Paper Assignment
Amy Freeman
Students will be required to complete a concise, well-articulated essay that incorporates the Declaration of Independence, any article or amendment to the Constitution, or one of the Federalist Papers to concepts covered in the course, a historical speech as well can be used for said Essay. Historical context is necessary. Essays should be between 5-7 pages in length, not including references, tables, graphs, etc. Essays should be double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with standard one inch margins. All references should be cited according to the American Psychology Association (APA) (6th ed.) style in author-date format with a separate reference section located at the end of the essay. It is highly recommended that you consult the citation guides provided online (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/).
| EXEMPLARY | POOR | UNSATISFACTORY | |
| Content of paper (10pts) | Paper relates the document to at least 3 concepts discussed in class in an understandable and relatable way. | Paper relates the document to 1 or 2 concepts discussed in class. Concepts are explained, but are confusing and disjointed. | Paper does not relate the document to any concepts discussed in class. Explanations don’t make sense. |
| Quality of Research (5pts) | Sources used for research included juried journals and/or recognized web sources. No Wikipedia or other self-modified websites are used. All facts are backed up by research. | Sources used for research included juried journals and/or recognized web sources. No Wikipedia or other self-modified websites are used. Not all facts are backed up. | Sources used for research did not include juried journals and/or recognized web sources. Wikipedia or other self-modified websites are used. Little or no research in paper. |
| Editing (2.5 pts) | Sentence structure, grammar, and diction excellent; correct use of punctuation and APA placement; minimal to no spelling errors. Paper follows length guidelines. | Sentence structure, grammar, and diction are weak; punctuation and APA placement often correct; some spelling errors. Paper falls short of length guidelines. | Big problems in sentence structure, grammar, and diction. Frequent major errors in APA format, punctuation, and spelling. May have run-on sentences and comma splices. Needs editing. Paper does not follow length guidelines. |
| Professors’ Reaction (2.5 pts) | Paper is interesting and educational when read. Writing and research flows in a way that is easy to understand. Arguments presented are well supported. | Paper is interesting and educational when read. Writing and research may take some effort to understand. Arguments presented are not well supported by research. | Paper is difficult to follow and read. Writing and research does not flow in a way that is easy to understand. Arguments presented are not supported by research. |
Sample outline:
Introduction – explain the content of the document and give a historical context (what was going on in the U.S. when it was written); list and briefly define the concept you are going to relate to the document
Class Concept 1 (i.e., ethics) – go into a deeper explanation of the concept; point out parts of the document where this concept is addressed (use quotes if you want, but not extensively, and make sure you cite them)
Class Concept 2 (i.e., motivation) – same as above
Class Concept 3 (i.e., organizational culture) – same as above
Conclusion – recap why you chose the concepts you did (no 1st person, though); recap historical implications of the document, and the specific implications of the concepts you chose.
If you write one page per section, you will hit 5 pages easily.