Seminar in Natural Science (online)

Course Requirements and Assignments

-- Click on the links for more information on each assignment  --

Writing Assignments / Revision Policy

This section of 391 requires several writing assignments of varying length:  a detailed and systematic critique of a science news article, a formal proposal for your research project, an annotated bibliography of print and online sources related to a particular Illinois ecosystem, and a web-based presentation of your research project.  Directions for the assignments are accessible via the above links.  The quizzes and class participation components are how I assess your grasp of the reading materials throughout the course, while the various papers and projects ask you to apply that knowledge and your critical thinking skills in various kinds of ways.  Key things to remember:  

• Late assignments will be docked 5% the 1st week they are late, 10% the second week, etc. up to a 20% penalty.  Extensions are granted only for extreme circumstances, and must be approved by me prior to the assignment's due date.
• You have a 24-hr. grace period on all assignments, during which they can be turned in without a late penalty.  
• All writing assignments should be submitted via the Digital Dropbox in Bb.  In the event of a rare network problem with Bb, I will make adjustments to a given due date.  
  • Email and fax, while useful in general, are notoriously unreliable for submitting papers on deadline.  Use the Dropbox, as instructed in Mike's Notes.
  • Quizzes are completed online in the Quiz section of the Bb course site.
• The Critique Essay may be revised after the initial grade and resubmitted, if you wish, for further consideration.  Revision due dates are posted on the Schedule page.

A Note on Academic Honesty -- Very Important!

All of your work in BGS 391 and every other college class must be your own.  The Roosevelt Student Handbook, which is available from the advising center as well as online (scroll down the linked page), states that "It is unethical to present as one's own work, the ideas, representations, or words of another, or to permit another to present one's own work without customary and proper acknowledgment of sources" (45).  A full explanation of academic honesty is available in the document, Academic Integrity: A Guide for Students, published by the Roosevelt University Provost's Office.  You should read this document carefully and print a copy for your records.

: : Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and is unacceptable in any form.  It can take many forms in academic writing assignments:  putting your name on another person's writing and presenting it as your own work (an egregious example!); failing to properly cite information from another source (i.e., not giving credit where it's due); failing to put a direct quote in quotation marks (even if it's cited properly); or not adequately paraphrasing the language of an outside source (again, even if it's cited properly).  The latter two examples are the most common forms of plagiarism, and even though in many case they are unintentional mistakes, they're still wrong--and unethical. 

: : My policy on plagiarism is as follows:  any assignment that contains plagiarized passages, whether intentional or not, usually is returned without a grade; the author must schedule an appointment with me to discuss the assignment and then submit a thorough revision of the paper.  If the revision does not correct the problem, the assignment will receive a failing grade.  The objective of my policy is not to punish, but to help you gain critical skills and confidence in properly summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and documenting their sources within your writing.  In cases of egregious academic dishonesty, however, I reserve the right to record a failing grade for the assignment without possibility of revision, a lowered course grade, or a failing course grade (per the Roosevelt Student Handbook, page 48).  I provide ample information and resources about academic honesty and the ethical use of source materials in 391, and I will be happy to assist you should you have additional questions or concerns.  When in doubt about how or when to quote, paraphrase, and/or summarize, ask.

If someone earns 200 out of 250 possible points at the end of the semester, her grade is calculated as follows: 210/250 = .84 x 100 = 84% = B.  I use a standard grading scale of 90-100% A, 80-89% B, 70-79% C, etc. for each assignment as well as the final grade.

How I Evaluate Assignments

The following is a summary of the criteria I use to evaluate most kinds of writing assignments. Please bear in mind that no list is universal--each assignment usually demands a few special categories of consideration, and I always make the appropriate adjustments depending on the assignment. For example: in-class writing is graded more loosely in terms of grammar and spelling than is out-of-class writing; a creative piece must be evaluated differently than a research paper. Makes sense, right?  I've also developed a more specific evaluation rubric for research papers.

"A" paper: Excellent

• Fulfills and successfully pushes beyond the minimum requirements of the assignment in terms of thoroughness and level of detail
• Defines its purpose/thesis very clearly and addresses a defined audience
• Exemplifies a high level of sophistication in terms of content and style (i.e., goes beyond obvious points, shows originality of thought, tackles a difficult subject, flows logically and coherently, uses mature sentence structure and diction, etc.)
• Demonstrates evidence of careful and thoughtful revision
• Displays excellent overall organization and nearly flawless mechanics
• Makes effective and judicious use of other sources (if required), and documents them correctly
• Is readable, clear, and free from needless ambiguity

"B" paper: Good

• Fulfills the minimum requirements of the assignment, and attempts (not always successfully) to go further in terms of development
• Defines its purpose/thesis adequately and addresses a particular audience (with perhaps an occasional lapse)
• Displays coherent organization, with room for possible adjustment
• Demonstrates some degree of thoughtful revision
• Employs reasonably sound writing mechanics
• Uses and documents sources competently
• Is reasonably free from logical flaws and ambiguity (though minor lapses may occur)

"C" paper: Fair

• Fulfills the bare minimum of the assignment; makes no attempt to go beyond what's easy or obvious
• Defines a purpose, but in an unclear or confusing manner--thesis is ineffective and unclear
• Presents material in a somewhat unorganized fashion
• Demonstrates little thoughtful revision--changes are made only on the surface (e.g., spelling and grammar)
• Documents sources and/or uses visuals, but not effectively
• Lacks clarity--the thought process is obscured and the prose is difficult to read
• Contains a number of stylistic and mechanical weaknesses (e.g., sentence structure may be simplistic and/or repetitive)

"D" paper: Needs a Major Overhaul

• Makes a minimal effort to fulfill the assignment, but fails to do an adequate job
• Lacks a clear purpose/focus
• Is seriously deficient in terms of audience awareness, organization, mechanics, documentation, etc.
• Is difficult to follow--fundamental errors or lack of thoughtful development make reading a chore

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Last updated 09/12/07