S2013 1010-37 Cardon: Writing
Dr. Lauren Cardon
Office hours: Wed. 1:00-4:00pm, Thurs. 12:30-1:30pm
TR 3:30-4:45pm
lcardon@tulane.edu
Office: Norman Mayer 200C
Department Learning Outcomes
Students will learn how to write clearly and how to develop complex, coherent arguments that
engage with expert knowledge through independent scholarly research and correct citation of
sources.
English 101 Course Description & Learning Outcomes
The purpose of English 101 is to teach you to write clearly and to organize complex arguments that
engage in a scholarly way with expert knowledge. Toward that end, you will learn to conduct
independent bibliographic research and to incorporate that material appropriately into the sort of clear,
complex, coherent arguments that characterize academic discourse. Specifically, you’ll learn that:
 To write clearly means that you must take a piece of writing through multiple drafts in
order to eliminate any grammatical errors or stylistic flaws that might undermine the authoraudience relationship;
 To write with meaningful complexity, you must learn to practice a variety of invention
strategies (e.g., the five classical appeals, freewriting, reading and analysis, and library
research) and to revise continuously the materials generated by these methods;
 To make coherent arguments without sacrificing complexity, your practice of revision
must be guided by certain principles of style and arrangement, and you must grow adept in
the genre of argument itself through work with models and templates established by
standard persuasive rhetorics;
 To create effective arguments, you must cultivate strategies for positioning texts against
each other to familiarize yourself with the arguments of others before developing your own
claims, and grow adept at using warrants, evidence, counter-claims, and other rhetorical
tropes to craft your own arguments. Students will learn strategies for active, critical reading,
strategies for deciphering why a text might be arranged a certain way and what that
arrangement might mean, as well as strategies for summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting;
 To conduct effective research means utilizing the library, evaluating sources, and
incorporating the work of others into your texts using the proper conventions of citation
endorsed by the Modern Language Association (MLA).
To maximize your potential for developing these abilities, the methods of instruction for English
101 include seminar-style discussions with heavy student participation; brief lectures by the
professor (and occasionally your classmates); hands-on productive work in writing workshops and
guided “lab” exercises; and regular one-on-one conferencing with the professor.
Course Introduction: Re-Reading & Writing America
In order for you to write with expert knowledge, each section of
English 1010 is arranged around a topic. In this section, your
reader, Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and
Writing, provides a set of texts that will allow you to develop an
expertise in the discourse, focusing on the subtopics of Family,
Education, Money & Success, Race & Ethnicity, Gender, and the
Environment. Students will grow adept at situating the texts we
discuss in a larger context (e.g., debates about education, identity politics, and citizenship), and the
texts can serve as models for analytical and argumentative practice.
Required Texts
Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical
Thinking and Writing
Muriel Harris, The Writer’s FAQs (grammar handbook – optional)
Assignments & Grading
Please consult the Grading Criteria for specifics on how paper grades are earned.
Your assignments for this class consist of short assignments and 4 major papers.
Analysis Unit
In this unit, we will establish important, definitive terms crucial to our understanding of the course
theme and use these as the basis for making small, analytical observations in a series of short
response papers that build towards a major analysis paper. We will practice active reading and
annotation, definition, summary and synthesis, and the construction of a paper that situates your
own position among an analysis of issues at stake within the texts under discussion. All students will
have required conferences with me before Week 6.
Grades earned in this unit are:
 3 (of 4 options) 1-page short response essays (2 points each; 6 total)
 4-page Analytical Essay 1 (20 points) – includes revision of short response essays
Total points for this unit: 26
Argument Unit
In this unit, we look at several contemporary debates, sifting through multiple well-informed
perspectives on the same issues. We also learn the “they say/I say” model for forming arguments.
Readings will help familiarize students with the debates, and our in-class exercises will instruct
students in the rhetorical triangle and logical fallacies. Shorter writing assignments will help you
come to terms with the arguments of others before starting to develop your own responses, and the
longer argumentative essay will allow you to craft a sophisticated reply with warrants, evidence,
counter-claims, and other rhetorical tropes.
Grades for this unit are:
 2 responses (2 points each, 4 total)
 1 rhetorical analysis (1 pt.)
 4-page Argument Paper (20 points) – revises one of the in-class responses
Total points for this unit: 25
Hybrid Essay
To help students understand how argument and analysis are related, students will complete a hybrid
assignment in which they choose an area of the discourse to which they feel a personal connection
and conduct scholarly research to explore how various scholars discuss their chosen topic. Students
will find 4-5 scholarly sources that help to establish this discourse, analyze these sources, and then
clarify their own positions in relation to the chosen sources in a bibliographic essay. We will visit the
library’s Center for Library User Education (CLUE) to prepare for this assignment.
 List of 3 sources with annotations (3 pts.)
 Short response (2 pts.)
 5-page Bibliographic Essay 2 (20 points)
Total points for this unit: 25
Research Unit
The research paper is a lengthier assignment that will serve as your final paper (there is no set final
exam for the class). Students will formulate an argument pertaining to one of the questions or
debates raised over the course of the semester. Each student will write a “mini-proposal,” drawing
from the discourse of Paper 3. The final paper will draw from the bibliographic essay as students
produce a more formal essay that integrates their own analysis into a larger scholarly conversation.
Grades for this unit are:
 Lead + Intro (2 pts.)
 Mini-Proposal (1 point)
 Rough draft for class workshop (1 point)
 7-page Research Paper (25 points)
Total points for this unit: 29
Participation, Attendance, & Effort: 5 Possible Points
Your overall progress, participation, and attendance will be evaluated on a scale of 5 points,
determined as follows:
5
4
3
2
1
Attends class regularly (missing only when illness, injury, or emergency prevents attendance);
always notifies teacher in advance if intending to miss class, arrive late, or leave early, and
always stays caught up with work; voluntarily participates every week in discussions with
insightful contributions; makes demonstrated effort to improve writing based on instructor
comments and class exercises; provides substantial, valuable commentary during workshops.
Never texts or does other classes’ work during class time.
Attends class regularly (perhaps 2-3 absences); usually notifies teacher in advance if intending
to miss class, arrive late, or leave early, perhaps missing 1 assignment; occasionally
contributes useful insights to class discussions; makes effort to improve writing based on
instructor comments and class exercises yet sometimes fails to read comments and
suggestions carefully; provides some valuable commentary during workshops. Has been
caught texting or doing homework for other classes once or twice.
Attends class yet often arrives late or leaves for stretches of time in the middle of class;
misses class without contacting the professor or attempting to stay up to date on
assignments; shows some improvement but often neglects to address issues specified in
professor’s comments; stays alert and focused during class but never participates unless
called upon; provides a few suggestions during class workshops; has been caught texting or
doing homework for other classes several times.
Uses maximum allotted absences and often arrives late or leaves for stretches of time; misses
class without contacting professor or staying up to date on assignments; shows little
improvement; often looks distracted or inattentive during class and fails to make meaningful
contributions to class discussions; often caught texting or doing work for other classes.
Misses more than the allotted number of absences.
110 point total. To calculate/confirm your final average yourself, divide your point total by 110 and
move the decimal point over two spaces (or multiply by 100). E.g.: If you have 101 points, 101 ÷
110 = .9181, so final average is 91.8 (an A-).
Departmental Course Policies
Attendance: Students in English 1010 develop skills that will serve them for their rest of their
academic and professional lives. What’s more, no matter how well a student writes, he or she can
and should always cultivate these skills yet further. To do this, students must come to class,
participate in class activities, and sustain positive, productive membership in the classroom
community of student-writers. Thus, attendance, as well as punctual arrival and participation are
absolutely essential; moreover, cell phones must be silenced, and text-messaging and emailing
are strictly forbidden, for these disruptions, as with tardiness, can be counted as absences.
When a student absence results from serious illness, injury or a critical personal problem, that
student must notify the instructor and arrange to complete any missed work in a timely fashion.
Students are allowed, over the course of the semester, to miss the equivalent of one week of class
without penalty. Thereafter, students will lose one-third of their final grade for every unexcused
absence from class. Once a student has accumulated the equivalent of three weeks of unexcused
absences, he or she has automatically failed the class.
In order to enforce the attendance policy, the instructor will document the dates of every student’s
unexcused absences and file an “Absence Report Form” for any of their students who accumulate
four, unexcused absences. These forms are sent to the student and the student’s dean (the instructor
retains the third copy). If the student’s attendance problem results in his or her failing the course,
the instructor should file a second “Absence Report Form” recommending that the student be
withdrawn from the course with an F.
Academic Dishonesty: This link will take you to the Newcomb-Tulane Code of Academic Conduct:
http://college.tulane.edu/code.htm. All students must take responsibility for studying this code and
adhering to it. We will devote some time in class to it. Our purpose, in these discussions, will be not
only to teach you how to avoid plagiarism and how to cite sources, but to initiate you into the
contemporary discussion of intellectual property and the nuanced dynamics between individuality,
authorship, and what’s sometimes called intertextuality, so that you can make informed and
thoughtful choices about your writing for the rest of your university career and later in life.
The Grade of “Incomplete”: If a student has a legitimate excuse for being unable to complete all of
the work for a course, the instructor can give that student an “I” (Incomplete) on the final grade
sheet. If the student does not complete the work and the instructor does not change the grade,
however, that grade will revert to an F. The deadline for addressing incompletes varies each
semester but is usually about one month after the final exam period. Before a student is given an
“I,” the instructor will confirm with the student – in writing – exactly what the student needs to
finish and retain a dated copy of this correspondence in the event that the student misses the
deadline and then expresses confusion about the new grade of “F.”
Students with Special Needs: Students who need special help with the course, such as note-taking,
free tutoring, additional time and/or a distraction-reduced environment for tests and final exams,
may contact the Goldman Office of Disability Services (ODS), located in the Center for Educational
Resources & Counseling (ERC). It is the responsibility of the student to register a disability with
ODS, to make a specific request for accommodations, and to submit all required
documentation. On a case-by-case basis, ODS staff determines disability status, accommodation
needs supported by the documentation, and accommodations reasonable for the University to
provide. University faculty and staff, in collaboration with ODS, are then responsible for providing
the approved accommodations. ODS is located in the ERC on the 1st floor of the Science and
Engineering Lab Complex, Building (#14). Please visit the ODS website for more detailed
information, including registration forms and disability documentation guidelines:
http://tulane.edu/studentaffairs/erc/services/disabilityserviceshome.cfm
Additional Classroom Policies
1) All major paper assignments must be uploaded on Blackboard before class on the due date
(no hard copies unless I have specified otherwise). Late papers will be lowered 1 point per
day (.5 if past the deadline on the due day).
2) If you miss class, you are responsible for any material missed, including changes to the
schedule, additional requirements for a paper, or anything else discussed.
3) You may not make up in-class responses.
4) Be respectful of your classmates and professor in class, including participating in discussion
(or at least looking alert and not putting your head down on your desk or engaging in side
conversation), and showing tolerance when you hear comments, perspectives, or political
views that differ from your own.
5) Do not use your computer in class unless the professor has indicated otherwise.
6) When possible, reserve “bathroom breaks” for before class, during the class break, during a
workshop, or after class.
7) Use appropriate etiquette when writing an email to your professor. This means using a
proper greeting (Dear/Hi/Good morning Lauren/Dr. Cardon/Professor) and signature,
without any text-message shorthand or excessive emoticons.
8) Email the professor with questions only if they cannot be answered by the course materials
(assignment descriptions, syllabus, or schedule).
9) Check to ensure your paper has posted on Blackboard, and was not “saved as draft.” If for
some reason Blackboard is not working for you, send me an email (with the paper attached)
explaining the problem. Technology malfunctions are not excuses for late papers.
English 1010 and Professional Development
Investing in Your Writing
English 1010 is one of the most important classes you will take in college, in terms of both your
college career and your professional future. More than ever before, employers across disciplines (and
especially in Business) are hiring English majors because they value strong writers. Here are some
ways you can maximize the benefits of this course for your own purposes:
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The Boyette Prize: At the end of the semester, I nominate two essays for the Boyette Prize
awarded to one student per semester. The prize includes a $100 award, but it also makes an
impressive mark on your résumé. In past years, I have had one student win the prize and
another receive an honorable mention. Both students’ essays are still on the departmental
website. Even if you are nominated for this prize, you should mention it on your résumé.
Writing Samples: Several students have reported to me after graduating that their writing
samples required for jobs came from their 1010 class. One of my students, a journalism
major, was selected for a competitive internship in New York for a newspaper, based on a
research paper she wrote for my class.
Submitting Your Work: If you have published your writing, even in a student publication,
you have documented evidence on your résumé that you have strong writing skills. Tulane
has a literary review (Tulane Review), for which all students may submit writing for
consideration. Some of the assignments for our class should generate interesting discourse
about the college experience. Consider submitting an essay to the review, to the Hullaballoo,
or to NextGen Journal online (one of my former students is the Tulane representative).
Scholarly Input: I will consider referencing any exemplary writing in my own scholarly
work. We are discussing highly debated contemporary topics in our class, and many scholarly
journals will welcome the perspectives of undergraduates as contributions to that discourse.
Having even an excerpt from your paper featured in a scholarly journal is a prestigious
honor so early in your career. I have incorporated several students’ writing from last year
into an article I will be submitting to a pedagogical journal, and if it is accepted, they will
have an impressive credit to add to their résumés.
Application Essays: Many of my students know early on that they intend to continue on to
graduate school. Others want to apply for competitive internships during the summers, or
apply for a specific study abroad opportunity. Each of these opportunities often requires
multiple application essays. This class will equip students with the skills to write compelling,
original, and ambitious essays. Some of my former students used essays they had written for
my class as their application essays.
Building Professional Relationships: For many students, their 1010 professors are the
only professors their entire freshman year who know their names, and know their work well
enough to write recommendation letters. I have written recommendation letters for students
seven years after they had my class – these were students that put effort into my course, met
with me during office hours, and showed remarkable progress. Students have also utilized
the “interview” assignment to get to know professors in their fields and to network.
Let these options serve as reminders that the papers you write in the class are part of an ongoing
academic and public discourse. If you think of yourself as a valued scholarly contributor to that
discourse with a fresh perspective, you are more likely to put more effort into your writing and to
find the assignments (and the class) far more rewarding.
Schedule of Classes and Assignments
UNIT ONE: ANALYSIS
Week 1: The American Dream & Other Commonplaces
Tues., Jan. 15
Class Intro & Diagnostic.
Discussion: Introduce Extra Credit.
Exercise: Diagnostic.
Assignment for 1/17: Read “How to
Say Nothing in 500 Words” (on
Blackboard).
Thurs., Jan. 17
Prose Style and Sentence Construction
Exercise: Sentence construction exercise and essay review.
Assignment for 1/22: Read “From Ragged Dick” (258-263) and “Horatio
Alger” (272-277).
Week 2: Invention Strategies and Kairos
Tues., Jan. 22
Introduction to the Analysis Unit
Discussion: Introduce Paper 1. Go over Ragged Dick.
Exercise: Brainstorming/invention and kairos exercise (photos).
Assignment for 1/24: Read “Studs Terkel” (366-371) and prepare questions.
Thurs., Jan. 24
Visit from Barry Thompson.
Assignment for 1/29: Read “Harmony at Home”
(18-21), “Looking for Work” (26-31) and “What
We Really Miss About the 1950s” (32-48).
Response 1: Write 1 page, double-space,
responding to question 4 on p. 48.
Week 3: Textual Analysis and Critical Reading
Tues., Jan. 29
Textual Analysis and the American Family
Discussion: Readings on the American family,
concept of “nuclear family.”
Exercise: Norman Rockwell photographs, Family
Tree, in-class responses.
Assignment for 2/1: Read “The Lesson” (264-271) and “The Boy in the
Mirror” (409-420). Response 2: Respond to question 1 on p. 271 or 420.
Thurs., Jan. 31
Close Reading and Narrative Analysis
Discussion: Controversial issues, the impact of narrative. Discussion of stasis.
Exercise: “Hostile audience” exercise & Clarity handout.
Assignment for 2/5: Read “Learning to Read” (210-218); Response 3:
Respond to question 4 on p. 218.
Week 4: Perspective Analysis
Tues., Feb. 5
Analyzing without Arguing
Discussion: Questions on Malcolm X; watch video. Emphasis handout.
Exercise: In-class exercise – job materials; impression management.
Assignment for 9/20: Read “In the Basement of the Ivory Tower” (238-247)
for Optional Response 4. Write intro and outline for Paper 1.
Thurs., Feb. 7
Analyzing with Complexity
Discussion: Go over “Professor X” essay and analyzing with complexity.
Exercise: Workshop. Sentence exercise & figurative language handouts.
Assignment for 2/14: Write rough draft.
Week 5: Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Tues., Feb. 12
No Class – Mardi Gras
Thurs., Feb. 14
Revising an Introduction
Discussion: Handout on revising.
Exercise: Workshop.
Assignment for 2/19: Read “Proposition
8” (79), “8 Is not Hate” (81-83), “Prop 8
Hurt My Family” (84-88), “What Is
Marriage?” (89-101) and “Gays Against Adam and Steve”; finish Paper 1.
Week 6: They Say/I Say and Contemporary Debates
Tues., Feb. 19
Introduce Argument Paper and They Say/I Say
Discussion: Go over They Say/I Say templates. Introduce Argument Paper.
Exercise: Practice with templates.
Assignment for 2/21: Read “From As the World Burns” comic strip (715-741),
“From The End of Nature” (743-754), and “Our Unhealthy Future Under
Environmentalism” (772-784). Write Response 1 (they say/I say).
Thurs., Feb. 21
Establishing a debate
Discussion: Go over essays and debate. Sound & syntax handout.
Exercise: Photograph exercise (present to class).
Assignment for 2/26: Read “‘Bros Before Hos’: The Guy Code” (608-617).
Write Response 2: Respond to question 4 on p. 617.
Week 7: Rhetorical Analysis
Tues., Feb. 26
Rhetorical Triangle
Discussion: Go over Kimmel essay; introduce rhetorical triangle.
Exercise: Rhetorical analyses of advertisements.
Assignment for 2/28: Read “Deconstructing America” (462-472) and write
Rhetorical Analysis.
Thurs., Feb. 28
Logical Fallacies
Discussion: Go over Buchanan essay. Look at visual portfolio.
Exercise: Logical Fallacies slideshow and interview exercise.
Assignment for 3/5: Read “Idiot Nation” (128-145) and “Serving in Florida”
(290-303).
Week 8: Tone and Hot-Button Issues
Tues., Mar. 5
Tone and Audience
Discussion: Michael Moore and Barbara Ehrenreich.
Exercise: Pronoun handout.
Assignment for 3/7: Write Rough Draft of Paper 2 and read “A Boy’s Life”
(546-567).
Tues., Mar. 7
Peer Review Workshop
Discussion: Review common issues with implicit v. explicit warrants.
Exercise: Workshop.
Assignment for 3/12: Finish Paper 2.
UNIT 3: HYBRID (REVIEW ANALYSIS & ARGUMENT, INTRODUCE RESEARCH)
Week 9: Conducting Scholarly Research
Tues., Mar. 12
Introduce Hybrid Paper
Discussion: Read sample essay and discuss. Go over general topics list.
Exercise: Brainstorming/free writing.
Assignment for 3/14: Choose two narrowed topics; bring laptops.
Thurs., Mar. 14
Online Research and Databases: Meet in CLUE.
Discussion: How to use online databases and conduct scholarly research;
learning to distinguish between scholarly and popular sources.
Exercise: In-class research.
Assignment for 3/19: Write list of three sources with descriptions; read
“The Descent of Men” (618-628).
Week 10: Reviewing Synthesis
Tues., Mar. 19
Introducing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
Discussion: Kindlon essay and references.
Exercise: Source handout.
Assignment for 3/21: Read “The Death of Macho” (629-636) for in-class
response. Intro paragraphs for Paper 3.
Thurs., Mar. 21
Synthesizing Sources
Discussion: Establishing a dialogue.
Exercise: In-class response.
Assignment for 4/2: Write rough drafts. Read
“The End of White America?” (497-510).
Week 11: Spring Break – No Class
Week 12: Establishing a Discourse
Tues., Apr. 2
Developing Proposals
Discussion: Discuss Hsu and implications.
Relating “they say/I say” to research argument.
Exercise: Peer Review Workshop. Transitions.
Assignment for 4/4: Finish Paper 3 and read
“Models of American Ethnic Relations: A
Historical Perspective” (449-460)
UNIT 4: RESEARCH
Thurs., Apr. 4
Introduce Final Research Paper and Mini-Proposal
Discussion: Go over Fredrickson and terminology; explain mini-proposal.
Exercise: Discourse exercise. Surveys and Interviews.
Assignment for 4/9: Write Mini-Proposal.
Week 13: Introductions and Conclusions
Tues., Apr. 9
Components of a Research Paper Intro
Discussion: Leads, Claims, Kairos, and Road Maps.
Exercise: Sample leads and assessments.
Assignment for 4/11: Read “Framing Class” (330-348); write lead and intro
for final paper.
Thurs., Apr. 11
Incorporating and Citing Sources and Conclusions
Discussion: Common mistakes in conclusions; handout on incorporating
source material. Look at “Framing Class” and its treatment of sources.
Exercise: Read and review sample conclusions.
Assignment for 4/16: Write conclusions for papers and read “‘Two Ways a
Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence” (575-600).
Week 14: Developing the Final Research Paper
Tues., Apr. 16
Paragraph Organization in Research Papers
Discussion: Alternative sources; maintaining focus in paragraphs. Discuss
Kilbourne article and its incorporation of images.
Exercise: Workshop conclusions. Restatement handout.
Assignment for 4/18: Read “Harnessing the Power of Millennials” and
“Stressed, Self-Assured, and Straight” (Blackboard).
Thurs., Apr. 18
Creating the Perfect Paragraph
Discussion: Learning strategies for writing. Discuss Howe & Phalen articles.
Exercise: Drafting exercise in class.
Assignment for 4/23: Write first three pages of final paper; bring hard copy.
Week 15: Revising and Editing at the Sentence Level
Tues., Apr. 23
Revision Exercise
Discussion: Look at extra credit.
Exercise: Revising. Balance handout.
Assignment for 4/30: Bring in two hard
copies of the rough draft. Bring extra
credit albums.
Thurs., Apr. 25
Class canceled for individual conference
meetings.
Week 16: Final Workshop
Tues., Apr. 30
Class Workshop.
Discussion: Go over extra credit.
Exercise: Final Peer Review Workshop.
Assignment: Final papers due on exam date by 5:00pm.
Appendix: Grading Rubrics & Guidelines
Freshman Writing Essay Outcomes
In this course, students should learn how to write a superior paper suitable for their course-work in
the university. All superior papers demonstrate a preponderance of the attributes listed below. The
difference between an A and a B paper will depend upon the degree to which the paper achieves
these outcomes. An inferior paper exhibits relatively few of these attributes. The difference
between a C, D, or F paper depends upon the degree to which the paper fails to achieve these
outcomes.
1. The paper is organized around an arguable thesis statement. It uses textual analysis or scholarly
research to pinpoint a controversial or inadequately understood problem. The introductory
paragraph indicates the purpose of the argument for specific audiences and suggests the significance
of the problem. In other words, if the paper is for the analysis unit or the research unit, rather than
the argument unit, it should nonetheless present and support a contestable thesis, for all academic
writing constitutes ‘argument’ in this broad sense. In the argument unit itself, papers will develop
arguments in more narrowly defined, formal ways of the sort associated with the major templates for
arguments (Toulmin, Graff-Berkenstein).
2. The thesis statement guides the development of the argument in a logical way. The topic
sentences of the paragraphs supporting the thesis statement articulate the logical steps in the
argument.
3. Each paragraph develops a step in the logic of the argument and moves the discussion to the next
step. Paragraphs are unified around a topic sentence, and the topic sentences of the paper, taken
together, form the spine of the argument.
4. The argument develops by taking into account objections and counterarguments that add
complexity. Claims are substantiated by valid warrants, from expert sources as required. Complexity
is also achieved through a sustained engagement with various invention strategies, so that arguments
are rich, nuanced, and thoughtful, not superficial or formulaic.
5. The conclusion to the paper may have been telegraphed in the introduction, but this paragraph
synthesizes and summarizes the findings of the essay, while indicating their significance. Ideally, it
will indicate some avenues for further research and discussion.
6. All papers are expected to conform to MLA style and to avoid grammatical and stylistic errors.
Grading Rubrics for Major Papers
Analysis Paper (20 Points Possible)
Content
 Ideas are complex, ambitious, and fresh; paper addresses all parameters of assignment & is carefully situated
among the readings
 Ideas are somewhat familiar, fewer in number, simpler; paper addresses all assignment parameters but has
limited relation to readings
 Ideas are somewhat familiar, few in number, simpler; paper fails to address part of assignment and doesn’t
significantly engage readings
 Ideas are only slight extensions of class discussion and fail to address assignment objectives; little relevance to
readings
 Ideas just repeat class discussion; severe deviation from assignment; no relevance to readings
Complexity
 Analysis exhibits both invention and development; word choice and insights go beyond the familiar
 Analysis exhibits some good development but relies on familiar ideas; shifts reader’s views several times
 Analysis is underdeveloped, a generalized articulation of familiar ideas; shifts reader’s views minimally
 Analysis is a flat rehearsal of obvious truisms, no development, offers little by way of new perspective
 Analysis exhibits no new perspectives and is completely undeveloped
4
3
2
1
0
4
3
2
1
0
Coherence / Arrangement
 A powerful focus achieved through an elegant juxtaposition of the entity under analysis with the context
enabling the analysis, a logical flow of ideas, smooth transitions and focused, comprehensive paragraphs
4
 A strong overall focus with some strategies of coherence and emphasis, slightly weaker articulation of the
dynamic between the analyzed text and context, some weak transitions and paragraph focus
3
 A focus sustained throughout with a few transitions that could be improved; a more haphazard articulation of
the dynamic between the analyzed text and context
2
 A focus compromised by more than one very abrupt, graceless transition, and an awkward, even jumbled
rotating between text and context
1
 A focus not achieved because of basic structural issues and lack of transitions and balance, with no discernible
relation between what’s analyzed and the context that would enable analysis
0
Style & Clarity
 Writing is clear and concise; shows variation of word choice and sentence structure; good use of detail to slip
out of abstraction; writer’s voice comes through clearly
4
 Writing exhibits occasional wordiness, yet overall good variation in sentence structure and a clear, but not
always consistent voice; occasional moments of vagueness
3
 Writing wordier with occasional awkwardness; less variation of sentence structure; voice doesn’t come through
clearly
2
 Writing gets repetitive, dull, and often awkward; heavy reliance on “colorless” words
1
 Writing is unclear; several sentences sufficiently ill-formed to distract reader from intended message; overall
paper lacks grace and clarity
0
Mechanics
 Error free
 Only a few, very minor errors
 Several careless errors that show a lack of proofreading and/or disregard for formatting parameters
 Several mechanics errors that significantly distract the reader
 Multiple careless and/or grammatical errors (more than 10) that distract the reader
4
3
2
1
0
Argument Paper (20 Points Possible)
Content
 Claims are delivered with sufficient warrants and evidence to be persuasive; paper addresses all parameters of
assignment
4
 Claims are presented less clearly and assertively; paper addresses all assignment parameters but needs more
evidence and development to be persuasive
3
 Claim is not presented clearly and is not crafted well enough to be altogether persuasive; paper overlooks some
aspect of the assignment
2
 Claim is delivered with an argument too flawed to be persuasive at all, heavy reliance on logical fallacies, some
departure from the assignment
1
 Claim is not discernable, nor is any argumentative craft; fails to fulfill assignment parameters
0
Complexity
 Argument is multi-dimensional, re: kinds of evidence, counter-arguments, and development
 Argument is multi-dimensional, yet merits more development, evidence, and counter-arguments
 Argument offers more limited evidence and counter-arguments, lacks development
 Argument is weakened by overmuch simplicity in evidence and arguments, no development
 Argument is missing a key element (either evidence, warrants, or counterarguments)
Coherence / Arrangement
 Writer positions argument to indicate its relevance, purpose, and direction; then develops argument in a way
that maintains focus and a logical flow of ideas
 Writer positions argument to indicate its relevance and purpose yet doesn’t show clear direction; paper
occasionally disrupted by a weak transition or lack of focus
 Writer fails to indicate relevance and purpose of argument clearly; paper lacks focus and flow at times
 Writer fails to give any sense of argument’s relevance; paper feels unfocused and lacks transitions
 Argument is unformed; overall paper lacks any focus
Style & Clarity
(same as Analysis rubric)
Mechanics
(same as Analysis rubric)
4
3
2
1
0
4
3
2
1
0
Hybrid Paper (20 Points Possible)
Content





Student has chosen a clear and appropriate topic as well as appropriate scholarly sources
Student’s topic isn’t entirely clear or is slightly vague, one source seems slightly inappropriate
Student’s topic needs more development or articulation; some issues with sources
Student’s topic is unclear; sources are not scholarly (or student doesn’t have enough sources)
Student never articulates topic and only has 1-2 sources
4
3
2
1
0
Complexity
 Research topic has multi-dimensional, contestable implications; insightful analysis of sources
 Research topic has multi-dimensional implications, paper merits more analysis and discussion
 Research topic has a simpler array of answers and few implications; parts of essay feel undeveloped
 Research topic has only one, incontestable answer and implication; essay overall feels stale and undeveloped
 Research question has no conclusive answer nor any clear implications; sources aren’t analyzed
4
3
2
1
0
Coherence/Arrangement
 Student establishes dialogue among sources, and flow from topic to sources (and from one source to another)
feels subtle and engaging
 Student needs to establish clearer dialogue among sources; flow needs more subtlety
 Movement from topic to sources (and among sources) is simpler and more abrupt; some focus & flow issues
 Movement from topic to sources breaks into two halves; paper feels unfocused and lacks transitions
 Paper has no focus or flow
4
3
2
1
0
Style & Clarity
(same as Analysis rubric)
Mechanics
(same as Analysis rubric)
Research Paper (25 Points Possible)
Content
 Topic is fresh and articulated as an important question that the research answers
4
 Topic is slightly familiar and doesn’t have a clear purpose, yet is articulated as an important question answered
by the research
3
 Topic has either not yielded an important question or research that answers it
2
 Topic has neither yielded an important question nor any research that answers it
1
 Topic is never defined adequately nor linked to any relevant research
0
Complexity
 Research question has multi-dimensional, contestable answers and implications; good development of claims
and analysis
4
 Research question has multi-dimensional answers and implications, yet some claims merit more discussion and
paper overall merits more analysis
3
 Research question has a simpler array of answers and few implications; parts of essay feel undeveloped
2
 Research question has only one, incontestable answer and one implication; essay overall feels stale and
undeveloped
1
 Research question has no conclusive answer nor any clear implications
0
Coherence/Arrangement
 Movement from question to researched answer is subtle and engaging; writer maintains focused, logical flow of
ideas
4
 Movement from question to researched answer is subtle and engaging, yet overall focus and flow is
occasionally disrupted by awkward or abrupt transitions or poor organization
3
 Movement from question to researched answer is simpler and more abrupt; some focus and flow issues
2
 Movement from question to researched answer breaks into two halves; paper feels unfocused and lacks
transitions
1
 Movement from question to answer is never made; paper has no focus or flow
0
Style & Clarity
(same as Analysis rubric)
Mechanics
(same as Analysis rubric)
(For Final Paper Only)
Source Material
 Variety of source material, capable incorporation of scholarly material, clear indication of what the writer adds
to the conversation
5
 Variety of source material, some incorporation of scholarly material (or slightly too much reliance on it), at
times isn’t clear how writer is contributing to the conversation
4
 Lack of variation of source material, little incorporation of scholarship or too much reliance on it, unclear how
writer adds to the conversation or debate laid out
3
 No variation of source material or not enough scholarly sources; poor incorporation of material
2
 Heavy reliance on 1-2 sources; awkward incorporation, no indication of relevance to a conversation
1
 No incorporation of scholarly material, no clearly mapped out conversation or debate
0