Response Expectations

Honors: It was a bit of an eyeopener this last weekend as I assessed your responses.  While several stood out as exemplary, the vast majority seemed to stumble on basic expectations.  Please use the following as a basic checklist of minimum requirements prior to submitting your next response or any paper for that matter.

1) Proper heading: name, date, period, type of paper
2) Title: stop asking if one is needed and just assume it is
3) Lead: keep it simple, quick and effective; hook that reader
4) Title and author: if you are writing about a book it would help to know what it is and who wrote it; in addition, be sure to punctuate it correctly
5) Claim: you need a claim; what's the purpose of the paper? in one sentence clearly spell it out
6) S.P.A.T.: state your argument; provide relevant, credible evidence; analyze the evidence; tie it back to your point/claim
7) Properly cite the quotes: if you have forgotten how to do it look on the OWL, but you should have this down by now
8) Analyze: don't confuse quotes/evidence for analysis
9) Conclusion: make it worthwhile; end with a bang not a whimper
10) Paragraphs: you are in 8th grade...in honors...use paragraphs...ALWAYS
11) No writing on final copies: it turns it into a rough draft; would you write on your resume?
12) Offer insight: go deeper into the analysis; boldly discuss what no man has discussed before!

Like putting a period at the end of a sentence, these things should be second nature by now.  You shouldn't even have to think about them; you should just do them.  Before handing in your next response, check it against this list.

Defending your position: letters, speeches and papers, coming soon to a classroom near you.  What do you feel passionate enough about to defend to the death? or at least in a paper?

Standard: I was impressed how you worked with your partners today to assess your peers work.  There might have been some generous grading going on, but I will weight your assessments against mine for a final grade.  I'll try to have them completed by the end of the week.

What are your thoughts on water guns?