Tour of Everything You
Need to Know about Essays and Evidence in This Course
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This
course and its requirements for essays can make your life easier—if you know
what is here to help you. This
tour is meant to substitute for my talking to you and show you what I would
point to if we were sitting next to you: I.
Basic Questions and Answers IV.
How Essays Work in This Course – A repeat of the information in the Tour of a
Learning Module You
can move at your own pace and use what helps you. If you have questions, just
ask. |
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Reminder: You will have an easier time with links if you open them in a New Window. If
you do not know how to do this, click
here for tips. (This includes how to save
these files from the Internet.) If you need help, just ask. |
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Question |
Brief Answer |
See More |
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What is the goal of
writing in the course? |
You are not
writing a summary. You are doing writing that helps you learn the history of our nation by trying to teach it in a common sense way. |
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How do
the essays work? |
You know
all of the possible essays and any required readings at the beginning of the
course. Blackboard randomly determines which questions you are asked. The
Tour of a Learning Module covers that. It is repeated below. |
See
below |
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Are
there any specific sources? |
Required textbook as
the only source of facts when you
write. Only additional resources: Dallas TeleLearning
Videos and resources built in the course. No use of any other Internet sites. |
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How does
the instructor grade? |
How the side-by-side
placement of the textbook (opened to the content for the question) and your essay
and the rubric lets me see your work and give you realistic and verifiable
feedback |
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Is there
a rubric used in grading? |
A
weighted rubric: ·
60%
Reading for Evidence ·
30%
Writing with Evidence ·
5%
Following instructions ·
5%
Mechanics such as grammar and punctuation For the
25 point essays, Reading for
Evidence is worth 15 (60% of 25); Writing with Evidence, 7.5 (30%); and both Following Instructions and
Mechanics, 1.25 each 5%). In other words, read |
Click
here for the weights shown with the 10 point essay |
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Differences
in the same rubric with different point values and different types of
questions |
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Can the
rubric give specific feedback? |
Example
of the rubric used to show detailed feedback specific to you by using
highlighting and underlining |
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Are
there details to explain the rubric? |
5
requirements for evidence measured in the rubric with links to a brief
explanation (See More) and to tips (See How
to Work). |
Click here for III. |
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Are
there any aids for students? |
The
Practice Essay at 10 points and with an optional extra credit of 10 points |
Click here for Heading II. |
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5 Requirements
for evidence includes tips (See How
to Work) |
Click here for Heading III. |
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Displayable
pages from The Bedford Handbook,
the standards manual chosen by WCJC, if you have any question about whether
the Requirements follow those standards |
Visible in
Blackboard on request |
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Mentoring
or coaching by the instructor if you have questions about your work or about
the Requirements – Glad to help. |
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Question |
Brief Answer |
See More |
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Why does
the instructor grade in the way she does? |
Why does the instructor
grade this way? – It was an accidental
discovery that: ·
I
could easily see how you were working with a source ·
You
could see how you were working for yourself |
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How is
the practice essay used as an aid for students |
The
Practice Essay at 10 points and with an optional extra credit of 10 points –
You can: ·
Tell
how your instructor grades ·
If
you choose to do the extra credit, earn 10 extra points while identify how you work and whether how
you work might be something you
want to choose to change |
Click
here for the section from the syllabus |
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What are
the instructions if you choose to do the 10-point extra credit? |
You do not rewrite, you do not edit, and you do not make any corrections to what you wrote. Instead,
1) you copy what you submitted for the Practice Essay and 2)
then you either underline your
own words (like this) or strike through your own words (like |
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What
does the rubric show with highlighting and underlining? |
Example
of the rubric used with the Practice Essay to show detailed feedback specific
to you by using highlighting and underlining |
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How does
the weighting of the rubric influence the grade for the practice essay? |
A
weighted rubric: ·
60%
Reading for Evidence (6 out of 10
points) ·
30%
Writing with Evidence (3 out of 10
points) ·
5%
Following instructions (.5 out of 10 points) ·
5%
Mechanics such as grammar and punctuation (.5 out of 10 points) Reading for Evidence and Writing with Evidence are what determine the
grade. |
Click
here for the weights shown with the 10 point essay |
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If my
way of working is not helping me, are there alternative ways to work? |
5
requirements for evidence measured in the rubric with links to a brief
explanation (See More) and to tips (See How
to Work). |
Click here for Heading III. |
These
requirements apply to this course and to many jobs
that pay well. The links in the How to Work column were built because a student
who was active in sports told me “You are telling me what I did wrong, but not
how to hold the racket.” His statement was great feedback and a great
suggestion on what I could add to help students. I started talking him through
how I held “the racket” for each of these requirements and that became the basis
for the links in the right column. They are written in the form of a checklist.
The word checklist means a list of steps or things necessary for success
(such as a pilot’s checklist for takeoff or a tennis player’s set of skills).
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What Are the 5 Requirements in Brief |
See More |
See How to Work |
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1. Must
use reliable sources for facts (evidence)—only the textbook chosen by the History Department and the
sources provided at our Course Website. Do not assume about facts or embellish
them. |
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2. Must
not copy the author’s phrases without quotation marks and must not copy the
author’s sentence structure and just replace a few words. (The Bedford Handbook defines both as
“half-copy” plagiarism.) |
Click
here and why I make a big deal about this. |
Click
here for how to work (Contains
how to work for both Number 2 and 3 because the solution for How to Work for each is the same.) |
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3. Must
not change an author’s words without revealing the changes, especially
changes that might mislead your reader about the evidence. |
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4. Must
use a reliable source to confirm the accuracy of anything you write. If you
cannot verify a fact, do not write
it. |
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5. Must
know exactly where you found every fact you use. Do not assume the author
agrees with you and just didn’t say it. If a reasonable person using a
reliable dictionary and reading the entire passage would not agree that you
have evidence for what you say, then neither will I. |
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What You See As You Take the Tour |
Hear It |
See It |
See More |
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Z6 |
6 |
If you click
on the link for possible essays for the exam that ends the Unit, what do you
see in the general information at the top? |
How
to prepare for objective and essay exams |
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Z7 |
6 |
If you click on the link for possible essays
for the exam that ends the Unit, what do you see in the specific information
for the possible topics for each question? You
know at the beginning of the Unit every possible essay question for the end
of the Unit at the exam—and where to read. |
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Copyright C. J.
Bibus, Ed.D. 2003-2013 |
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WCJC Department: |
History – Dr. Bibus |
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Contact Information: |
281.239.1577 or bibusc@wcjc.edu
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Last Updated: |
2013 |
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WCJC Home: |
