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Grades:
Back in 2001 at the outset of my career, I wrote "the true measure of my students' learning will be whether or not they have the skills and knowledge necessary to make their world consistent with their concept of what is right." The real test that matters to me is whether or not you live a good and moral life. I still believe that. Alas, even by June of your senior year, it will be hard to say whether or not that goal has been achieved. Nevertheless, I am required to assign each student a mark every quarter. So in my assessments, I strive to create the next best thing.
Ever since the ancient Chinese practice of reducing student achievement to an integer had caught on in the west, schools in Europe, America, and all over the world have required that all teachers devise a method to numerically measure the quality and quantity of the work that you invest in your education. Fortunately for those of you who lack the advantage of a photographic memory, there will be more to your grade than just the rote learning that comprised the kējǔ, the Imperial Civil Service Exam (科舉), the ancestor of today's gaokao (高考), Europe's abitur, and of course the SAT, ACT, and AP Exams.
I subscribe to the following rationale for calculating your grade, one used across the Joel Barlow High School Social Studies Department:
TESTS, PAPERS, SPEECHES & PROJECTS = 50%
Here is where you get to show the world what you can do with what you’ve learned. In most instances, test grades will come from some form of polished writing that I describe below.
HOMEWORK, PARTICIPATION, PREPARATION & CLASSWORK = 30%
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Come to class prepared to speak intelligently about the assignment and also make useful notes you can study from. Be sharp, but also be respectful of others. The Pinsky-Smith MUSQ-IICKGIK© reading system will often be the prescribed system.
QUIZZES/QUESTS, BALLOTS = 20%
One way to find out if you’re grasping the material & keeping up with preparation and your reading. They're usually short answer questions with strict limitations on length. To earn credit, always use specific people, places, events, dates, motives, actions, and consequences as proof for your claims.
THE EXAM: This is a test that falls at the end of second and fourth quarter, either in January or June. Your score on it factors as 20% against the average of your two quarter grades. Class time will be dedicated to preparation.
Why should you care about learning to write well?
I base a LOT of your grade on how you write. Why? Work hard on writing for these reasons...
A. The money... Writing can keep you out of poverty & dependence. Not only is it an essential skill that is the basis of almost all work done at the university level, strong writing is something almost all high-wage jobs expect you to have. Writing isn't just for novelists, screenwriters, and poets, it's also the core skill for bankers, CEOs, politicians, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs of all kinds. In short, if you learn to write effectively, you won't have to live in Mom's basement at age 25.
B. Your time... Writing is at it's essence communication, and one of it's most efficient forms at that. It has many advantages over speech and other vehicles for words. First, it is durable. Thanks to writing, we can learn the inner thoughts of people who died thousands of years ago. It is also portable. As you read this, you're probably nowhere within range where even if I were to shout at my loudest, you could not hear me. And lastly, writing is quiet. You can pick it up whenever you want and drink your fill.
C. Your civic duty... A democratic society depends on an informed populace who can create good policy. Writing helps accelerate the process of creating, proposing, testing, and revising ideas in almost all forms of media.
D. Your soul... Writing can be enjoyable and enriching. Whether you prefer Dr. Johnson or Dr. Dre, not one of us hasn't been moved by something that came originally from an essay, novel, story, play, film script, or poem. All these great art forms that can not only give pleasure, but they can make us wiser. And the process of creating them can be just as rewarding.
Feedback, Comments, & Scoring:
Since you now know why writing matters, you can easily appreciate why I want you to become a better writer. To that end, I work hard at giving you feedback you can actually use. Some will be corrections, some will be opposing ideas to consider, and sometimes I will give you links to things you might want to look at based on things you've written.
Ever get a paper back with comments you can't read or understand? Sure you have. And even if you can read the comments, did you ever read them over and still have no clue about what you have to do in order to do better next time? Yep. Me too.
I will affix responses to your writing by highlighting text and making a comment box. If you see a number like '4,' that indicates which of the 'Twenty Common Problems in Student Writing' that you've made. The beauty of this document is that it tells you A. what you did wrong, B. how to fix it and C. it shows models of what it looks like when it's done right. This will typically happen no later than a week from the time of submission and usually earlier.
You will receive a letter grade. This holistic score will be based on the criteria set forth depending on the type of writing that is assigned. The fewer common mistakes I find, the better your score will be.
The process doesn't end there. I will ask you to use my comments from your first assignment to be the basis of setting goals to make your next one better. Directions for how to do this can be found in 'before your next essay.' Follow them carefully.
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There are many forms of writing...
Just as there are many different styles and forms of music such as everything from afrobeat to zydeco, there are many different styles and forms of writing. Like any art form, each kind can be differentiated as being adapted to a different subject or purpose. In most of my classes, I ask students to attempt several different kinds including analytical, persuasive essay, dialogues, debate cases for speech, historical fiction, and art critiques. Below you can find descriptions of what I hope to see in each:
I. Analytical, Persuasive Essays:
- In analytical persuasive essays your goal is to persuade your reader to agree with your position on an issue or question using reliable evidence and sound reasoning. Almost all college and professional writing in every discipline and industry follows this basic model:A catchy title that contains the topic and your thesis. See common problem 20.
- Topic sentence(s) that hook your reader. See common problem 1.
- A clear, non-obvious thesis, lesson, moral or rule. See common problem 2.
- A plan or roadmap. See common problem 3.
- At least three unique and concrete examples derived from accurate & correctly cited primary and secondary materials. Small quotations, when possible, are necessary. See common problem 4.
- Analysis and logic to connect your examples to your thesis. All quotes MUST be analyzed. Build those bridges between your claim and the facts! See common problem 9.
- A conclusion that demonstrates the importance of the essay and/or proposes the next path of inquiry. See common problem 17.
- Graceful in-text citation & a properly formatted works cited. See common problems 7 & 18.
My Wisdom From History assignment, simulation reflections, the Lens Project essay, the Madman Oral History project and CAPT practice tests are all forms of persuasive, analytical essay.
Notes on scoring: When I read your essay, here are the questions that I will be asking:
1. Does it "work?" Have you given a reader who either doesn't care about your topic or does not agree with your thesis any reasons to change their mind? Have you proven that we should adopt a rule that is applicable, relevant, and useful with a diverse set of examples? Have you linked all examples to your rule rather than just reporting facts? If the answer is "yes," you're probably getting nothing lower than a B.
2. Have you fulfilled all the requirements following the models I prescribed? If the answer is "yes," you're probably getting a mark in the "A" range. If most but not all of it "works," you're getting a B.
3. If any part of the essay missing or is not done correctly, how much does it detract from the overall persuasiveness of your argument? The more the mistakes hurt, the more credit you lose.
If lots of parts are missing or points are unproven or under-analyzed, you're getting a C or a D.
The takeaways for you:
1. If you take the time to look at my formulas, advice, and models. If you then follow them, you will do well.
2. Don't worry about anything that I'm not asking for like title pages, page counts, line spacing, fonts, footnotes, a printed hard copy, etc. If you stay focused on having a rule that matters and proving that your rule is useful with every bit of evidence that you can find, you will do fine.
3. When you're not sure about something, ask me, the writing tutor, or any humanities person on duty in the library for advice. We all want you to succeed.
Please, just don't use comic sans!
II. Dialogues:
- In dialogues your goal is to demonstrate what happens when various ideas collide and where you stand in the debate. Make sure you read enough to be able speak for all your characters.Accurate depictions of the views of all the characters, including yourself.
- Characters explaining their reasons for their views with reference to specific data.
- The development of your own voice taking a clear position and supporting it well.
- Illustration of areas of agreement and disagreement between the characters.
- Some form of resolution.
III. Debate cases & speeches:
- In debate cases your goal is to create a bulleted outline from which you can deliver a powerful, well-evidence and soundly reasoned persuasive speechA hook
- Definitions
- A plan broken in to planks
- 2-3 contentions containing clear claim, warrants based on cited research, analysis, and impacts.
- A closing that returns to the hook and reiterates the impacts. Consult other materials such as Smith's Guide to High School Debate for details on Value-Link Contentions and Constitutional Contentions.
- The ability to effectively defend your position in cross-examination against critical questions from peers and teachers.
IV. Historical fiction:
In historical fiction your goal is to show me that you can imagine your way into the past and learn something important from it. It's a chance for you to show that you understand how history affected the lives of real people! Good historical fiction usually has several of the following features. The first one is absolutely essential and the rest helps you add depth and entertainment value:
- Historical accuracy & believabilityBeginning & ending (or a character's arc)
- Characters with an arc that is central to the point or lesson of the story
- A clear sense of who the narrator is and why they are writing the story, if it is a journal, court testimony, a recalled conversation, etc.
- Believable connections between the characters to events from the era we have studied including quotations from primary sources and historical figures your character(s) would have encountered or been affected by.
- Plot related to a conflict & resolution that are central to the point
- Showing, not telling how the society answered the ‘key questions.’
- Description of the setting, characters, action, and imagery that appeals to all five senses
- Active, not passive voice
- Dialogue between characters that sparkles, rings true to life, and drives the plot & themes
- Suspense, drama & comedy
V. Art Critiques:
It can seem that the job of the art critic is to savage their subjects in amusing ways, but that's only a small part of the story.But it is always easier to destroy than it is to create. The main thing to do in a 'crit' is to get as much as you can out of the work, including wisdom, truth, insight and inspiration. Be greedy for ideas, not for blood.Here's a system I've devised to help students get the most out of art. Write your 'crits' using this formula to guide your reader through the journey whereby you gleaned meaning from the piece. You must do everything you can to help your reader see what you see.1. observe & speculate: Describe at least five specific features of the piece. To do this, you should use the elements of art, principles of design, craft and other artistic devices and concepts. For each feature you describe, speculate as to what reasons or motives lay behind the artist's choices. You MUST include images of the piece(s) and close ups of the features you’re analyzing IN THE TEXT, wrapped tight into the paragraph where you discuss them.2. contextualize: When possible, you should seek out available information about the life and intentions of the artist, the story of the piece in question, related works and artistic traditions, the society in which the artist worked, and other critical responses to the piece in order to contextualize the work. What does your research reveal about this piece that the casual viewer might miss? Use reliable primary and secondary materials to support ALL your claims.3. interpretation: What does it mean? After thinking about specific parts of the piece in part one, you can now describe what the work means as a WHOLE. Here is where you unpack narrative and thematic content. What does the work (and the artist?) say about its subject, its maker, life, society and even the viewer? Does the work allow for multiple interpretations? Which readings account for the most aspects of the piece? Which are ultimately the most satisfying or thought provoking? You must justify your interpretations with specific references to aspects of the piece itself. Again, embed images into the essay to show what you mean.
4. judgment: Only after interpreting the piece, you may then evaluate the successes or failings of the work. In judging a work, it is often helpful to go beyond your initial aesthetic response.
While it may be true that the judgment of art may be in the eye of the beholder, not all judgments are grounded in careful observation, research, or are well articulated. Consider these questions to take your criticism to the next level:
Is the piece successful on the artist's terms? Quote the artist and/or his or her associates to prove it! Did it achieve its original purpose? Does it speak to enduring themes that go beyond its original context?
Would it be successful in the terms set forth by a aesthetic theorist like Plato, Kant, Hegel etc.? Is it successful on your terms?
What can we get out of it? What can it teach us about ourselves, about the past? Should it change the way we think or act? Can it please us? Would you buy it, display it in your home or in a gallery? How does society collectively respond to it? How accessible is it? Has that response evolved over time? What might the artist (or you) do to improve the work?
5. citation: Make sure you cite the work of art and any other works in the text. Provide a complete works cited at the end that conforms to the standards articulated in Barlow's Student Writing Tools handbook.
Want better grades on writing?
We offer three paths to success here... Often I find the biggest barrier to success in writing is a lack of willingness on the part of the student to put in the required time and effort to have something interesting to say about a topic and to say it effectively. I have noticed from my own experience that three simple steps can make a big difference: 1. taking the time and care to read and think about the topic before writing, 2. to carefully look at the directions and rubrics to make sure you have completed the whole task the right way, and 3. to read your work out loud before turning it in.
But if that's not the case for you, we offer a lot of help for students to kick their game up to the next level, all conveniently located in the A wing:
1. Meet with me about an assignment... Despite what Mr. Reagan said about public workers, there's no reason to fear my assistance. I'm a published scholar who has a proven track record of helping students achieve at the highest levels of academia. Come in M-Th around 6:45-7:15 a.m. and we can go over what your plan is, your draft or deal with any questions you have about what the assignment requires. I'm also available after school on Thursdays by appointment. I'm also in the academic lab during period 3, days 4-6, and also on gold day during period 7.
Want a second opinion instead? Good! One of the dirty secrets of academia is that definitions of 'good writing' vary considerably. It's not because teachers are deliberately being unfair, but it's a fact that experienced instructors and writers acting in good faith can and do disagree about what excellence is. The same is true in art, music, dance, sports, or any art form really. The most successful students learn early to adapt their approach to writing for different audiences and purposes.
2. The writing room... It's a few doors down and across the hall. They have a full-time writing tutor Ms. Peters as well as English teachers Mr. Budd & Mr. Powers who specialize in helping you get your text to sparkle.
And the writing room has a lot of resources you can access online like their stellar Barlow Writing Tools booklet. A lot of why youthat can be fixed by following the suggestions in here. Their guide to citation is FANTASTIC!
http://www.joelbarlowps.org/files/_YaAqf_/931f8513e5bce21f3745a49013852ec4/WritingTools.pdf
Our writing room also provide some examples of student work that knocked it out of the park. Read the masters and follow their examples in their books of models and standouts:
http://www.joelbarlowps.org/pages/jbhs/Curriculum/Writing_Program
3. The academic center... Also just across the hall in A106 is the academic center. Many teachers from every subject area including myself are assigned there in regular cycles. They're there to tutor you on writing and my colleagues in social studies can get you up to speed in content, too. And the sovereign lord of the domain, Mr. Manley is quite helpful, so don't shy away from asking him for advice. If there isn't an expert there, ask Mr. Manley about setting up a tutoring session with a student member of the National Honor Society.
I'm assigned in the academic lab during period 3, days 4-6, and also on gold day during period 7.
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How to use the school-wide rubrics:
Some assignments require rubrics, so when I ask for them, please use the following system when I ask you to use any of of the school-wide rubrics.
1. Finish your writing and have it in your google.doc ready to go. Open it in another tab.
2. Scroll to just below here and click the downward-facing white arrow to download the rubrics to your computer. Don’t just open it with google.docs or your browser because copying that way won't work correctly when you paste.
2. Open the rubrics you downloaded using Microsoft Word or your free copy of OpenOffice (click here to download it), DO NOT USE a pdf reader or a web browser instead because it won't work.
3. Copy the correct rubric(s) that I named in the assignment, be they complexity, communication, and/or the community rubrics and then paste them at the end of your writing in your google.doc.
4. Highlight the text in the rubric that you believe best applies to your work using light blue. Feel free to include up to a paragraph explaining your selections.
5. Name the new google.doc using the usual system:
"your class, your first and last name, the assingment"
“W3, Cary Glynn, Wisdom from Athens”
6. Don't forget to share the google.doc with rsmith@er9org. And submit it to Turnitin.com, too. If you don't do BOTH, you get a zero (0) for the assignment. No exceptions!
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