Book Club Prompt
Choose your top three choices of novels from the list provided in your Syllabus at the beginning of the semester. You will post your top three choices under the Announcement Tab “Book Club Sign Up”. Once posted, I will fill “Book Club Groups” under the Announcements Tab. When you see your name, you may purchase your Book Club Book. You should begin reading from the beginning of the semester as well to give yourself adequate time to finish before your writing on the Book Club is due. You will have other members in your Book Club. You will each write 3 Pages on any aspect of the novel and must communicate with one another to make sure no one is writing on the same topic, subject, focus, etc. Depending on your novel it can be character development, scenery description, mythology, art, racism, sexism/gender roles, drugs/alcohol, addiction, government control, book-burning, morality versus scientific advancement, technology advancement, etc.
Your introduction must include the Book Club title (do not forget to italicize it) and the author’s full last name. Do not forget to include a bolded thesis statement that will explain the focus of your writing so that it is easier to make sure everyone is writing about something different. Include what drew you to this topic and why. Remember your audience, I am your reader and have read these books many times, so there is no need to provide an extensive summary. Next, write about your thoughts on the Book: Was it a fascinating, boring, exciting, sickening, etc. read? Do you have a favorite/least favorite quote or scene? Would you recommend your Book Club Book? Do you think everyone should read this book? Why/why not? Make sure that you include direct quotes from the Book Club Book with in-text citations that include page numbers: “…” (Authors Last Name 25). This will help guide the discussion when we meet for a Video Conference in the Conference Tab in the Course Menu.
Requirements: The Book Club has a 3 Page Minimum and it will be worth 150 points.
MLA Format: The proper documentation style for Composition is MLA. Header – Name, Course, Professor, Date; Heading – Last Name & Page #; Times New Roman, 12 Point Font, Double Space, One Inch Margins, Interesting Title, No Cover Sheets.
Citations: If you cite from any source, you need to give it full proper format (In-Text & Works Cited). The Works Cited is not part of the page minimum.
Three Resources: You must include one .com/.gov/.org website. I encourage you to include Reading & Videos from the Course, YouTube Videos, Interviews, Speeches, Documentaries, etc. to practice different types of citations, and sources from the UTPB Library Database.
Draft: For this draft, I will begin a message for each group in Canvas Messenger for all of you to be able to communicate with one another throughout the semester. Not only is this where you will communicate with one another to make sure no one is writing on the same focus/subject, but also where you will share your drafts to one another, make comments on one of your Book Club Member’s writing, before turning in your final drafts to me.
* Rubric on following page
Content:
Meets Prompt Requirements
Creative/Critical Thinking
35 – Excellent:
The essay meets all prompt requirements. Thinking is exemplary, skilled, marked by excellence in clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, breadth, logicality, and fairness.
30 – Good:
Thinking is effective, accurate and clear, but lacks the exemplary depth, precision, and insight of Excellent.
25 – Competent:
Thinking is effective, accurate and clear, but lacks the exemplary depth, precision, and insight of Good.
20 – Emerging / Marginal:
Thinking is unskilled and insufficient, marked by imprecision, lack of clarity, superficiality, illogicality, and inaccuracy and unfairness.
Marginal: Thinking is inconsistent, ineffective; shows a lack of consistent competence; is often unclear, imprecise, inaccurate, and superficial.
15 – Poor / Unacceptable:
Thinking is unskilled and insufficient, marked by imprecision, lack of clarity, superficiality, illogicality, and inaccuracy and unfairness.
0 – No attempt to meet prompt. Clearly did not read directions thoroughly.
MLA Format:
Times New Roman
12 Point Font
One Inch Margins
Double Space
Intext Citations
Works Cited
30 – Excellent:
No errors in MLA in-text documentation or formatting.
25 – Good:
A rare in-text citation or formatting error here and there.
(1-2 errors)
20 – Competent:
A few in-text citation or formatting errors, but not distracting to the reader.
(3-5 errors)
15 – Emerging / Marginal:
In-text citation or formatting errors begin to distract the reader.
(6-7 errors per page)
10 – Poor / Unacceptable:
In-text citation or formatting errors are so frequent that the reader has trouble understanding the writer’s intentions.
0 – No attempt to use MLA style or use of wrong style.
(No attempt to cite = automatic fail)
Organization:
Introduction
Thesis
Paragraphs
Conclusion
25 – Excellent:
The essay is organized in a highly interesting and coherent way.
20 – Good:
The essay is clearly and coherently organized.
15 – Competent:
The essay has a few minor problems (missing transitions, short introduction and/or conclusion).
10 – Emerging / Marginal:
Attempt at organization, but not completely coherent. The essay lacks transitions, an introduction, or a conclusion.
5 – Poor / Unacceptable:
The essay rambles from one thing to another with no attempt at a consistent organizational pattern.
0 – No effort whatsoever made to organize the essay. The essay may consist of one long paragraph.
Grammar & Punctuation
20 – Excellent:
No sentence grammar / punctuation errors identified.
15 – Good:
A rare sentence grammar / punctuation error here and there.
(1-2 errors)
12 – Competent:
A few sentence grammar / punctuation errors, but not distracting to the reader.
(3-5 errors)
9 – Emerging / Marginal:
Sentence grammar / punctuation errors begin to distract the reader.
(6-7 errors)
5 – Poor / Unacceptable:
Sentence grammar / punctuation errors are so frequent that the reader has trouble understanding the writer’s message.
0 – No discernible effort to avoid sentence grammar / punctuation errors.
Thesis
20 – Excellent:
Thesis is arguable, well-focused, and highly original. A stellar effort.
15 – Good: Thesis is arguable, focused, and original, though not stellar.
12 – Competent: Thesis is arguable and coherent, but often the essay digresses and loses focus.
9 – Marginal: Thesis needs to be honed or stated more coherently or lacks an arguable statement.
5 – Poor / Unacceptable:
Thesis is poorly focused and lacks an arguable statement.
0 – Thesis is not present or related to the assignment.
Evidence of Revision:
Canvas Messenger
20 – Excellent:
Draft was sent to Book Club Group Members to receive comments for revisions.
0 – No attempt to was made to share the draft in Canvas Messenger with Book Club Group Members.