Your success in this and any other class depends on your systematic studying of the assigned readings. Therefore, weekly short papers (2 pages, double spaced) will be assigned to assess your progress in this respect. The papers will be graded from 0-4 points. You will receive a point for submitting your paper on time, another one if it is the appropriate length, 1 point for its quality, and  1 point for its mechanics (see Grading rubric below). Exceptional papers will receive extra credit points. Your worst paper grade will be dropped. Late papers will not be accepted.

Grading Rubric

Length (0-1 pts)

1 = at least 2 pages

0.5 = at least one page

0=less than one page

Content (0-2 pts)

2 = good discussion, helpful and enjoyable to read, and assertions were justified; exhibits clear evidence of having worked through the relevant readings, and incorporates those readings (where relevant).

1 = coherent discussion, possibly with minor problems of organization or understanding; or a failure to make use of class readings; or a failure to move much beyond the mere assertion of one’s opinion.

0 = serious problems in the organization, or evidence that you’ve misunderstood the topic.

Mechanics (0-1 pts)

1 = flawless writing, impeccable punctuation, with neither typos nor misspellings.

0 = presence of typos, misspellings, or poor punctuation.