Third Quarter Course Grade

On the top of the yellow holistic rubric, fill out all the lines: advisor, grade level, term, course, and teacher.

Step #1: Mastery of Knowledge

Ignore this first category, which was not a focus for Language Arts this first semester. It will become relevant in the next quarter, when we will work on essay exam skills.

Step #2: Application of Knowledge

Give yourself an overall score based on the quality of your three major assignments this quarter:

• WA#7: Gatsby Persuasive Book Review
• WA#8 American Author Thesis Proposal
• American Author Thesis Bog – Check #2

Step #3: Metacognition

• Circle the bullet from the first series that best describes your approach to the learning process this quarter. Think particularly about your growth as a reader and literary analyst in your work on Gatsby and the American Author Project.
• Review the work you did for your American Author thesis blog. Circle the bullet from the second series that reflects the effort and thoughtfulness you invested in that assignment.

Step #4: Leadership Skills

• The focus this quarter is on critical thinking and project management. Write these two skills onto the lines.
• Based on your scores in the leadership skills category, give yourself a score for each skill.

Step #5: College Work Habits

First bullet series: Engagement and participation

• Circle the bullet in the first series that best describes your participation and engagement in this class over the quarter.
• You should consider your performance on reading quizzes in your participation score.
• If you have 4 or more tardies, or if 2 or more absences are due to tardies or cuts, lower your participation score by one whole point.
• If you have 6 or more tardies, or if 3 or more absences are due to tardies or cuts, lower your participation score by two whole points.

Second bullet series: Homework and classwork diligence

• If you have a perfect record for turning in assignments on time and complete, you earn a 4 for the second bullet.
• If only 1 assignment was turned in late or incomplete, you earned a 3 for the second bullet.
• If 1 or 2 assignments were turned in late or incomplete, you earned a 2 for the second bullet.
• If 3 or more assignments were late or incomplete, you earned a 1 for the second bullet.
• If any writing assignment is still missing, you earned a 1 for the second bullet.

Step #6: Your Overall Grade

• Looking at the pattern of circled bullets holistically, sum up your performance in American Literature this past quarter with one of the following letter grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, or NC.
• If one or more of your two bolded writing assignments are missing (not including your thesis blog), give yourself an NC. However, in parentheses, add the passing grade you think will earn after those assignments are submitted.

Step #7: Reflect and Defend

On the back of the rubric, write a short letter that responds to the following prompts:

• Explain/defend the quarter grade you gave yourself.
• What are you most proud of about your performance this past quarter? Please mention specific assignments or aspects of the course. If you weighted certain assignments in calculating a holistic grade, explain that here.
• What has helped you improve your reading, writing, and/or thinking this past semester? Be specific.
• What kind of grade are you working to earn for the semester? What do you feel you need to do to reach that goal in the quarter to come?

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Posted by Justin Wells : 04/23/2008