ENG 101: Academic Writing & Research

Assignments, Grading, and Resources

Assignment Information

Course Requirements and Grading

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Coursework includes regular class attendance and participation, daily reading and writing assignments, the four major written projects listed above, and an oral presentation. All projects must be completed to pass the course. Final grades will be calculated as follows:

Item

Value
Project 1 - Interpretation of a Persuasive Speech or Policy Statement 150 pts.
Project 2 - Rhetorical Analysis: Science in Public & Academic Spheres 150 pts.
Project 3 - Social Science Literature Review 200 pts.
Project 4 - Critical Analysis of a Contemporary Issue 300 pts.
Final Group Oral Presentation 50 pts.
Participation - daily assignments, readings, peer review, LOBO, etc. 150 pts.
Total  
 1000 pts.

Participation is crucial in this class because we rely on one another for feedback on our writing and thinking processes. Class participation means more than how much you say in class; it's your effort to be present—both in mind and body—in our discussions. Homework, in-class writing exercises, peer review, quizzes, and LOBO will be included in your participation grade. Your grade will also reflect your attendance, preparation, and the quality of your contributions to our class work. Accordingly, class participation will be graded as follows:

To receive a C-level participation grade, you must:

  1. Arrive on time, listen respectfully, and be prepared to discuss readings when called upon to do so.
  2. Be prepared with your textbooks, reserve material, written work, and/or memory storage device in class
  3. Listen respectfully.
  4. Engage actively and productively in group work, peer review, and other in-class activities.

To receive a B-level participation grade, you must consistently fulfill requirements 1-5 and:

  1. Volunteer questions or points of interest from readings to generate discussion.
  2. Willingly offer ideas in class; make sure your contributions are topical and thoughtful.

To receive an A-level participation grade, you must consistently fulfill the above 7 criteria and:

  1. Show leadership in class discussion (break uncomfortable silences; respond to open-ended questions; challenge received opinion; ask difficult questions).
  2. Respond to other students’ ideas (not just mine) by asking questions or building on their points.

You will receive a failing participation grade if you are excessively and/or frequently tardy, you are unprepared for class, you disrupt class work, and/or you are occupied with activities other than those related to English 101.

Evaluation Criteria

Assignments in ENG 100 and 101 are designed to develop students’ understanding of, and facility with, practices of critical reading and writing in academic communities. In evaluating students’ formal written work, instructors look for a purposeful response to the audience and situation, a clear and logical argument, thoughtful use of textual evidence, and effective use of appropriate formal and stylistic conventions. Successful writing in ENG 100 and 101 demonstrates critical thinking and rhetorical awareness in:

Although first and second drafts of your projects will not be graded, they will be commented on in writing, either by me, your peers, or both. Feedback on these drafts will also concentrate on: rhetorical purpose, logic and argument, textual evidence, and formal and stylistic conventions, with specific attention to how these matters pertain to the expectations of the various academic discourse communities we will consider. Because you are expected to develop your papers throughout the process, including the judicious use of feedback, you are expected to include all drafts with the final paper in your project folders. See the "Projects" section for further information concerning project grading criteria.

Informal Assignment Info

You receive four credit hours for this course; therefore, you should expect to do more homework, including readings and informal assignments, than in your other courses. Homework, informal assignments, readings, and participation together comprise fifteen percent (150 pts.) of your final grade. Failure to complete readings and assignments will result in loss of points. If you miss class, it is your responsibility to make arrangements to hand them in.

In addition to readings and major project final drafts, there are several varieties of informal in-class and homework assignments that will be given in this course. In order to become a better writer, you must write. There is no way around this. Some of your homework assignments will be brought to class the next day: these are to be typed, with your name at the top, while some will be given at the beginning of class, a sort of quiz on the readings. A number of your informal writings will come in the form of small group blog postings.

As you work on the major projects, we will discuss various methods for brainstorming, paragraphing, thesis development, etc. We will write them in class, or I may ask you to bring them to class. These assignments are a part of your project grade, and must be included in your project folder when you hand in the final draft of the assignment.

Whenever we have informal assignments, you may download any relevant information here.

Readings

Any readings that are not from our textbook will be available for download here (accessible through the Menu - "Assignments" ››› "Readings"). You will usually need your unity ID and password.