Intro to Psychology Essay: Your Brain on
Objective: choose something you enjoy, or something you have an interest in. This
topic will be applied to how your brain and your behavior are impacted when they
impact you. Based on your topic, you will research, write a thesis statement and create
a 2 page essay in support of your thesis using no less than 2 sources.
Ideas (these are ideas; you can come up with anything you like. Must be approved by the end of day 1):
 Social media
 Cell phone
 Sugar
 Sleep
Day 1:




Coffee
Alcohol
Drugs
Exercise
 Poverty
 Debt
 Money
 Determine Topic
 Perform research using Liberty High School Data bases
 Find at least 4 sources with information on your topic (primary and
secondary acceptable). May be outside of data bases, must be approved
and credible sites.
 Thesis statement draft
Day 2:




Complete thesis statement
Narrow down research
Begin draft of essay
Create works cited/bibliography page using EasyBib.com (APA
format!)
Day 3:
 Revise draft essay

Format according to APA guidelines https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
 Complete bibliography
Day 4:
 Due via turnitin.com by 11:59 PM on 11/22. Hard copy due in class
11/23 at the BEGINNING of the period.
Checklist for Consciousness Essay (Daily initials via Mrs. Phillips required)
Day 1:
Initials:
Topic:
Sources
Name &
Link
1
2
3
4
Day 2:
Final
Draft of
Thesis
Statement
Sources
1
2
Day 3 (must have initials on both before end of the period:
Revisions Complete
Bibliography Complete
Turnitin.com account created
Class ID: 11100253
Password: Gopatriots
Name:__________________________________
Intro to Psychology: Your Brain on
Thesis
Exceeds standard
Meets standard
Almost meets standard
Approaches standard
Still developing
Missin
8
6
4
2
1
0
** extremely clear
thesis which gives the
paper strong structural
direction
**Coherent and written
in an exemplary
fashion
** Original,
opinionated thesis
which answers so what?
Introduction
Evidence
Essay
**Fully-developed
introduction:
**Smooth connection
between opening and
thesis
**Effectively
incorporates
excellent background
information – gives
excellent context
**Strongly supports
thesis
**Clear, relevant and
highly
developed/specific
**Quotes well-chosen
and seamlessly
integrated
**Comes from
appropriate sources
**Clear, provable
argument
**clear thesis that
provides general
structural direction
**Coherent and well
written.
**Attempts to make an
argument and provides a
little direction
**Barely attempts to
make an argument –
little direction given
**Not an arguable
point. No direction
given
**Clear but basic.
**Poorly written
and/or unclear
**Poorly written and
unclear
**Weak/underdevelop
ed introduction:
**No connection
between opening and
thesis
**Provides little
background
information – nearly no
context
**Very
weak/missing
introduction:
**No background
information – no
context
**Only supports part of
the thesis
**Does not support
thesis
*Somewhat clear and
relevant; and
somewhat
developed/specific
**Unclear , random,
and not
developed/specific
No the
** Functional thesis, but
lacks purpose lacks so
what?
** Clear thesis which
touches on so what?
**Solid introduction:
connection between
opening and thesis
**Provides good
background info – gives
some context
**Supports thesis
**Clear, relevant, and
mostly
developed/specific
**Quotes well-chosen and
mostly well-integrated
**Comes from appropriate
sources
**Functional introduction:
**Unclear connection
between opening and thesis
**Provides adequate
background info – gives
little context
**Mostly supports thesis
**Somewhat clear and
relevant; or somewhat
developed/specific
**Quotes somewhat wellchosen, and somewhat well
integrated
**Comes from appropriate
sources
**Quotes minimal
and/or not integrated
**Some sources may be
inappropriate/
No
Intro
No
eviden
**Very few to no
appropriate quotes
**Uses inappropriate
sources/
historically inaccurate
historically
inaccurate
Analysis
** Creative, complex,
clear, and original
understanding of the
text/content.
Exemplary so what?
**Clear, complex, and
original understanding of
the text/content. Strong
so what?
**Clear, lacks some
originality and/or
creativity in understanding
the text/content. Mediocre
so what
**Somewhat unclear;
lacks creativity and
originality in
understanding of the
content. Little so what
**Supports but does not
clearly connect to evidence;
**Attempts to support
but does not clearly
**Unclear and
unoriginal; does not
understand the
content
**Lack support and
No
analys
**Supports & connects
clearly to evidence
**Supports & connects to
evidence; could be more
developed or address
more nuance
**Seamlessly integrated
into paragraph
**At times integrated into
paragraphs but also at
end of paragraphs
or needs more
development to go beyond
surface
**Little weaving of
analysis/analysis missing
at times
**Accurate and acceptably
presented
relate to evidence; or
needs much more
development to go
beyond surface
any relation to
evidence. No so
what
**Very little analysis
**Somewhat inaccurate
and/or poorly
presented
**Inaccurate and
poorly presented
**Accurate and well
presented
Organization
**Superb organization,
easily readable and
understandable
**Accurate and well
presented
**Clear, readable form
**Somewhat clear,
problems with
readability
**Some use of transitions
**Very little use of
transitions. Paragraphs
jump from one topic to
another
**Logical and mostly
coherent sequence
**Somewhat logical &
coherent sequence
**Clear, complete,
satisfying conclusion
**Satisfying conclusion
**Basic conclusion
**Weak conclusion,
lacks connection
**On task every day.
**On task daily
**Mostly adequate use of
time, off task occasionally
**Problems with on
task behavior
**completes work on
time
** completes most
components on time.
** misses one deadline
**missed at least 2
deadlines
**Sophisticated use of
transitions
**Logical and coherent
sequence
Professionalism
**Clear and mostly
readable
**Unclear and
unreadable
**Lacking in transitions
or unfocused
**Unfocused,
incoherent, not
logical
**At times illogical and
incoherent sequence
**Little to no
conclusion
No attem
to organ
**Majo
distract
problem
off tas
behavio
misse
deadlin