ASSIGNMENT ON THE THESIS OF ART SANDLER'S ESSAY: LOGIC IN BASKETBALL, LITERACY IN COLLEGE
Paper due in Corbett's email box: June 8th
Assignment # 2A
ASSIGNMENT: Write a single sentence of no more than 15 words which you
put forward as the best possible thesis for the Sandler paper than you can create.
PRE-WRITING TASKS:
First reread Sandler's essay all the way through with some care and reflect on it.
Try to imagine the situation in which a friend stops by and you are reading Sandler's essay.
The friend has just seconds and says: "In 15 words are less, what is Sandler's central and
primary CLAIM in his paper?" Think of what you would respond, assuming you wanted to tell the truth about
Sandler's paper.
If you have initial simple questions of understanding, e-mail Corbett privately and indicate
whether this e-mail may or may not be used to the whole class. (Note at times
your puzzles will be likely puzzles that others will have as well. Getting them out to
all may be a genuine class service.) But, on these e-mails, it is as you wish.
WRITING THE ASSIGNMENT:
Be sure to put your name and the number of the assignment at the top of every paper. See
topic of this page for the number of this assignment. Also, please give the brief "name" of the assignment.
Be sure your sentence does not have more than 15 words and is a sentence.
Be sure this is the thesis of the paper as a whole and not just some interesting or partial section of the paper.
GRADING CRITERIAL I WILL USE:
Does the paper reflect a careful reading of Sandler's paper?
Is the sentence indeed a sentence?
Is it 15 or fewer words?
Most importantly is it a plausible and well-expressed thesis statement for this paper?
THE GRADES THEMSELVES:
A grade of A will mean: This is 15 words or less, a sentence of English and a very plausible
thesis statement for the paper as a whole.
A grade of B will mean: This is 15 words or less, a sentence of English, and while
not completely off the mark, is not a very accurate thesis of Sandler's paper.
A grade of C will mean: This is 15 words of less, and a sentence of English,
but it is not a very plausible thesis statement, though it reflects serious aspects of the paper.
A grade of D will mean: At least one of these apply: The sentence is not really
a sentence. The sentence is more than 15 words. The claimed this is not a very serious candidate
for that honor.
A grade of F may mean anyone of three things:
Not turned in at all.
Not turned in on time.
Significant failures to meet the assignment at the level of reasonable university
level expectations of thought, attention to detail, attention to reading or expression. (specifics will be pointed out).
NO ASSIGNMENT MAY BE REWRITTEN FOR HIGHER CREDIT. You are welcome to rewrite them to improve them, and I will happily comment on them. But the original grade will remain as it was on the first and only graded attempt.