reading_assignment_core_1.html
Graded Project: Essay: Comparison and Contrast
Your project must be submitted as a Word document (.docx, .doc)*. Your project will be individually graded by your instructor and therefore will take up to a few weeks to grade.
Be sure that each of your files contains the following information:
- Your name
- Your student ID number
- The exam number
- Your email address
To submit your graded project, follow these steps:
- Use the link on the next page to open the Project Upload page.
- Find the exam number for your project at the top of the Project Upload page.
- Follow the instructions provided to complete your exam.
Be sure to keep a backup copy of any files you submit to the school!
Comparison and Contrast Essay
For this assignment, you’ll prepare a 1,800- to 2,000-word comparison and contrast essay based on your graphic organizer; do not switch topics. You may not submit this essay until you’ve received your grade and instructor feedback on your prewriting exam.
While you’re waiting for your prewriting to be evaluated, you should take these steps:
- Review the reading assignments for Lesson 7.
- Study the sample comparison and contrast essays and the guided writing assignment in Chapter 15 of your textbook.
- Prepare a rough draft of your comparison and contrast essay so you’re ready to revise when you receive feedback on your prewriting.
Assignment
Topic
Use the topic and graphic organizer you completed for your prewriting assignment; do not switch topics. You’ll develop your essay from your graphic organizer. Your topic should be one of the following:
- Learning a job or skill in a course versus hands-on or experiential learning
- Communicating in person or face-to-face versus communicating electronically by text, direct message, email, and so on
- Two approaches to addressing a problem that commonly occurs in your current work or that you’ll need to deal with in your future career
You should use the third-person point of view. You’re writing for an audience unfamiliar with your topic, so your goal is to use language your readers are familiar with and can relate to. For example, a nurse may use clinical terminology when they talk to other nurses, but they need to use layman’s terms when speaking to patients.
Process
Use the guided writing assignment in Chapter 15 that you began with your prewriting. Steps six to eight will help you build on your outline graphic organizer to draft and revise your essay.
Research
You may find that you need to do more research; if you include more sources or use different sources in your essay, remember to use the correct parenthetical citation and add them to your list of references. Refer to Chapter 23 in your text for APA format instructions.
Exam Format
Format your prewriting and essay exams according to the following instructions. Refer to the sample APA-style essay in your text.
- Start with a title page that includes your
- Title
- Name
- Student ID
- Address
- Email address
- Use the header function to insert your page number in the top right margin of your document.
- You do not need to include your essay title in the header.
- Begin your document on page 2 after the title page.
- Start page 2 with your title
- Do not include abstracts in your essays.
- Use transitional words, phrases, and sentences to guide your reader through your essay.
- Do not use headings in your essay.
- Include your references list on the last page of your document.
- Do not submit it separately.
Grading Rubric
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Advanced–score of 100%
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The essay effectively addresses the purpose of the assignment and the requirements of the prompt.
- The essay provides a clear thesis statement that effectively introduces the topic, states a debatable claim, and previews the main points of the essay.
- The essay provides assertions, evidence, and analytic explanation to illustrate ideas, and support the thesis in ways that are fresh, insightful, and engaging.
- The essay effectively includes an introduction paragraph with a thesis statement that engages the reader, uses topic sentences to clearly define paragraphs, uses evidence that supports the thesis statement and topic sentences, and includes a conclusion that reinforces the thesis.
- The essay includes four to six required sources. These sources are used logically and effectively to support the writer’s own claims. Ideas that cannot be considered common knowledge are cited and documented using the APA citation format. The essay uses signal phrases, parenthetical citations, and a works-cited page.
- The essay effectively addresses the audience through an appropriate tone and point of view.
- The essay is mostly free of errors in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and word choice while meeting the length requirement (1,800-2,000 words) and formatting requirements using the correct font, spacing, and margins.
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Proficient–score of 85%
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The essay adequately addresses the purpose of the assignment and the requirements of the prompt.
- The essay provides a thesis statement that introduces the topic and states a debatable claim, but the main points are not outlined explicitly.
- The essay provides assertions, evidence, and analytic explanation to illustrate ideas and support the thesis, though much of the information is obvious.
- The essay includes an introduction with a thesis statement, but the introduction may not engage the reader. Most evidence provided is relevant to the body paragraphs, thesis statement, and topic sentences. The conclusion restates the thesis but may lack a satisfactory ending.
- The essay includes four to six required sources. These sources are used logically and effectively to support the writer’s own claims. The writer has attempted to use APA format to indicate borrowed content, but formatting requires revision.
- The essay adequately addresses the audience through an appropriate tone and point of view.
- The essay is reasonably free of errors in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and word choice and may just fall short of or exceed the length requirements, however, the essay is formatted using the correct header, font, and margins, though some errors may be present.
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| Developing–score of 70% |
The essay partially addresses the purpose of the assignment and the requirements of the prompt.
- The essay provides a thesis statement that offers an unclear or only somewhat debatable claim. The thesis provides direction for the essay but does not explicitly outline the main points.
- The essay offers some assertions, evidence, and analytic explanation to illustrate ideas, though much of the information is obvious or lacks consistency.
- The essay includes an introduction that is underdeveloped, body paragraphs with weak topic sentences that may lack focus, logical development, or evidence relevant to the thesis, and a conclusion that is underdeveloped.
- Some secondary sources are present, but they are inconsistently used to support the writer’s own claims. The writer has attempted to use a citation and documentation format but does not adequately credit secondary sources.
- The essay illustrates some awareness of the audience but employs colloquial or idiomatic language, lacking an appropriate tone.
- The essay includes errors in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and word choice, some of which may interfere with meaning, and may fall short of or exceed the length requirements due to repetitive and unengaging content, while not fully addressing the topic and purpose. The essay may not employ the correct formatting.
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| Emerging–score of 60% |
The essay minimally addresses the purpose of the assignment and the requirements of the prompt.
- The essay attempts a thesis statement, but it is factual and/or not related to the topic.
- The essay offers general evidence, but it does not address the topic or purpose.
- The essay has an introduction that does not engage the reader, includes minimally defined main ideas, isn’t organized into paragraphs, lacks topic sentences, lacks evidence that relates to the thesis, lacks transitions, and/or lacks a conclusion.
- Few secondary sources are present, and they are inconsistently used or do not support the writer’s own claims. The writer has attempted to use a citation and documentation format but does not adequately credit secondary sources.
- The essay addresses the appropriate audience but does not use an appropriate tone.
- The essay contains some errors in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and word choice, making it difficult for the reader to follow and comprehend. The essay also does not meet or significantly exceeds the length requirement and does not apply the correct formatting.
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| Not Developed–score of 50% |
The essay does not address the purpose of the assignment and the requirements of the prompt.
- The essay does not offer a thesis statement.
- The essay does not provide specific, relevant evidence to illustrate ideas and support the thesis.
- The essay has an introduction that does not engage the reader, lacks clearly defined main ideas, isn’t organized into paragraphs, lacks evidence that relates to the thesis, lacks transitions, and/or lacks a conclusion.
- The essay lacks secondary sources and/or secondary sources do not support the writer’s claim. Sources are not cited and documented correctly.
- The essay does not address the appropriate audience and does not use an appropriate tone.
- The essay contains numerous errors in sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and word choice, making it difficult for the reader to follow and comprehend, while also not meeting the length and/or formatting requirements.
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