Text Dependent Analysis (TDA)

Text Dependent Analysis

Text Dependent Analysis

Essentially, this sample of writing can be described by its own title. It is a written analysis, that is dependent on a text or texts. The TDA is graded based upon a rubric (which you should have read through already), which focuses on three areas.

This section of the rubric deals with how well you responded to the prompt, how well you understood the text(s), and how well you analyzed literal and inferential concepts.​

Analysis of Text

This section of the rubric deals with how well you found information in the texts to respond to the prompt. Was the information you cited specific, relevant, accurate, and supportive of your analysis?

Use of Evidence

This section of the rubric deals with how organized your writing was, how suited to the task it was, how specific the vocabulary was, and how free of grammatical errors your writing was.

Writing Skills

Why it's Important

Not only is this a useful tool for your teachers to see how your writing skills are, but we can also use this as a tool to indicate whether you would be a good candidate for Honors classes, college courses, or other opportunities that include formal writing and critical thinking.

We're going to read a few example TDA responses from actual students and determine what score their response should get compared to their actual score.

Then...

We're going to take a few minutes to read a short excerpt called "The Eclipse".

First...

Let's Take a Deeper Look

We'll look back at the rubric, and you'll give a score and a reason for that score.

Then...

We'll take a look at the student's response.

First...

Let's Try Scoring Some Examples

Here is the prompt:

"An internal conflict is the struggle that takes place in a character's mind while an external conflict is a struggle between a character and some outside force. Analyze how "The Eclipse" effectively depicts both internal and external conflicts. Write a well-organized, structured response using specific evidence from the story to support your answer."

Ready?

Read student sample one, then prepare to give it a score and a specific reason for giving that score.

Poll

What score did you give this response?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Score Point 1 This response demonstrates minimal analysis of text, use of evidence, and writing skills. The response minimally addresses the task and demonstrates a minimal understanding of the text. The response ineffectively analyzes the explicit and implicit ideas from the text. The response provides a few examples of external and internal conflicts from the text, but does not integrate them into an analysis of how the story effectively depicts the conflicts. The response lacks an introduction and conclusion and provides a minimal body.

Poll

What score did you give this response?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Score Point 3 This response demonstrates effective analysis of text, use of evidence, and writing skills. The response addresses all parts of the task and demonstrates an understanding of the text. The response effectively analyzes how the external conflict “of living without sunlight” and the internal conflict “of realizing that she had taken the sun for granted for so long” are depicted in the text. Specific evidence from the text has been provided to support the analysis (The lack of sunlight… the lamps that had recently been installed… the effect of an eclipsed sun on trade… she ponders her previous lack of enthusiasm for fresh fruits and vegetables). The focused response includes a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. Precise language and content-specific vocabulary from the text enhance ideas. Few errors in conventions of standard English seldom interfere with meaning.

Poll

What score did you give this response?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Score Point 2 This response demonstrates partially effective analysis of text, use of evidence, and writing skills. The response addresses some parts of the task of analyzing how “The Eclipse” effectively depicts both internal and external conflicts. While an analysis of Josie’s internal conflict has been attempted (she struggled with being happy because the dark and gloomy weather was hard enough to be happy in… she never really looked at things in a positive way), specific evidence from the text to support this analysis is somewhat lacking. A list of some relevant examples and details paraphrased from the text that highlight the external conflicts have been partially integrated into the response (hard for businesses to stay open… meat was $55 per pound… a flower shop had to hang the same sign… the weather was always cold… people had to eat a lot of canned food). The response demonstrates a partial understanding of the text, a partial analysis of explicit and implicit ideas from the text, and a partially effective use of evidence to support the analysis. The response lacks an introduction, thesis, and conclusion, and transitions are ineffective or missing. The response uses some precise word choice and content specific vocabulary from the text. Errors in conventions seldom interfere with meaning.

Poll

What score did you give this response?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Score Point 3 This response demonstrates effective analysis of text, use of evidence, and writing skills. The response addresses all parts of the task and demonstrates an understanding of the text. The responses demonstrates an appropriate organizational pattern that includes an introduction followed by analysis of external conflict and then internal conflict. Purposeful transitions link the ideas together, but a conclusion is absent. The response effectively analyzes how the external conflicts (“the lives of Josie and Travis change because the sun can no longer provide sunlight for nature”) and the internal conflict (“she realizes now that the sun has gone her life has changed dramatically… Josie then feels mournful for taking the sun for granted”) are depicted in the text. Specific evidence from the text has been integrated to support both the external conflict analysis (without sunlight plants become scarce… decrease in animals… restaurants close down), and the internal conflict analysis (she begins to crave food which is not possible without sunlight… Josie promises not to take anything for granted again). Precise language and content-specific vocabulary from the text are evident. Few errors in conventions of standard English seldom interfere with meaning.

Okay, the last one we'll look at is a 4

First, read the entire response.

Once you've read the entire response, think to yourself why this would receive a score of 4 compared to the other options we looked at. What stands out compared to the other examples we looked at? Okay, here we go.