Rubric for the term project for English 204

· If you are writing a “traditional” term paper, then you must determine if you are going to write an exposition or an argumentative paper. If you write an exposition; for example, a history of land use in La Crosse County, you probably will still want to take a position at the end of the paper where you propose an action to take. Of course if you write a persuasive paper, then you must have a thesis statement that can be defended with claims that are support by research. The research must be from reliable sources. A traditional term paper is ten to twelve papers in length. You may use the MLA style for documentation or the APA style.

· Don’t overuse the internet. I am suspicious of term papers that do not have any sources outside of the internet. Use peer-reviewed journals, books, primary sources, government documents, etc.

· If you are doing a unit plan for a school class you hope to teach some day, then you must include the following:

1. Samples of activities—including worksheets, exam questions, quizzes, spelling words, group projects, individual projects, guest speakers, field trips, etc.

2. A list of your objectives—Make sure they are objectives that can be measurably assessed.

3. You assessment tools—How will you determine if your objectives have been met?

4. How creative is your plan?

5. How diverse is your plan?

· If you are doing a “creative” piece – art or music or drama, etc. – then you must also write a paper that indicates how this creative piece interacts with any (or some) of the works we have read this semester or how it interacts with the themes we have discussed this semester. This paper could be written in first person and would be shorter than a typical term paper. Your creative piece and your paper are due at the same time, and you may present your work to the class.

· The project is due any time during finals week. If someone would like to present his or her research during the final exam period, then I will set aside time for that as we have no formal exam scheduled. All journal entries are due the Friday before final exams week. There will be no exceptions (or revisions) to this.

· Note: Two-thirds of your final grade depends upon the quality of this term project. Make sure that it is free of annoying writing errors. Do not plagiarize because that will guarantee a failing grade for the course. Have someone proofread your first draft at the Learning Center to give you some suggestions and to correct mechanical errors.