Grading Criteria for Discussion Board Postings
Electronic postings will be graded on a credit/no credit basis, with credit granted to postings that meet the length requirement and demonstrate serious engagement with the discussion questions and the ideas of other students.  Late postings will not receive credit.

Grading Criteria for Essays
Both essays will be graded according to the following criteria.  Failure to submit a first draft of each essay will result in a .5 deduction in the final grade for the essay.  Late final drafts will receive a .3 grade deduction per day late, including weekends and holidays.

An A-Range (3.5-4.0) Essay

• Has a substantive thesis and essay fully addresses the topic; the thesis is defendable, clearly explained, and supported in the body of the essay 
• Shows substantial depth, fullness and complexity of thought 
• Expresses ideas clearly and commands the reader’s attention 
• Demonstrates clear, unified and coherent organization 
• Is fully developed and detailed with arguments supported by persuasive reasoning and references to films under study; there is an appropriate balance between providing evidence and analyzing that evidence 
• Properly cites source material 
• Has a sophisticated style (remarkable variety of sentence pattern, smooth transitions between ideas, superior control of diction) 
• Has few, if any, minor errors in grammar, usage or mechanics 

• Has a clear thesis and essay addresses the topic but may not do so completely; the thesis may be clear and well-argued, but could use additional support or development 
• Shows some depth and complexity of thought 
• Expresses ideas clearly 
• Demonstrates effective organization 
• Is well developed with sensible reasoning and appropriate references to films; however, some evidence may detract from the thesis and some ideas might not be fully explored
• Demonstrates balance between evidence and analysis for the most part, but balance may be weak in places
• Properly cites source material, but may have errors in citation format
• Has an effective style (some variety of sentence patterns, transitions between ideas, accurate diction) 
• Has few errors in grammar, usage or mechanics 

• Has a thesis that may not be entirely clear and essay does not fully address the topic 
• Shows insufficient awareness of the complexity of issues addressed; may treat the topic simplistically or repetitively 
• Communicates ideas clearly for the most part, but may have some lapses in clarity 
• Has a recognizable organizational pattern, but the relation among parts is not consistently clear enough to provide a coherent focus 
• Is unevenly developed; writer may offer sufficient reasoning or references to films for some of the ideas but not for others 
• Demonstrates some balance between evidence and analysis
• Cites the majority of source material, but

occasionally material may be clearly cited but not referenced in parentheses 
• Has an adequate style (limited variation in sentence patterns, transitions between most ideas, diction accurate for the most part) 
• Has some errors in grammar, usage or mechanics, but demonstrates basic control of these areas 

• Has an unclear thesis; essay discusses the topic and meets basic length requirements, but does not address the topic in any meaningful fashion 
• Lacks focus or demonstrates confused, stereotyped or simplistic thinking; writer may demonstrate no overall conception of the issues raised by the topic 
• May not communicate ideas clearly 
• Is ineffectively organized, with no clear relationship between the parts of the essay 
• May not provide adequate or appropriate reasoning or references to support generalizations, or may provide details without generalizations 
• Demonstrates little relationship between evidence and the thesis
• Indicates use of source material, but does not have consistent parenthetical references
• Has stylistic weaknesses (no variety of sentence patterns, few transitions, imprecise diction) 
• Has occasional major errors in grammar, usage or mechanics or frequent minor errors that interfere in the reader's understanding of the essay 

• Has no thesis or has an incomprehensible thesis that does not engage the topic 
• May be deliberately off-topic and demonstrate no understanding of the issues addressed by the topic 
• Does not communicate ideas clearly 
• Lacks coherent organization 
• Shows no development of ideas; may simply summarize films 
• Has an incoherent style (difficulties with sentence structure, pattern of diction errors) 
• Presents another writer's work as the author's own

Has pervasive pattern of errors in grammar, usage and mechanics that renders the essay unreadable