Table of Contents
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
1. Article Summary
- Have you communicated the source’s purpose?
- Have you included all of the source’s main points?
- Have you restated the source’s argument in your own words?
2. Article Response
- Have you provided your perspective on the source’s argument?
- Have you used specific examples from the source to illustrate why you either agree or disagree with the argument?
3. Reflection
- Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?
- Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
B. Reflection Questions
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
- What ideas originally came to mind when you first read through the article? Did your initial response to the article change after reading it for a second time? (3-4 sentences)
- How does paying attention to the way you respond to a source help you formulate your stance on a topic? (2-3 sentences)
C. Rubric
Advanced (90-100%) | Proficient (80-89%) | Acceptable (70-79%) | Needs Improvement (50-69%) | Non-Performance (0-49%) | |
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Source SummarySummarize the main argument of a research source.
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Provides a complete and accurate summary of the articles main purpose and argument in the writers own words. | Provides an accurate summary of the articles main purpose and argument in the writers own words. | Provides an accurate summary, but relies too heavily on source quotations. | Provides an incomplete summary of the articles main purpose and argument and/or relies too heavily on source quotations. | Does not provide a complete and accurate summary of the articles main purpose and argument in the writers own words. |
Source ResponseArticulate a response to the argument presented in a research source.
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Constructs a thoughtful and academically appropriate response to the source, including samples from the source that relate to the response. | Constructs an academically appropriate response to the source, including samples from the source that relate to the response. | Constructs an academically appropriate response to the source, but could include more samples from the source that relate to the response. | Constructs a response to the source, but does not include samples that relate to the response. | Does not construct an academically appropriate response to the source and/or does not include samples from the source that relate to the response. |
OrganizationExhibit competent organizational writing techniques.
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Includes all of the required components of a summary and response essay, including an introduction with an engaging summary of the source’s argument, body paragraphs containing a detailed and thoughtful response to the argument, and a conclusion with a concluding statement. | Includes all of the required components of a summary and response essay, including an introduction with a summary of the source’s argument, body paragraphs containing a response to the argument, and a conclusion with a concluding statement. | Includes nearly all of the required components of summary and response essay; however, one component is missing. | Includes most of the required components of a summary and response essay, but is lacking two components; sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are sometimes unclear and the reader may have difficulty following the progression of the essay. | Lacks several or all of the components of a summary and response essay; sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are often unclear and the reader has difficulty following the progression of the essay. |
StyleEstablish a consistent, informative tone and make thoughtful stylistic choices.
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Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices, avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a wide variety of sentence structures. | Demonstrates effective word choices, primarily avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a variety of sentence structures. | Demonstrates generally effective style choices, but may include occasional redundancies, imprecise language, poor word choice, and/or repetitive sentence structures. | Frequently includes poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. | Consistently demonstrates poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. |
ConventionsFollow conventions for standard written English.
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There are only a few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. |
ReflectionAnswer reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully.
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Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses, following or exceeding response length guidelines. | Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple insights, observations, and/or examples, following response length guidelines. | Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight; primarily follows response length guidelines. | Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight, with some questions left unanswered or falling short of response length guidelines. | No reflection responses are present. |
D. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
- Composition must be 2-3 pages (approximately 500-750 words).
- Double-space the composition and use one-inch margins.
- Use a readable 12-point font.
- All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
- Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
- Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
- Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
- Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
- Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
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