Your assignment is to write a 3-5 page paper in which you choose and answer one of the following prompts:
Prompt 1: Pick two authors from two different units in class (Pre-Socratics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Hellenistic Philosophy, Plotinus and Medieval Philosophy) and compare and contrast their ideas. Prompt 2: Pick a philosophical idea (rationalism, empiricism, dualism, etc.) and trace its development across the authors and time periods we have studied.
Prompt 3: Writer's choice. Be sure to get my approval on whatever topic you plan to discuss.
A successful essay will do the following: - Contain a well-articulated thesis statement that explains what the paper is about and takes a clear stand on the issues under discussion,
- Provide a clear articulation of the authors or issue you have chosen,
- Clearly respond to the demands of the prompt,
- Conclude with your own analysis of the issue and your own views on the issues that have been discussed,
- Properly cite (using MLA or CMS) all sources used in the paper.
Your paper should be typed, double-spaced and written in 10-12 point legible font. The final draft is due on Thursday, May 16. In addition to the final draft, there are a few pre-writing assignments that must be completed: - You will need to select a topic and come up with a thesis statement for class on Thursday, May 2.
- You will need to bring three copies of a rough draft of your paper to class on Thursday, May 9 for in-class peer editing. Although this rough draft will not be graded, failure to bring a rough draft to class will result in an F on this assignment.
Grading Criteria for Essays: The goal for the student is to provide evidence that s/he has read and considered the course material and is able to write intelligibly about the concepts covered therein. You want to identify the prompt to which you are responding and provide evidence that you have understood the material.
To earn an A, your responses provide evidence of the ‘B’ standards below, plus that you have really thought about the concepts covered in the reading and lectures:
- You use very original examples to illustrate the concepts of the reading.
- You apply very specific events or discussions from the reading to some new situation.
- Your writing is excellent and/or your style is very interesting
To earn a B or higher, your responses provide evidence of your having read and comprehended the material. In addition to the ‘C’ standards below:
- You apply ideas from the reading to correspondent ideas presented in the classroom.
- You use examples from the lectures to illustrate the concepts in the reading.
To earn a C or higher, your responses provide evidence of your having read and comprehended the material.
- You answer correctly all basic questions about the main ideas and characters.
- You show recognition of all main ideas or characters’ names and their respective associations.
- You correctly identify all concepts introduced or reviewed in the reading.
- You correctly identify and apply all terms from the reading and lectures.
- Your writing is relatively free from spelling and grammatical errors.
- You use examples from the reading or lectures to illustrate your answers.
To earn a D or higher, your responses provide some evidence of your having read, thought about, and comprehended the material:
- You answer correctly some but not all basic questions about the main ideas.
- You show some recognition of main ideas or characters’ names.
- You correctly identify some but not all concepts introduced or reviewed in the reading and lectures.
- You correctly identify and apply some but not all terms introduced or reviewed in the reading and lectures.
To earn an F, you provide hardly any or no evidence of having read, considered, and comprehended the material. |
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