is going to be married in one week. This conflict causes Catherine to repress her feelings about Newt. Initially, Catherine chooses to take the path of less resistence and marry her fiancée. Eventually; however, Catherine realizes that allowing herself to love Newt will give her strength enough to overcome the conflict.


In this response the student shows a clear understanding of a conflict faced by Newt and Catharine. However, the student proceeds to present a somewhat general plot summary and fails to offer relevant textual evidence to support the conflict.

One conflict faced by Newt and Catherine is Catherine’s plans to marry Henry Stewart Chasens the week after Newt’s arrival. Newt, however, does not accept things. “I’m getting married, Newt,” she said. “I know,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”

Score Point: 2—Sufficient

The student shows a clear understanding of a conflict faced by Newt and Catharine. The student offers relevant quotes of accurate text to support this conflict.

One conflict is that Catharine is to be married to Henry. Because of this conflict, Catharine is not able to express her true feelings towards Newt. In the beginning of the story Catharine comes right out and tells Newt, “I’m getting married, Newt.” After Newt tells her that he loves her she responds, “…I’m very fond of you as a friend, Newt, extremely fond—but it’s just to late.”


In this response the student presents one conflict faced by Newt and Catharine. The student supports this conflict with relevant direct quotes of accurate text.

One conflict faced by Newt and Catherine is the sacrifice they make by falling in love. Newt is driven by love to leave Fort Bragg without permission when he finds out that Catherine is marrying Henry. “I’m what they call A.W.O.L.” No matter what happened with Catherine, Newt knows he faces the risk of “30 days in the stockade.” At the end Catherine realizes that she loves Newt. “She ran to him, put her arms around him.” Loving Newt means abandoning her wedding plans.

Score Point: 3—Exemplary

The student shows a particularly thoughtful understanding of what one conflict faced by Newt and Catharine is (the sacrifice they make by falling in love). The student strongly supports this conflict with a combination of in-depth analysis, specific synopsis, and relevant quotes of text.

Newt and Catharine’s conflict is seen in the dramatic, life-altering change in their relationship. Previously, “there had always been playful, comfortable warmth between them, but never any talk of love” (par. 2). Then Newt shocks her with his declaration of love just before she’s to marry Henry. “Catharine was angry and rattled, close to tears. You never talked that way before.” (par. 49-51) Catharine is now forced to re-examine her heart, and whatever she decides will change Newt’s life forever.


In this response the student thoughtfully analyzes the change in Newt and Catharine’s relationship (Catharine is now forced to re-examine her heart…). The student offers strong textual evidence in the form of relevant quotes of accurate text and specific synopsis (Newt shocks her…) to present a synthesis of insight and support for one conflict faced by Newt and Catharine.

EXPOSITORY SELECTION

In “The Human Story Machine,” has Hurley fulfilled his dream of becoming a novelist? Support your answer with evidence from the article.


Yes, he is able to write several novels that people enjoy and are interested in.

Yes, he is able to write several novels that people enjoy and are interested in.


This student presents a brief response that does not appear to be based on the text (several novels that people enjoy and are interested in) and offers no textual evidence for support.


Yes, because he never gave up. He kept writing until he was acepted.

Yes, because he never gave up. He kept writing until he was acepted.


In this response the student attempts to answer the question, but it is too general to determine whether it is reasonable or not.

Hurley has fulfilled his dream of becoming a novelist. He worked day and night writing reports and novels at streets and stores. Many people wanted a novel from Hurley, therefore, making him a successful writer in the public.


In this response the student offers only general text evidence (..writing at streets and stores..) some of which is irrelevant (..worked day and night writing reports…). The student also presents a somewhat general conclusion (many people wanted a novel…).

In my opinion he did become a novelist. He wrote novels for people on the street. He himself admitted that he became a novelist, even though it did not happen how he planned it.


The student offers somewhat general paraphrases of relevant text (wrote novels for people on the street…admitted that he became a novelist.), but does not link this to any reasonable analysis to clearly show that Hurley fulfilled his dream of becoming a novelist.

In a way he has fulfilled his dream of being a novelist. He has written thousands of 60-second novels and has been very successful in doing. So in the story, even he himself says, “I guess you could say my dreams of becoming a novelist also came true.” So yes I do think he has fulfilled his novelist dream to the extent he wants to.


This student concludes Hurley has fulfilled his dream of becoming a novelist “to the extent he wants to.” The student supports this conclusion with a combination of relevant textual paraphrase and a relevant direct quote of accurate text.

I don’t think Hurley has fulfilled his dream. His stories (even though he calls them novels) are just short and entertaining. The first story he writes, people surround him and applaud after he reads it out loud. Later he says, “There may be no getting around the Stupid Human Trick aspect of it all.”


In this response the student provides a reasonable conclusion why Hurley has not fulfilled his dream and supports this with a relevant quote of accurate text.

No, Hurley has not fulfilled his dream of becoming a novelist. He says he “wanted nothing more than to become a novelist,” but he doesn’t do it. What he does instead is write 60 second one page stories on demand for anyone who can pay. Even he calls what he does “performance writing.” That’s not being a real novelist.

Score Point 3—Exemplary

This student concludes that Hurley has not fulfilled his dream of becoming a novelist and proceeds to explore this idea in-depth by combining relevant direct quotes with insightful analysis (What he does instead..) to create a highly effective response.

Yes, Hurley has fulfilled his dream of becoming a novelist. According to Webster (dictionary), a novel is “an invented prose narrative that deals with human experience usually long.” Length does not matter. Hurley’s stories are novels by definition, which makes him a writer of novels, a novelist. Corresponding to the passage, Hurley believes he has fulfilled his dream, “I guess you could say my dreams of becoming a novelist also came true.” Nobody has the right to say that he has not fulfilled his aspirations and destroy what he feels inside.


This student concludes that Hurley is not only a novelist by definition, but also by his own convictions. The student proceeds to affirm these ideas by enlisting Webster’s dictionary along with insightful analysis. The student thoughtfully continues with a relevant direct quote reinforced with more persuasive analysis creating a highly effective response.

LITERARY/EXPOSITORY (CROSSOVER) SELECTION

How does the idea of taking a risk apply to both “Long Walk to Forever” and “Human Story Machine”? Supportyour answer with evidence from both selections.

Characters in both stories took a risk by leeving what they do and trying to find love, not knowing wheter they would find it or not.

Characters in both stories took a risk by leeving what they do and trying to find love, not knowing wheter they would find it or not.


In this response the student attempts to answer the question (took a risk by leaving what they do and trying to find love); however, the information is very general and could reasonably be applied to only one character (Newt) in one of the selections, which is insufficient.

“Long Walk to Forever” is risky because Catharine and Newt fall in love again at the end of the story, and “The Human Story Machine”, the girl Alice remember they guy who wants to be a novelist and they fall in love again. So for both stories they are about couples who fall in love again after so long.


This student presents a conclusion about how the idea of taking risk applies to both selections (both stories are about couples who fall in love again); however this conclusion is wholly inaccurate.

Taking a risk applies to both stories because both men took a chance for what they really wanted in life. They both took a risk in doing that because they didn’t do what was expected of them. They put it all out on the line they gambled in life.


The student attempts to respond to the question (…both men took a chance for what they really wanted in life.), but it is

too general to be considered reasonable, and there is no text support.

In “Long Walk to Forever” Catharine takes the risk of losing her soon-to-be husband, while Newt risks getting thirty days in the stockade for A.W.O.L.

In “The Human Story Machine” Hurley takes the risk of getting laughed at, not being liked, having many negative remarks from people, and not be taken seriously.


In this response the student presents clear and reasonable interpretations of how the idea of risk applies to the different characters in both selections. However, for the most part, the student does not offer textual evidence for support.

“How would I know what to expect?” he said “I have never done anything like this before” “In “Long Walk to Forever” we see a boy that risks his military career in order to tell a woman that he loves her. “Well Dan,” said one friend, “it’s kind of weird.” Dan Hurly took the incredible risk of trying something, but failing. Even when people doubted he could be productive in such a career he set his mind to achieve a particular goal, which very successful. Both these stories are based on taking a risk and hoping for the best.


The student presents a general interpretation of how the idea of risk applies to both selections (taking risk and hoping for the best). The student further specifies what the risks entail, but the text offered for support is only weakly connected to the interpretation.

Taking a risk applies to both stories because both men risked career and reputation for what they loved. Newt risked his army career for Catherine’s love, while Dan risked his yet unknown fame by taking a chance in doing street writing. In the end of stories finish with Newt getting Catherine, and Dan having a writing career.


This student shows a good understanding of how the idea of risk applies to both selections (both men risked their careers and reputations for what they loved) and presents some clear analysis to further explore this idea as it relates to each selection. However, the student does not offer any textual evidence for support.

Taking a risk applies to both stories, “Long Walk to Forever” and “The Human Machine” because both main characters, Newt and Hurley, took risks that were considered crazy and weird. Newt goes on A.W.O.L. just to see Catherine and will result in “30 days in the stockade-just for a kiss,” while Hurley “writes in public demand, performance writing” and colleagues thought it was “weird.” Both characters take these risks to prove that they can change things even if thought crazy.


This student clearly shows how the idea of risk applies to both selections. The student supports this idea for Newt with a combination of specific synopsis and a relevant direct quote. For Hurley’s risk the student offers additional relevant direct quotes.

Both main characters in these stories (Newt and Hurley) take a risk, and that’s pretty obvious. What’s more interesting is that the women also take risks. Catharine takes a huge risk by dumping her nice, normal fiancé for a guy who’s kind of goofy (“I plan to give you and your husband a spoon”) and very presumptuous and nosy “You really love him? What’s good about him?”, Newt asks about Henry. Hurley’s wife, Alice, also takes a risk. First, she supplies Hurley, a stranger, with information about her personal life so that he can write her a 60 second novel. Second, she’s the one who takes a chance at starting a new relationship when she introduces herself to Hurley at the writing class (“Remember me?) and they make their own happy ending.


In this response the student shows a thorough understanding of the risks taken by the female characters in both selections which result from their involvement with Newt and Hurley. The student supports this idea by providing an almost seamless mixture of synopsis, analysis, and direct quotes to create an insightful and highly effective response.

The idea of taking a risk is important in both stories because both Newt and Hurley act on “crazy ideas” in order to find out who they really are. Newt goes AWOL from the Army just to find out if Catherine loves him. He risks having a successful military career and spending “thirty days in the stockade” just for one kiss from the woman he has been friends with since they were kids to see if she feels the same way for him that he does for her. Hurley also risks his career, but in a different way. Hurley feared that he “was turning into a Stupid Human Trick,” like on David Letterman. He risks having people laughing at him and thinking that he was weird, but he writes “I didn’t mind—that was the whole point.”


The student shows particular insight by identifying a common idea of risk as it applies to both selections (Newt and Hurley act on “crazy ideas” in order to find out who they really are). The student strongly supports this idea with an effective combination of specific synopsis, relevant direct quotes, and thoughtful analysis. The result is a solid, in-depth response.

10 th Grade Evaluator Training “Long Walk to Forever” and “Human Story Machine”

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