Writing Rubric, Superstitions Assignment, and a Friendly Reminder

WRITING RUBRIC

Please follow the rubric that will be used to evaluate your writing. I handed out copies of the rubric in class today, but I want to make certain that you always have access to the scoring guide by visiting this webpage. I explained the rubric in detail, so if you paid attention in class, you will understand the rubric and what each specific category entails. I gave examples and answered questions. Hopefully you were listening at this time.

 
A (4) is the highest score possible, with a (1) being the lowest.

4          3          2          1          IDEAS with relevant supporting details

 

4          3          2          1          ORGANIZATION with intro, body, and conclusion;
                                                 also uses transitions to connect ideas

 

4          3          2          1          VOICE AND WORD CHOICE with a sense of person
                                                 and powerful effective word usage

 

4          3          2          1          SENTENCE FLUENCY with effective flow and
                                                 rhythm to writing

 

4          3          2          1          CONVENTIONS with correct capitalization, usage
                                                 and grammar, punctuation, spelling, and
                                                 paragraphing

 

Along with the rubric, you’re expected to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of it by writing a well-composed paper about superstitions. Consider what role superstitions—these beliefs about luck or even the existence of things that cannot be seen or explained—play in our lives as humans. This touches on our ESSENTIAL QUESTION about what it means to be human, and I also believe it will be interesting for you to contemplate and write about why superstitions exist at all. Feel free to include some superstitions that you may have and explain why you believe in them; you can also explore the topic as a non-believer, explaining why you don’t have any personal superstitions and whether or not you believe in good or bad luck.

Remember, the assignment is due when you walk through the door for class on Monday. It should be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font and have one-inch margins. Make sure to use left-margin alignment and double-spacing as well. DO NOT put “bonus” spaces between paragraphs, the entire paper is simply double-spaced; we show paragraphs by indenting, not with spacing. (If you’re wondering why I don’t use that format on this blog, it’s because the formatting won’t allow me to write with proper paragraphs: Blogger is quite persnickety! Trust me, I’ve tried…)

 

Finally, make sure you have your heading in the top right-hand corner of the paper. (You can tab it over to that area or use right-margin alignment for that portion and then select left-margin alignment for the rest of your paper, whatever works best for you.) The heading’s topic is SUPERSTITIONS. Obviously the rest of the heading is your full name, class period and date.

Please follow the writing rubric for all of your formal papers—such as this one—and make sure you take the time to proofread, edit, and rewrite your work so that the finished product can earn you a high score.

Finally, as a quick reminder, I still need the titles and authors of your mystery novels for your reading / cereal box project. Only a handful of students have requested preapproval—please don’t procrastinate! Feel free to e-mail me titles and authors and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m back online.

Cheers, and have a wonderful weekend!

 
Mrs. Gott