Research Paper-Senior Project (Marks Explanation)

Students who are sophisticated writers and who pride themselves in being format AND content adept will readily understand that the research paper is a formal document that college professors will expect to be letter-perfect, even at the submission of the first draft; with this astute understanding taken into account, students must face the most strict requirements for such a document not only in the information that is researched, documented, and composed, but also in the Modern Language Association rules of research paper documentation. There is no excuse for errors in such an important assignment and although some leeway is provided for students at the secondary level, the post-secondary stringent grade marking and expectation of letter-perfect work is not only expected, but demanded. With that in mind, at the secondary level, the following marks were used in scoring senior research papers:
A Produces markedly superior work
B Produces superior work
C Demonstrates satisfactory work
D Needs to improve progress in work
F Demonstrates little or no progress in work

These descriptors are courtesy of Los Angeles Unified School District Form 34-H-1, titled "Criteria for Marks."

The following list denotes possible reasons students' research papers were marked down and does not represent every infraction that may be made:

1. Pages not numbered according to Modern Language Association (MLA) format requirements
2. Four-line heading not formatted according to MLA requirements
3. Spell-grammar check not used (run-ons, spelling errors and other such breaches)
4. Slang or trite expressions used in a formal document
5. Pronoun usage ("I", "You") and contractions are NOT PERMITTED in formal documents
6. Sources used are not reliable and do not reflect "Digital Library" type sources
7. No personal interview with an expert, expert not properly credentialed for reader, or interview not listed in Works Cited list
8. Widows/orphans improper formatting not fixed
9. Works Cited page sources not used in paper but listed in Works Cited page and/or Works Cited in two-page format instead of one page
10.Working outline and/or final draft of outline not provided
11.Page length (eight-ten pages) not met
12.Citations listed in body of document not correctly formatted according to MLA requirements
13.Research paper deadline not met

Winter Recess December 17, 2010-January 9, 2011

Assignment: Research papers with no personal interview or an interview not conducted, written and cited correctly will be marked down by one letter grade.

Final drafts not received by Sunday night, December 19th at 11:59 P.M. will not receive a letter grade and may either receive a credit or a zero at the discretion of teacher judgment.

Physical project hours need to be completed over the winter recess break. Make certain you have a verifiable signatures from a mentor or person in authority who observed you completing observations (note-taking, interviewing, participating) in the physical project detailed on your senior project consent form. Twenty hours are required.

Presentation skill rehearsals begin Monday, January 10. Students should make note cards and be prepared to deliver a presentation of between eight and ten minutes, including the display of slides on power points. Classmates will take notes, ask extemporaneous questions, and score each rehearsed presentation. Students will rehearse presentations at least three times in front of classmates.

STUDYPATH* December 13-17, 2010

In-class assignments and class updates trump published blogs.

*POTENTIAL, ACHIEVEMENT, THOUGHT, HONOR

Monday
Power point presentations (see previous STUDYPATH description of required materials) are due Tuesday.
The Stranger two short-answer quizzes and the Vocabulary/Comprensive AB tests are due today in class.
Research papers are being scored and submitted to students on turnitin.com for final drafts, due on Friday, December 17; papers that contain no personal interview with an expert will be marked down.

Tuesday (Shortened Day)
Rehearsal dates for presentations are set to begin on January 10.
Words High School Students Should Know 91-100 were postponed until today and due Friday, when final test for this unit is scheduled in class.

Wednesday
Physical project logs formatting and required hourly submissions are reviewed in class and due on January 19; any log that does not meet hourly requirement or have valid and verifiable signatures will result in at least one letter grade down for final Expository Composition mark.

Thursday
The Stranger novels are returned to classroom for check in and then submitted to textbook room.
Senior project physical project and other pertinent requirements for holiday break will be discussed and finalized in class.

Friday
Words High School Students Should Know 91-100 test is scheduled today in class.
Holiday break homework is discussed and due dates are reviewed in class.

STUDYPATH* December 6-10, 2010

In-class assignments and class updates trump published blogs.

*POTENTIAL, ACHIEVEMENT, THOUGHT, HONOR

Monday
Research paper first draft is due on turnitin.com; final draft will be graded down one letter grade for each day late.
Power point slides (seven-eight slides, text light and image heavy) will be due Monday, December 13.
Rehearsals in January for the senior project will be scheduled this week.
Words High School Students Should Know (Words 81-90) test is scheduled for today; words 91-100 will be due next Monday.
The Stranger class discussion continues in class today.

Tuesday (Shortened Day)
The Stranger novel wrap up involves a short-answer quiz and vocabulary work and continues today and Wednesday.

Wednesday
The Stranger novel wrap up continues in class today.

Thursday
Rehearsal calendar is set for students when they return on January 10, 2011.
Physical project logs are reviewed and due date is posted.

Friday
Work on the senior project continues in class, including rewrites of initial drafts of research paper.