Writing 3 Class Notes -- Week 15 (December 17)

Greetings!

We had a marvelous time in class today.  Our final four students presented for their classmates.  Dane spoke about the downfall of monarchies; Joe gave us information about the effects of screen time on the brain; Ilya shared the stories of 3 billionaires with drive and vision.  Finally, Ben talked about what is good about our nation, America.

Students were to hand in their Final Drafts of their Research Papers, along with any rough drafts.  Any papers not handed in should be e-mailed as soon as possible.

I'm excited about going through these papers.  The class has worked so hard on them, and I'm really proud of their writing.  They all presented fascinating information when it was their turns to stand before their classmates.

My hopes are to have the papers graded and the grades out before the end of the year.  I have papers from Writing 1, Writing 2, and Writing 3, so it will take some time.

This class is now finished.  Next semester, in the place of Writing 3, I teach a British Literature class.  In this class, we read Beowulf, Much Ado about Nothing, Great Expectations, Romantic poetry, Victorian poetry, Pygmalion, and 39 Steps -- all classics of British literature.  The class is discussion based with very little writing.

Have a great Christmas!  Be blessed with your family and with the Lord during this time of year!

Mrs. Prichard

Research Paper Rubric

Criterion	Pts	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 13 (December 3)

Greetings!

We've reached one of my favorite parts of this class -- the Presentations!  The students have all worked hard on their research and writing, and this is a chance for them to share their work with their classmates.  While some students might feel self-conscious and not comfortable speaking in front of others, this is a wonderfully welcoming group of young people.  

Our first presenter was Tatum Beynon.  Her research paper was on the history of ballet, and for her presentation, she spoke on pointe shoes.  She was followed by Michael Sipprell who shared with us some information about the pay for professional athletes.  Our final presentation, given by Christopher Goddard, was an examination of Thomas Jefferson.

I handed back third rough drafts to those who had handed the in before the Thanksgiving break.  This was an optional draft.  The final drafts of the papers are due the last week of class.

Next week's presenters:  

1.  Jaden

2.  Cassidy

3.  Joe

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Finish Final Draft

-- Prepare for presentation, if necessary. 

This week's links:

Class Notes

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Prichard