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Essay #1 Assignment and Grading Rubric- Scroll down for detailed peer review instructions

This essay should be used to set up the arguments you may be making regarding your issue.

Assignment:  Compare and Contrast Science and Technology. Explain the role they play in society in the formation of issues. Expand on the definition of 'issue'; discuss and explain non-scientific aspects that make these issues and how you feel our society should respond to the issues. Clearly describe what role each aspect (political, economic, and the ethical etc) should play as we as a society decide how to address these issues. Use your disciplinary persepective as you develop this essay.

Prepare a 2-4 page type-written academic essay (with an introduction, body and conclusion) which compares and contrast science and technology, and explains the role you think they play in society.

You are expected to use resources in addition to encyclopedias, dictionaries and other readings. Other authors you may find interesting, easy to read, and useful for this assignment include Carl Sagan, Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan, Lewis Thomas, Stephen J. Gould, Ernst Mayr, John Moore, Michael Zimmerman and E.O. Wilson.  Hopefully you have had a chance to read some of them, and or will introduce me to others (Frankenstein, etc).

  Below this detailed rubric is a peer-review sheet.  Print out the essay you received from a peer and do the peer-review.  Bring the peer essay and review sheet to our next meeting.  

Grade

Knowledge (Readings)

Application (Written)

Presentation of Ideas

Creativity & Originality

 

A

Cites 4 or more key concepts and supporting details from relevant readings. Provides definitions and explanations of science and technology, and the interplay between the two. Expands on the definition of issue, discusses and explains non-scientific aspects that make these issues and how you feel our society should respond to the issues. Clearly describes what role each aspect (political, economic, and the ethical etc) should play as we as a society decide how to address these issues.

Demonstrates insights and understanding resources to describe the main points of the essay.

Identifies personal responsibilities with regard to application(s)

Communicates all ideas clearly

Shows attention to the details of performance conventions (spelling, grammar, etc.)

Demonstrates a perspective with considerable creativity and originality

B

Cites 2-3 concepts and supporting details from reading assignments, encyclopedias, dictionaries and required text. Provides definitions and explanations of science and technology, BUT FAILS TO ADDRESS THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN the two. Expands on the definition of issue, AND MENTIONS non-scientific aspects that make these issues. Provides some discussion of how you feel our society should respond to the issues.

No citations from other relevant readings

Demonstrates insights and understanding

Communicates most ideas clearly

Presents minor mistakes in performance conventions

Demonstrates a perspective with some creativity and originality

C

Cites 1-2 key concepts and supporting details. Provides definitions and explanations of science and technology, but fails to address the interplay between the two. Provides some mention of issues, and only briefly mentions non-scientific aspects that make these issues.  Briefly discusses, if at all, how you feel our society should respond to the issues.

No citations from relevant readings.

Demonstrates little insights and understanding.

Communicates some ideas clearly

Presents minor mistakes in performance conventions

Demonstrates a perspective with little creativity and originality

D

Cites 1 key concept and/or supporting details from reading assignments

No citations from other relevant readings

Demonstrates no insights and understanding

Does not communicate ideas clearly

Pays insufficient attention to performance conventions

Demonstrates a perspective  with no creativity and originality

F

No citations from class readings and other relevant readings

No attempts in demonstrating insights and understanding of the readings

No attention to performance conventions

No attempts in demonstrating

Anonymous Peer Review Instructions:

The time I am asking you to spend on this assignment is to help you provide valuable peer review to each other, to look more critically at your own writing and to improve the quality of the writing of the future drafts of the writing products in this class.  I hope that you will use this essay as an introduction to the paper you write as the final product for your issue.

Provide peer review in two ways.

1.  Provide "editorial' remarks on the draft of the essay, much like your most dedicated professor would provide useful constructive criticism for you.  Identify grammatical issues, comma splices, spelling, word choices, organizational confusion, topic sentences, perhaps ask them to read confusing sentences aloud, etc. 

2.  Answer the questions below on a separate sheet of paper as a secondary step of "peer-review" of a fellow students' essay. Provide your name at the bottom of the paper so the instruction (me) can record the quality of your peer-review for a grade.

 

 click here for a word version of the peer-review form

Essay #1 Compare and Contrast Science and Technology Peer Review Form
Provide constructive criticism on the essay itself, and also to provide written comment for each question as written below.
Is there a creative title?  YES  NO   Please suggest one that might be even more creative..

Mechanics: Is there an introduction?   YES  NO   Does the introduction highlight all the points that the essay covers?  Explain any points that may be left out, or could be better highlighted.

Does the body of the essay expand on the items mentioned in the introduction?  YES   NO 
Are citations used (correctly) to support opinions and ideas?  YES   NO 
How many citations are used and how effectively to support the concepts?  ( grade as A. B, C, D or F?)  Which citations are best at supporting the concepts and which are adequate but not outstanding?

How does the essay compare Science with Technology?  
How does the essay contrast Science and Technology?
How does the essay explain the role Science and Technology play in society?
How does the essay explain and describe non-scientific aspects that make things issues?
How does the author describe the role politics should play as we decide how to address issues?
How does the author describe the role economics should play as we decide how to address issues?
How does the author describe the role ethics should play as we decide how to address issues?
How does the author think we as a society should respond to issues?
How does the author incorporate their disciplinary perspective into the essay?

 

Does each paragraph have a topic sentence? YES   NO   Identify each topic sentence on the paper you received by underlining it.  Note that the topic sentence is not always the first sentence in the paragraph.
Does every sentence in the paragraph support the topic sentence? YES   NO   Identify which you think are supporting and which may need to be more clearly related.
Are transition sentences used between paragraphs YES   NO   (Identify them or propose a transition sentence that might be useful.
Is there a summary? YES   NO   What ideas in the essay were left out of the summary?
Does the summary summarize, yet and offer NO new information?  YES   NO  
Is there a conclusion? YES   NO  
Are the citations done in correct APA style?  YES   NO 

 

 

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Last updated July 10, 2012