Formal Academic Summary                           Name:_____________________________
Evaluation Checklist       
WR 121, Spring 2011, Prof. C. Agatucci                              Grade:_______________________
 Final Draft = 50 pts possible
                                                                                                ____LATE Final Draft: Penalized points & NO Revision Option allowed

Handwritten Final Drafts will NOT be accepted for grading - Final Drafts must be word processed, double spaced, and correctly formatted.

___ Revision Option is allowed because word-processed, correctly formatted Final Draft was submitted on time. However, allowed Optional Revisions will NOT be accepted for re-grading consideration UNLESS both (1) Cora's completed Formal Academic Summary Final Draft Evaluation Checklist form and (2) your submitted "Final Draft" with Cora's critique comments are re-submitted with your Revision.

Yes or No  Assignment BASIC REQUIREMENTS are met:

__1. Topic is one of the approved essays: Robin Tolmach Lakoff's "From Ancient Greece to Iraq, the Power of Words in Wartime," OR Benedict Carey's "Judging Honesty by Words, Not Fidgets," OR Mortimer Adler's "How to Mark a Book"

__2. Length of Formal Academic Summary does NOT exceed 1 word-processed, double-spaced page, using standard font/point size, 1" margins all around, etc..
                     __Point Penalty (equivalent to 1/2 grade) will be subtracted if Formal Academic Summary exceeds length limit.

__3. Genre & Manuscript Form (MS) follows in-class/handout directions & example, including:

 __4. Assignment CONTENT & COHERENCE Evaluation:

___Summary Paragraph is selective: only essay's thesis & selected major supporting points are represented; NOT included are minor points, details, specific examples.
 ___Length does not exceed 1-page double-spaced length limit, with first sentence/s of summary paragraph presenting the author's thesis and remaining sentences of summary paragraph presenting major points selected as most important to supporting the author's thesis

___Summary Paragraph avoids extensive quotation: student primarily uses her/his own words to summarize/paraphrase essay thesis and main ideas, demonstrating student's careful (re-)reading and understanding of the essay; IF direct quotations are used, they are limited and seem justified.  
___Summary Paragraph is accurate: essay thesis and main points are accurately represented and meaning is NOT distorted in the student's summary, demonstrating the student's careful (re)-reading and understanding of the essay

___Summary Paragraph  is objective:  objective representation of essay's thesis and main ideas does NOT include student's own opinions about the author's ideas NOR student's evaluative comment on quality or effectiveness of the author's writing.

___Summary Paragraph is concise and clear:  student is concise in presenting essay thesis and main points in summary paragraph, by avoiding wordiness, redundancy, and weak repetition, as well as extensive quotation. Clear expression is maintained throughout the summary paragraph, clarity never being sacrificed in effort to be concise and stay within length limit.   See also Assignment Clarity and Correctness of Written Expression below.

___Summary Paragraph is organized and coherent: Content organization of the summary paragraph follows assignment directions--e.g. essay thesis is presented in the first sentence/s of the summary paragraph followed by representing selected main supporting points--even if following assignment direction requires departing from order in which thesis and selected main points are presented in the original essay. Organizational coherence is strengthened by incorporating appropriate transitions to indicate logical relationships among main points represented in summary paragraph. Coherence is also strengthened by maintaining clear expression throughout the summary paragraph.
See also Assignment Clarity and Correctness of Written Expression below.

__5. Assignment Clarity and Correctness of Written Expression: 

__Clarity of Written Expression is maintained throughout the summary paragraph and strengthens its content and coherence
__Correctness of Written Expression in Final Draft demonstrates effective proofreading, editing, and proficiency in standard U.S. written English conventions (e.g. grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics): that is, the Final Draft has been edited to eliminate major sentence errors (e.g. CS, FS, Frag, Pro Ref, WC, SS) that confuse meaning, and contains few other errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, and mechanics.

See also Formal Academic Summary Directions & Cora's Example Formal Academic Summary

Spring 2011 WR 121 Syllabus | Course Plan | WR 121 Course Home Page 

You are here:  Formal Academic Summary Evaluation Checklist - WR 121, Spring 2011
 URL of this webpage: http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/wr121/EvalFormalAcademicSummary.htm
Last Updated: 29 March 2011

© 2011, Cora Agatucci, Professor of English
Humanities Department, Central Oregon Community College
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