Assignments & Grades

Assignments

Essays

You will write three essays of varied lengths for this course. The first essay will be 1,000 words, the second will be 1,200 words, and the last will be 1,500 words. I will provide you with a detailed prompt and rubric for each. The essays will be based on the readings and class discussions, while still giving you the opportunity to incorporate your views and interests. All of the essays will be submitted through Turnitin via Canvas. MLA format is required for all assignments. There will be additional support and resources, including an MLA sample paper, available to you on Canvas. 

Exams

You will complete three essay exams. These exams will be shorter in length than the other course essays. They will be 800 words each. The exams will cover the assigned readings from the course as well as the essay styles we will cover, and I will provide you with the prompts in advance. Typically, all exams will be available to complete for 24 hours.

Prewriting

To create good writing, you will be completing different prewriting activities to help you organize your ideas or research.  These assignments will also be your chance to demonstrate that you understand the essay prompt.

Reading Response Discussions 

You will complete written responses to the course readings throughout the semester. This will be a perfect opportunity for you to gather your thoughts/reflections on the readings and prepare to discuss them both in your essays as well as in course conversations. These responses will be submitted through Discussion posts on Canvas to give you the opportunity to get those course conversations started with your peers prior to arriving to our meetings. I encourage you to challenge yourself to read closely and think critically in order to cultivate your writing skills and participate in our class discussions in a meaningful way. Plus, these responses are great practice for writing your essays because they help you further develop your ideas on 'paper'.

Participation

You will have the chance to participate in various ways, both individually, and within groups during our class meetings. Please be sure to complete the readings, so that you can earn all participation points offered. Without doing the reading you will not be able to fully engage in the course activities. There will be activities that facilitate individual, small group, and large group learning.  The details of how to receive full credit for these activities will be included in their assignment pages on Canvas, as well as discussed during class meetings.

Grades

I will keep a record of your grades in Canvas, and I encourage you to keep track of your points as well. You can even see what your projected grade will be in the course by using the “What If” feature in Canvas.

• • Participation: 17 assignments x  5 points =  85 points

  • Reading Response Discussions: 8 assignments x 15 points = 120 points

  • Prewriting: 3 assignments x 10 points = 30 points

  • Essays: 3 assignments x 100 points = 300 points

  • Essay Exams: 3 assignments x 100 points = 300

  • Course Total: 835 points

*You must complete all essays and exams in this course in order to receive a passing grade. Letter grades, A–C, are passing grades; letter grades, D–F, are non-passing grades.