Mid-Term: In-Class Essay 1 English 103

Purpose: This essay is meant to help prep you for your next out of class paper and for an inclass debate activity. Rather than writing your own argument, your job will be to respond to a
question in the textbook related to an article you choose.
Prompt: Not everyone has the same assignment. You have a lot of options. Follow these steps to
find the prompt you'll be responding to for this paper. Note: You will be placed in a group of four
students. Together you will choose an essay that appeals to everyone. Later, in a separate
activity, your group will debate your chosen topic. It's always hard to get four people to agree on
anything, but do your best.
1. Part 5 of your text, which begins on page 477, has six sections: Ch. 22 Popular Culture; Ch. 23
Being Bilingual in the US; Ch. 24 Food and Water; Ch. 25 Diversity on Campus; Ch. 26 Work; Ch.
27 Inequality in America
2. Choose the section that appeals to you the most.
3. Choose one article in your chapter that appeals to you and read it. For example, if I chose Ch.
27 Inequality in America, I might choose the article "Why Education is Not an Economic Panacea"
on page 912. The idea is that you're writing about something you've chosensomething that
you're interested in.
4. At the end of each article you'll find a "RESPOND" section.
5. Your prompt will be #5 under the RESPOND section. PLEASE WRITE YOUR PROMPT AT THE TOP
OF YOUR PAPER SO I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE RESPONDING TO.
6. You may bring pre-writing notes to class.
Important Details:
Length: 3 to 4 handwritten pages.
Points: 100
Pay close attention to the rubric I'll be using to grade this paper
Demonstrate correct MLA formatting. If you quote from any of the texts you find, you must
include in-text citation.
You do not need to include a works cited page.
Use 1 margins and Times or Times New Roman 12 font; insert a header on each page;
and provide a creative title that is centered
Strategies for Success:
o Go through each step of the writing process and allow yourself enough time
o Review the grading rubric for this paper
o Ask questions
o For extra help, make arrangements to meet with a tutor at the writing center, or share
your draft with me.
IN-CLASS ESSAY: Wednesday 3.16

College-Level Writing Rubric: Essay 3

Masterful

Skilled

Able

Developing

Novice

DEPTH and INSIGHT

(20)
The writer makes exceptional
insights that show
considerable depth

(15)
The writer makes
good insights that
show depth

(10)
The writer makes
satisfactory insights
that show some depth

DEVELOPMENT

(20)
Consistent evidence with
originality and depth of ideas;
ideas work together as a
unified whole; main points are
sufficiently supported (with
evidence); support is valid
and specific.
(20)
Organization is sequential and
appropriate to assignment;
paragraphs are appropriately
divided; ideas linked with
effective transitions.

(15)
Ideas supported
sufficiently;
support is sound,
valid and logical.

(10)
Main points and ideas
are only indirectly
supported; support
isnt sufficient or
specific, but is loosely
relevant to main
points.
(10)
Limited attempts to
organize around a
thesis; paragraphs
with weak or nonevident transitions.

(5)
The writer makes
surface observations
that show little depth
and insight.
(5)
Insufficient, nonspecific, and/or
irrelevant support.

(1)
The writer does not
make any
observations that
show depth or insight.
(1)
Lack of support for
main points; frequent
and illogical
generalizations
without support.

(5)
Organization is
unsuccessful.
Paragraphs were
disconnected and
lacked transitions.

(1)
Organization, if
evident at all, is
confusing and
disjointed; paragraph
structure is weak.

(6)
The writer does an
adequate job of
responding to the
prompt and showing
description. In some
spots the essay lacks
purpose.
(6)
Formulaic or tedious
sentence patterns;
shows some errors in
sentence
construction.

(4)
Though the writer
makes a couple of
descriptive
statements, most of
the paper lacks
purpose.

(1)
The paper does not
respond to the
assigned prompt at
all.

(4)
Sentences show
errors of structure;
little or no variety;
no grasp of sentence
flow.

(1)
Simplistic sentences
used throughout;
serious errors of
sentence structure
(run-ons, fragments)
throughout.
(1)
Excessive spelling,
capitalization
punctuation, and /or
formatting errors.

ORGANIZATION

(15)
Competent
organization and
paragraph
structure; lacking
effective
transitions.
(8)
The writer
successfully
responds to the
prompt and uses
some description
strategies

PURPOSE

(10)
The writer does an
outstanding job of responding
to the prompt and uses many
different strategies to show
description.

GRAMMAR

(10)
Each sentence structured
effectively, powerfully; rich,
well-chosen variety of
sentence styles and length.

(8)
Effective and
varied sentences.

MLA STYLE

(10)
Virtually free of punctuation,
spelling, capitalization errors;
appropriate MLA format and
presentation for assignment.

(6)
Contains several
punctuation, spelling,
formatting, and/or
capitalization errors.

(4)
Contains many
punctuation,
spelling, formatting,
and/or capitalization
errors.

VOCABULARY

(10)
Exceptional vocabulary range,
accuracy, and correct and
effective word usage.

(8)
Contains only
occasional
punctuation,
spelling, and
capitalization
errors.
(8)
Good vocabulary
range and
accuracy of usage.

(6)
Ordinary vocabulary
range, mostly
accurate.

(4)
Errors of diction, and
usage, are evident.

(1)
Extremely limited
vocabulary; choices
lack grasp of diction.

Masterful

Skilled

Able

Developing

Novice