6. Assignments

The whole course is based on 1250 points. I report all grades according to the standard four-point scale. Thus, for an assignment worth 20 points, if you get a 15, that is a 3.0, or a B.

• Articles (300 pts) -- Two publication-ready news articles, completed in several integrated stages.
  
• Exercises (240 pts) -- About 2-3 pages of writing, about every other week. Intermediate application of the skills you will need for the articles; may be several short writing or editing assignments, or a whole news story.
  
• Workbooks (120) -- May include objective questions (multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank), grammar and revision drills, peer review work, and short essays. There is no workbook to buy -- I will assemble several short assignments for you to complete, usually online, about once a week. Think of these as "problem sets." I won't always mark them in great detail -- I may just glance at your answers and quickly assign an A, B, C, D, or F for the assignment. I may ask you to choose your own grade on the assignment, by writing an in-class essay that quotes from the assigned readings to justify your choice. I have reserved class time to discuss each workbook, and most of the feedback I give will take place during that scheduled class time.
  
• Quizzes (240 pts) -- Two scheduled quizzes (one emphasizing vocabulary, one emphasizing grammar), with additional pop quizzes as necessary.
  
• Reflective Portfolios (200 pts) -- Two organized collections of your best reflective work, responding to assigned readings and peer work. (More details will come as the assignment approaches.)
  
• Comprehensive Final (150) -- At the end of the second-to-last week of classes.