Writing 3 Class Notes -- Week 15 (December 11)

Greetings!

For our final week was wonderful!  We listened to 6 very good presentations, finishing the presentation portion of our semester.  After students have done so much work, I’m glad that each one had an opportunity to share with the rest of us the work he/she had done.  Today we heard about automobile safety, drones, hunting, effects of music, the Lincoln assassination, and orca whales.  They were all well-spoken and interesting.

After our presentations, we had a short discussion about the class, the timing of the assignments, and the research paper writing process.    I not only like to get feedback from the students, but  it was an opportunity for them to think about themselves as writers and as students.  Some comments included having the first draft due earlier in the semester with a minimum page requirement.   When asked how many procrastinated, every hand went up, which is what I expected.  When working on a sustained project like this research paper, students learn a lot about time management and organization.

Each of these students deserves a pat on the back, a hearty handshake, and maybe an extra dessert.  They have worked really hard this semester; writing papers involves multiple steps and necessitates focus, creativity, and higher level thinking.  I’m really proud of them, and you should be, too.

Since this was the last day of class, the Final Drafts were due, but I’ve given those who need a little extra time until next week to get their papers in.  A couple of students forgot their rough drafts to hand in along with the final drafts.  Those can be scanned and e-mailed to me.

Students, pat yourselves on the back for a job well done.  Parents, congratulate your students for completing a hard task.

Reminders:

-- Send in your Final Drafts when you finish.

-- Send in your rough drafts if you didn’t bring them to class today.

Merry Christmas to all!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard

Research Paper Rubric

Research Paper Rubric

Criterion	Points	Insufficient	Limited	Adequate	Proficient	Exceptional
Format	10	Elements missing; incorrect margins, font, spacing, bibliography, endnotes.  (0 – 2 pt)	Some elements missing; flaws that detract from flow of paper (3 – 4 pt)	All elements present with occasional mistakes (5 – 6 pt)	All elements well-presented and flows smoothly (7 – 8 pt)	All elements thoroughly presented, extremely well-organized, no flaws (9 – 10 pt)
Student Scores
Mechanics	50	Frequent errors, seriously impairs flow & meaning of paper (0 – 9 pt)	Regular errors; flow/meaning of paper breaks down (10 – 19 pt)	Errors noticeable, and occasionally detract from flow or meaning of paper (20 – 29  pt)	Some errors, which are minor in nature and don’t detract from overall meaning of paper (30 – 39 pt)	Essentially faultless;   errors may result from risk-taking and do not detract from meaning of paper.  (40 – 50 pt)
Student Scores
Organization	50	Elements missing; minimal organization and lack of flow; understanding seriously impaired (0 – 9 pt)	Regular breaks in organization impede flow and meaning (10 – 19 pt)	Occasional disorganization within paragraphs, but paragraph organization well presented. (20 – 29  pt)	Well organized and flows smoothly; no distractions in organization; (30 – 39 pt)	All sentences and paragraphs flow well; smooth and logical flow; crisp and clear (40 – 50 pt)
Student Scores
Content	50	Little to no examination of data; failure to present relevant information (0 – 9 pt)	Some examination of data; little evaluation of material; little understanding of relevant information (10 – 19 pt)	Adequate understanding and examination of data; some attempts to incorporate material into paper (20 – 29  pt)	Skillful examination shows strong degree of evaluation; strong understanding of various points of argument (30 – 39 pt)	Demonstrates thorough examination of data; shows ability to evaluate; reveals mature insight (40 – 50 pt)
Student Scores
Thesis/Position	15	Position incomplete; support ineffective; explanation minimal (0 – 3 pt)	Positions partially presented; weak information; lack of relevant details. (4 – 6 pt)	Position substantially   presented; some imbalance in positions and missing or gaps in explanation.  (7 – 9 pt)	Position completely presented, relevant, accurate, clear and well-explained.   (10 – 12 pt)	All positions thoroughly presented; each point clearly explained; relevant and accurate support of positions (13 – 15 pt)
Student Scores
Presentation	25	Unprepared; unorganized; no eye contact; too casual (0 – 4 pt)	Shared minimal information; occasional eye contact (5 – 9  pt)	Good organization; shared relevant and interested information (10 – 14 pt)	Well-organized; material interests and engages audience; very good eye contact.  (15 – 19 pt)	Flawless presentation; covers key information; confident, engaging (20 – 25 pt)
Student Scores

Total Score – 200 possible points

Writing 3 Class Notes -- Week 14 (December 4)

Greetings!

We had another round of excellent Presentations this week.  Last week we learned about sleep, the Common Core, and homeless youth in the metro area.  This week, we heard about the Second Amendment from Hannah, stem cell research from Taylor, and fast food from Zac.  Each of the students spoke confidently and knowledgeably about their topics, and the class had insightful follow-up questions.  This is the time in the class when students begin to feel that their hard work is paying off.

Next week is our last week, and because we have 6 presentations scheduled for that week, we've decided that it would be good to start class a little early.  We will start our presentations at 8:45, sharp.  If any of the students have PowerPoint presentations, they should e-mail them to me before Thursday.

The final drafts of the papers are due on the last week of classes.  I've talked with the students about this due date and have told them that if they need an extension, they should talk to me about it.  Though I understand how life can be hectic and that it is sometimes a challenge to get everything done on time, I encouraged the students that if they need an extension to not let it go too far past that last day of class.  From my experience, I have found that once the class is over, students (and the teacher) lose momentum.

I'm including a link to the rubric that I will use to evaluate the papers.  The students have paper versions of the rubric.

I usually bring Christmas cookies for the last day of class before the break.  Feel free to bring any treats to help us celebrate the hard work this class has done all semester!

This week's links

Class Notes

Research Paper Rubric

Until next week,

Mrs. Prichard