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Essays

Every essay submitted to me must be accompanied by the team-edited first drafts of the essay, along with a quick indication (list, outline, diagram, short paragraph…) of how you improved the final draft.

All drafts must be typed, double-spaced, with regular margins and font sizes.

First drafts must be at least three full pages long, with a clear and developed introduction. Bring two copies of the first draft to team edit classes. If the first draft has not been team edited, the essay is penalized one half grade. Final drafts must be 4-5 pages long, with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

Essays are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated above. Late submissions sink one half grade for every class that meets after they’re due.

Extensions may be arranged up to a week before the due date.

Please hand in your essays (first drafts, improvement note, final draft) in a manila envelope with your name on the front. Save your essays after I grade them; I’ll be reviewing them at the end of the semester.

• Participation (25% of final grade)

Participation counts heavily towards your final grade–much more than any single assignment. I’ll be measuring the dependability of your punctual attendance, as well as your effort to keep the discussion interesting and coherent. If you’ve proven yourself steady and honorable and cheerful in keeping up with all demands of this class, you’ll be rewarded.

• Responses (15% of final grade)

When a response is due, it must be emailed to me before class meets. Responses emailed afterwards won’t be accepted. I’ll let you know that I received the response on time.

Do not send responses as attachments. Copy the text and paste it into the body of a regular email meesage. In addition, print out a copy of the response and bring it to class with you.

At the end of the semester, I’ll print out all your responses and assign a grade to the collection.

• Strunk & White Quiz (10% of final grade)

Don’t stress out about the quiz! If you read the rules, follow class discussion of them, and ask questions if a rule puzzles you, you’ll do well on the quiz.