Grading Breakdown
Participation: 25%
Three take-home assignments: 45% (15% each)
Final paper (6-8 pages): 30%
Participation: This is not a lecture course; our classes will be built around discussions and activities, which means they will only be fun if you share your opinions, ideas, and questions, and get involved. Learning how to express yourself in class is an important skill that will affect your writing. In-class participation – in the discussions, in the presentations, and in the writing activities – will make up 25% of your final grade.
Grading Policies for writing assignments
A or A- These papers represent genuinely distinguished, exceptional work, good enough to be read aloud in class. They show intellectual originality and creativity. The writers have a detailed understanding of the material; they place it in context and formulate perceptive compelling, independent arguments, supported by well-chosen evidence. Papers are clearly written, well-organized and proofread to avoid errors. At the end readers have learned something worth knowing.
B+ or B These papers have a clear thesis, organization and flow. The writers have obviously put thought into the work. The arguments are reasonable and substantiated by evidence. The results are solid, but lack the originality of voice or thesis of A papers. Some B papers are creative and original but sloppily presented. Writers may have flashes of insight that are not sustained or excellent ideas that are not presented as coherently as they should be. These papers are competent but not compelling.
B- Writers have understood the issues and their context; they have a valid argument, based on research, but their presentations are handicapped by weaknesses in writing, organization or use of evidence.
C+, C or C- These are some ideas here, but the writer needs help making them clear to a reader. Papers in this range often summarize existing material without offering new interpretations, or they omit crucial facets of an issue. The main arguments may be banal or unclear. This in turn hinders the effort to marshal evidence or argue convincingly. Papers may suffer from inadequate research, organization or context. Students may use Spell Check but fail to proofread their texts.
D/F These papers demonstrate serious deficiencies in a writer’s command of the material; they lack the research or reflection necessary to make a coherent, substantiated argument.
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