Write a well-structured essay that answers the questions: “What roles do religions play in Appiah’s analysis? Do you agree or disagree to his approach towards religion? How does it differ from your individual approach towards religion?”
Submit your essay to Assignments via Canvas.
Keep electronic receipts and/or paper copies of all submitted work.
Guidelines
Format:
MLA format required
Double-spaced, 12 point size, Arial or Times New Roman font
Length: 700-1000 words (not Including your Works Cited page)
Content: Field research and supplementary research
Sources: Class readings and PowerPoint Lectures
Works Cited page required
College-level Writing
In every Gordon Rule course at FIU, students must demonstrate “college-level writing skills.” College-level writing must exhibit the following characteristics:
It has clear purpose and thesis or controlling ideas.
The thesis is supported with adequate reasons and evidence.
It shows sustained analysis and critical thought.
It is organized clearly and logically.
It shows knowledge of conventions of standard written English.
It shows awareness of disciplinary conventions in regard to content, style, form, and delivery methods.
Moreover, sources must be cited as appropriate.
Thesis Statement
The thesis is the central idea of your paper around which all your evidence and claims are organized. Every single paragraph should be dedicated in a clear way to proving your thesis. In your essay, the thesis should be stated as quickly and as clearly as possible. In fact, many teachers will expect your thesis statement to appear in the last sentence of your essay’s first paragraph. A vivid thesis statement will announce the steps of its argument, not just provide a flat statement of the essay’s ultimate goal. Think of the thesis as a road map that gives directions to your reader rather than as a picture of your final destination.
A good thesis should not state something that is obviously true. When your thesis is too easy to prove, your essay can become repetitive and you may feel that you do not have enough to write about. A complex thesis, on the other hand, requires you to convince your reader that your argument is logical and will reveal ideas that cannot be easily anticipated. A worthwhile thesis will always outline an argument with which a reader can readily disagree.
These are two links to guide you to write a good thesis statement:
“How to Write a Thesis Statement” by Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University BloomingtonLinks to an external site.
“Tips and Examples for Writing Thesis Statements” by Purdue Online Writing LabLinks to an external site.
Grading Elements
When reading your essays, I will be looking at three different elements: Content, Style, and Research. You will receive a grade in each of these areas, and these grades will then be averaged together for your final essay grade.
Content
refers to the information in your paper. Is it correct? Is it detailed? Do you demonstrate basic knowledge of the religious tradition? Is this knowledge evident in your description of the service?
Style
refers to how that information is presented. This includes the way the information is organized and language skills such as spelling, grammar, and proper sentence structure.
Research
refers to the quality and quantity of your research.
Rubric
Research Paper 2 Rubric (1)
Research Paper 2 Rubric (1)
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOverall Impression
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
Author directly addresses the main question or issue, and adds new insight to the subject not provided in lectures, readings, or class discussions. The author has retained nearly all of the knowledge presented in class. He/She is able to synthesize this knowledge in new ways and relate to material not covered in the course.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
Author competently addresses main question or issue, but does not add much new insight into the subject. That said, it is clear that the author has learned a great deal in class and is able to communicate this knowledge to others.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
Author attempts to address the main question or issue, but fails. The author has retained some information from the course, but does not fully understand its meaning or context and cannot clearly convey it to others.
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
Essay does NOT address the main question or issue, and it is obvious that the author has not retained any information from the course.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeArgument
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
Essay contains a clear argument—i.e., lets the reader know exactly what the author is trying to communicate.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
An argument is present, but reader must reconstruct it from the text.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
Author attempts, but fails, to make an argument (e.g., starts with a rhetorical question/statement or anecdote that is never put into context).
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
No attempt is made to articulate an argument.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEvidence
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
Provides compelling and accurate evidence that convinces reader to accept main argument. The importance/relevance of all pieces of evidence is clearly stated. There are no gaps in reasoning—i.e., the reader does not need to assume anything or do additional research to accept main argument.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
Provides necessary evidence to convince reader of most aspects of the main argument but not all. The importance/ relevance of some evidence presented may not be totally clear. Reader must make a few mental leaps or do some additional research to fully accept all aspects of main argument.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
Not enough evidence is provided to support the author’s argument, or evidence is incomplete, incorrect, or oversimplified. Information from lectures and readings is not effectively used.
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
Either no evidence is provided, or there are numerous factual mistakes, omissions or oversimplifications. There is little or no mention of information from lectures and readings.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCounter-Evidence
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
The author considers the evidence, or alternate interpretations of evidence, that could be used to refute or weaken his/her argument, and thoughtfully responds to it.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
Author acknowledges that counter-evidence or alternative interpretations exists, and lists them fully, but does not effectively explain to readers why his/her argument still stands.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
Author acknowledges some of the most obvious counter-evidence and alternative explanations, but is not comprehensive in this task. There is little or no attempt made to respond to them.
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
No acknowledgement of counter-evidence or alternative interpretations.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSources
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
Evidence is used from a wide range of sources, including lectures and course readings. When required, the author also consults scholarly books, websites, journal articles, etc. not explicitly discussed in class.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
Evidence is used from many sources, but the author relies heavily on a more limited set of sources. Some effort is made to go beyond material presented in class when required, but not much. If outside sources are used, they are primarily non-scholarly (i.e., intended for a general audience) and/or web-based.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
Uses only a few of the sources provided in class, or does not go beyond what has been provided by professor when required to do additional research.
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
Does not use sources, only minimally uses sources provided by instructor, or relies exclusively on non-scholarly outside sources.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCitations
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
All evidence is properly cited in footnotes or endnotes.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
All evidence is cited in footnotes or endnotes, but there are some minor problems with completeness or format of some citations.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
Some pieces are unreferenced or inaccurately referenced, and there are problems with completeness and format of citations.
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
No attempt is made to cite evidence.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeOrganization
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
Essay contains an intro, main body, and conclusion. Introduction lays out main argument and gives an outline of what the reader can expect in the essay. The conclusion brings everything together, acknowledges potential shortcomings of the paper, and gives the reader a sense of what further work might be done to advance the subject matter described in the paper.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
Essay contains an intro, main body, and conclusion. The introduction lays out the main argument but gives the reader little idea of what to expect in the essay. The conclusion nicely summarizes the main argument and evidence, but does not move beyond what has already been presented in the paper.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
Essay contains an intro, main body, and conclusion. The introduction gives the reader an idea of what to expect in the paper, but does not effectively lay out the main argument. It may begin with a set of rhetorical questions, or an anecdote that is never fully explained. The conclusion does little more than restate the problematic introduction. Intro and/or conclusion may be too wordy or short.
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
Essay has no clear organizational pattern.
10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClarity and Style
10 to >8.4 pts
Excellent
All sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. No words are misused or unnecessarily fancy. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are always explained. All information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread (ideally by you and somebody else), and contains no errors.
8.4 to >6.8 pts
Proficient
All sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. An occasional word is misused or unnecessarily fancy. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are usually, but not always, explained. All information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread, and contains no more than a few minor errors, which do not adversely affect the reader’s ability to understand the essay.
6.8 to >5.2 pts
Limited
A few sentences are grammatically incorrect or not clearly written. Several words are misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are rarely explained. Not all information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has been spell-checked AND proofread, but still contains several errors. Reader’s ability to understand essay may be compromised by these errors.
5.2 to >0 pts
Poor
Paper is full of grammatical errors and bad writing. Several words are misused. Technical terms, words from other languages, and words from other historical periods are rarely explained. Not all information is accurate and up-to-date. Paper has not been spell-checked or proofread, and contains numerous errors. Reader has a difficult time understanding essay because of errors.
10 pts
Total Points: 80
