Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Final Assignment

Alright,

Today you spent the day creating your final assignment for class. Here are the guidelines. Let me know if I missed anything. If you didn’t attend class, please see one of the other students to get the information that you need to complete it.

1. Write a seven page sci fi story which integrates sociological concepts, themes and theories.
2. Each story must incorporate sociological concepts and at least two sociological theories.
3. The story is due to me (via email) by 11:15 am, Tuesday April 28th.
4. Yes, you still have to come to class that day. Bring some food &drink with you (Non-alcoholic please. As much as we could all probably use a drink, we can’t do it on campus, or during class.
5. The point system for the paper will remain the same, but the grading guidelines are below.
6. The other class periods for the semester will be spent working on the final assignment. The email addresses of all class members are in the “To” line of this message. Please feel free to meet with your classmates to complete this assignment. Bounce your ideas off of each other and feel free to see me to bounce ideas off of too. You can send me drafts for quick review, if you like.
7. I really like this assignment and look forward to grading them. Great work in coming up with it as your final. I’m impressed.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Dr. Matthews

Grading for Papers
A: The principal characteristic of the "A" paper is its rich content. The information delivered is such that the reader feels significantly taught by the author, sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph. The "A" paper is also marked by stylistic finesse: the title and opening are engaging; the transitions are artful; the phrasing is tight, fresh, and highly specific; the sentence structure is varied; the tone enhances the purpose of the paper. Additionally, the sociological content, including theoretical analysis, fits seamlessly into the major themes of the paper. The "A" paper, because of its careful organization and development, imparts a feeling of wholeness and clarity. The reader is left feeling satisfied and eager to reread.

B: It is significantly more than competent. Besides being almost free of mechanical errors, the "B" paper delivers substantial information-that is, substantial in both quantity and in interest value. Its specific points are logically ordered, well-developed, and unified around a clear organizing principle that is apparent early in the paper. The opening paragraph draws the reader; the closing paragraph is both conclusive and themati¬cally related to the opening. The transitions between paragraphs are, for the most part, smooth, the sentence structures varied. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, provides support for the major themes of the paper. The diction is more concise and precise than that of the "C" paper. In general, a "B" paper offers substantial information with few distractions.

C: It is generally competent but lacks both imagination and intellectual rigor; it meets the assignment, has few mechanical errors, and is reason¬ably well-organized and developed. The actual information it delivers, however, seems thin and commonplace. One reason for that impression is that the ideas are typically cast in the form of vague generalities that prompt the confused reader to ask questions about specifics. Stylistically, the "C" paper has other shortcomings: a weak opening paragraph, a perfunctory conclusion, strained transitions, choppy and monotonous sentence patterns, and diction marred by repetition, redundancy, and imprecision. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, though present lacks seamless integration into the major themes of the paper.

D: Its treatment and development of the subject are as yet only rudimentary. While organization is present, it is neither clear nor effective. Sentences are frequently awkward, ambiguous, and marred by nonexistent grammatical review. Evidence of careful proofreading is scanty or nonexistent. The whole piece, in fact, gives the impression of having been conceived and written in haste. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, is either non-existent or does not fit into the major content of the paper.

F: Its treatment of the subject is superficial; its theme lacks discernible organization; its prose is garbled or stylistically primitive. Mechanical errors are frequent. In short, the ideas, organization, and style fall far below what is acceptable college writing. The sociological content, including theoretical analysis, is non-existent, as are coherent themes.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The Space Traders

I found it! Well, I actually only found half of it.