Assignments

Proposal

Abstract

Prospectus

Annotated Bibliography

Peer-editing Guidelines

Presentation

Participation

Paper Grading Standards

In grading papers for this class, I will use the following criteria:

A	Confident, persuasive written expression An original approach to the work in question A strong thesis statement that is arguable and interesting Exemplary in the clarity and organization of its argument Engaging to its audience in a manner that commands attention Consistently good use of evidence in support of contentions and in accordance with MLA format Nearly flawless mechanically (format, spelling, grammar)

B	Clear written expression with a few minor breakdowns Somewhat original approach to the work in question A strong thesis statement that is arguable and interesting Well-organized argument that signals its structure to readers by way of effective transitional sentences Good use of evidence to support your contentions and in accordance with MLA format Only a few mechanical flaws

C	Satisfies the basic demands of the assignment Generally clear though with some breakdowns Makes a clear argument about the meaning of the passage A thesis statement that is arguable and interesting A well-organized argument Use of evidence in support of your contentions and in accordance with MLA format, though not consistently Several mechanical flaws, but not so many that they confuse the meaning of your paper

D	Almost satisfies the basic demands of the assignment Numerous breakdowns impairing the clarity of the argument Thesis statement is either not arguable or is uninteresting Argument has minimal organization Use of evidence to support contentions is wildly inconsistent and/or not in accordance with the MLA format Numerous mechanical flaws interfering with paper clarity

F	Does not satisfy the basic demands of the assignment Unclear writing style Lacks a thesis statement No clear argument—seemingly random arrangement of ideas Mechanical flaws throughout the paper No use of evidence to support the argument Plagiarized work