Extra Credit
Opportunities and Instructions
You can do a total of up to 5 extra credit papers. Each is worth up to 5 points.
1. Extra credit critiques of the assigned readings. I don't want to overwhelm you with
too many assignments. However, I want to encourage you to do all the readings on time
and practice your writing skills. To this end, you can submit extra credit critiques, in
which you offer a summary and evaluation of the readings. Follow the instructions above
for critiques.
 Length: 4-6 pages
 Structure: Section 1, Summary of the readings, and Section 2, Analysis of the
readings based on your own thesis
 Due date: beginning of class on the first day of class for the week (this way you will
be better prepared for the class discussion).
 Grading: up to 2% increase in your final grade
I will not grade papers that are too sloppy, e.g. many misspellings or confounding
syntax, or thoughtless.
2. Extra credit analysis of local event. Attend campus events, off-campus lectures, or
volunteer events that I specify are for extra credit and write an essay. In each case, I
want you summarize the main ideas of the presentation and connect concepts and
information from our class to the presentation. Follow the instructions below. If you
have suggestions about event that relate to this class and that I may be able to offer to
everyone for extra credit, please let me know as far in advance as possible.
If you do attend, it is imperative that you treat the speakers with respect. This
means you must not talk, leave early, shuffle papers, talk on the cell phone, text message,
or otherwise disturb the speaker. Listen to what they have to say. These people come
from around the country to share their expertise with our College community. These are
really amazing opportunities to see how the world of ideas play out in the programs and
policies of our world. I also want to stress that you can attend these for your own quest
for knowledge. Even if you don't submit an extra credit paper, it will be a profitable
experience.
3. Other events/projects.
A. Unlike most of the extra credit opportunities, I may offer some EC opportunities that
do not require that attend a particular event.
Follow the instructions below for writing extra credit papers.
B. Ongoing extra credit opportunity: If you are an active member of a campus club, you
may use one of the club's events or your work in organizing an event as an extra credit
topic. Write a summary and analysis of the event for EC. Be sure, of course, to include
the Club name. You may do only one of these.
Follow the instructions below for writing extra credit papers.
C. If you volunteer with an organziation that the instructor approves, you may do that as
extra credit. One such place is:
Second Harvest
Distribute Donated Food
Jessie Saunders
517 5560
Volunteer in St A or Jax
StA Site
M-F, 7-4, length of time up to volunteers (verify these times with the
organization)
Mostly behind the scenes: Unload trucks, Sorting, stocking. On Wed, distribute
food.
Food Drives: Collect food and Raise Awareness. They deliver bins and
pamphlets.
Hunger Care Video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XUts92kbXw
(A volunteer handbook is posted in LMS)
Follow the instructions below for writing extra credit papers.
4. Participation (only for classe with no participation grade). I will consider informally
your participation when calculating the final grades. I may add 1-10 extra credit points to
your final raw grade. This is an opportunity to increase your final grade over to 2%.
5. If you deliver stellar work on a submission, I may some additional points.
There is no extra credit research paper or extra credit offered to people on an individual
basis. What is presented here and in class to everyone are the only opportunities for extra
credit.
Instructions for Extra Credit Essays
Objectives: This extra credit option will help the students to: 1) learn about local,
national, and global events; 2) practice using sociological knowledge by applying
concepts learned in class to the issue; and 3) practice writing essays.
Structure: Attend campus or community events that I specify are for extra credit and
type an essay that summarizes and uses course concepts to critique or analyze the event.
First, attend the event. If you do attend, it is imperative that you treat the speakers
with respect. This means you must not talk, leave early, shuffle papers, talk on the cell
phone, text message, or otherwise disturb the speaker. Listen to what they have to say.
These people come from around the country to share their expertise with our University
community. These are really amazing opportunities to see how the world of ideas play
out in the programs and policies of our world. I also want to stress that you can attend
these for your own quest for knowledge. Even if you don't submit an extra credit paper,
it will be a profitable experience.
Second, type a paper that includes a summary and analysis of the event. The
summary should focus on main themes and the thesis of the presentation, but you may
also find it relevant to note who was in attendance, the setting of the event, etc.
Either mixed in with your summary or in a separate section after your summary,
present an analysis of the event using at least two concepts or theories introduced in
this course. 1) Identify the concepts or theories you are using, 2) define them, and 3) use
them to explain or interpret some aspect of the event.
NOTE: Be sure to define the concept(s) you are using in your critique and explain
clearly how it helps to explain the event. Do not merely identify a concept--e.g. "This is
an example of public policy." That's the intellectual equivalent of name dropping. You
must define the concept and explain how it can be applied, or used to better understand,
the subject of your paper.
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Length: 2-4 pages, 1.5 spacing and one inch margins, and should be in Times New
Roman 12 font.
Heading information (on the top of page one, not on a cover sheet): "Extra Credit
Paper," your name, course code, name of the event, date of the event
Staple your work.
Due date: beginning of class on the first class meeting the week following the
respective event, unless otherwise announced. (Therefore, if you attend an event on
Wednesday, the paper would be due the first class the following week. This will give
you a weekend to complete each extra credit.)
Please submit only one version, either email or hard copy.
If you submit this via email, 1) clearly identify the paper in subject line, 2) paste the
paper in the body of the text, 3) include clear header information on the top of the
submission (the same you would include in a hard copy submission), 4) do NOT send
it as an attachment.
Grading will be based on: clarity of summary, accuracy of definitions, logic of analysis,
and quality of writing.
Full Credit for careful, insightful work. Well-written, including good organization
and grammar, clear summary, and clear use and definition of course concepts.
Half Credit is for well written work that is summary only, work that does not define
the concepts or sensibly apply them to the event, or work that has some minor
grammar errors.
Zero for sloppy work, e.g. many misspellings, confounding syntax, or incoherent
organization.
Written by Dr. Casey Welch,  2012