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Title--Intro to Cultural Studies

Instructor
K. Gillis-Bridges
Class Meets
MW, 9:30-11:20
Mary Gates 271
Office Hours
MW, 11:30-12:30
and by appt.
Office Location
Padelford A305
Phone/Voice Mail
(206) 543-4892
Email
kgb@u.washington.edu

Title--Grading

Midterm and Final Essay Grading

A 70- to 80-Point Essay (3.5-4.0, A Range)

  • Has a substantive thesis and fully analyzes how the two films explore particular ideologies; the thesis focuses on the significance of the films’ connections and presents a comparison that is defendable, clearly explained, and supported by the analysis
  • 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
  • Has a sophisticated style (remarkable variety of sentence pattern, smooth transitions between ideas, superior control of diction)
  • Properly cites source material
  • Has few, if any, minor errors in grammar, usage or mechanics

A 50- to 69-Point Essay (2.5-3.4, B Range)

  • Has a clear thesis and essay analyzes how the two films explore ideology, but thesis and essay may not fully address the significance of the films’ connections; the thesis may be clear and well-argued, but could use additional support throughout the essay; or the thesis may be identifiable, but not sharply focused
  • 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
  • Has an effective style (some variety of sentence patterns, transitions between ideas, accurate diction)
  • Properly cites source material, but may have errors in citation format
  • Has few errors in grammar, usage or mechanics

A 30- to 49-Point Essay (1.5-2.4, C Range)

  • Has a thesis that may not be entirely clear and essay does not fully analyze how the two films explore ideology; essay may mention many points of comparison and analyze few
  • Shows insufficient awareness of the complexity of issues addressed; may treat the films 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
  • Has an adequate style (limited variation in sentence patterns, transitions between most ideas, diction accurate for the most part)
  • Cites the majority of source material, but occasionally material may be clearly cited but not referenced in parentheses
  • Has some errors in grammar, usage or mechanics, but demonstrates basic control of these areas

A 14- to 29-Point Essay (.7-1.4, D Range)

  • Has an unclear thesis; essay identifies similarities and differences and meets basic length requirements, but does not compare the films' treatment of ideology 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 films
  • 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
  • Has stylistic weaknesses (no variety of sentence patterns, few transitions, imprecise diction)
  • Indicates use of source material, but does not have consistent parenthetical references
  • Has occasional major errors in grammar, usage or mechanics or frequent minor  errors that interfere in the reader's understanding of the essay

A 0- to 13-Point Essay (0-.6, F Range)

  • Has no thesis or has an incomprehensible thesis
  • May be deliberately off-topic and demonstrate no understanding of the issues addressed by the films
  • 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


Page Last Updated 12/9/03
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