ASSIGNMENT FOR QUESTION ON CRITICAL THINKING

Paper due in Corbett's email box: July 27th

Assignment # 16A

• ASSIGNMENT: Write at least one thoughtful and somewhat developed question on ANTHING in the course. You may develop more than a single theme, but need not.

• PRE-WRITING TASKS:
  1. Simply think through the past 8 weeks, and try to let flow some remaining puzzle that you find to be central and serious.
  2. If you have initial questions, 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:
  1. 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.
  2. Be sure your question reflects some depth of thinking.
  3. Don't belabor the obvious and trivial. Focus on the specially interesting or puzzling.
  4. Use careful and acceptable standard English. Give attention to spelling, grammar and style. These will matter throughout the course. Caution: internet writing often suggests contrary writing habits, allowing much less attention to these matters. In this regard this assignment (and all others) are quite different than many internet writings.

     This is a class assignment at a university and norms of university level writing at every level will be expected.

• GRADING CRITERIAL I WILL USE:
  1. Does the question reflect serious thinking about the course and an understanding of what we were about?
  2. Is the question developed and reflect some significant depth?
  3. Is the question clear and significant?
  4. Are grammar, punctuation, spelling problems minimal?
  5. Is the writing style free of confusion and awkwardness?

• THE GRADES THEMSELVES:
  • A grade of A will mean: Well-written and reflective question of some depth.
  • A grade of B will mean: Well-written and reflective question of some depth, but without the significant edge of revealing depth of thought and attention to detail of expression.
  • A grade of C will mean: Question does what is asked, but doesn't reflect a significant depth of thought or expression of that thought.
  • A grade of D will mean: Paper falls short of an adequate university level response to the assignment. This may be in fulfillment of the content or in more serious problems with mechanics and style.
  • A grade of F may mean anyone of three things:
    1. Not turned in at all.
    2. Not turned in on time.
    3. 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.

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