Franklin's approach to learning to write was built on imitation. He studied a model, tried to reproduce its effects, and compared his attempt to the original. Teachers have used similar exercises for generations, and students can benefit from them. The difficulty is knowing how to assess them.

An imitation assignment might ask students to write a paragraph about their own goals using the sentence patterns Franklin uses in his account of the virtues. Or it might ask them to rewrite a modern paragraph in an eighteenth-century voice. In both cases, the student borrows structure but supplies the content.

Grading this kind of work requires clarity about what is being measured. Is it how closely the student follows the model? How well they adapt it to new content? Or how much they learned about style from the exercise? Each answer leads to a different rubric.

The following sections cover how to set boundaries, build criteria, and catch problems early, including the growing question of AI-generated imitation.

Imitation is not copying

Students sometimes worry that imitation counts as plagiarism. It does not, as long as the content is their own and the model is acknowledged. Say this plainly at the start. Explain that borrowing a sentence structure or a rhetorical move is a learning technique, and copying words or ideas is something else.

• Name the specific features students should imitate, such as sentence length or use of parallelism.
• Require original content on a topic the student chooses.
• Ask for a short reflection on what the imitation taught them.
• Have students annotate their own work to show where they applied the model.
• Score the assignment on adaptation and understanding, not on how closely it matches.

Setting clear rules

Write the rules into the assignment. State what students may borrow, what they must change, and how they should cite the model. Ambiguity is where honest mistakes happen. If the assignment is about Franklin's style, make it clear that the words should not be his.

Address AI directly. Some students will be tempted to ask a chatbot to write in Franklin's voice. Decide whether that is permitted, and if it is, ask students to disclose it and explain what they changed. A clear policy is fairer than an assumption.

Rubric criteria for imitation

Three criteria work well. The first is fidelity to the targeted features, meaning the student actually used the technique. The second is originality of content, meaning the writing says something new. The third is reflection, meaning the student can explain what they learned. Weighting reflection more heavily than polish keeps the focus on learning.

Avoid grading on how well the imitation sounds like Franklin overall. That rewards students who already read fluently in older prose and penalizes those who are new to it. Focus on the specific features you taught.

Catching problems early

A short in-class draft gives you a baseline. If a later submission looks very different in voice or skill, you have a reason to talk with the student. Conversations tend to work better than accusations.

AI feedback tools can also be part of the process, giving students quick comments on how well their draft applies the targeted features. Used that way, the tool supports the exercise instead of doing it for them. The reflection then becomes the record of what the student learned.