 |
Assignments, Course Requirements,
POLICIES, and Standards of Evaluation
schedule |
essay writing resources |
evaluating student work |
Schedule
and Grade Value of Assignments [return to
top]
As the due date for each
assignment draws near, I will circulate detailed assignment sheets
in class (and here on the course website), outlining the nature of the
assignment, sources, methods, goals, etc. It is critical that you
also enter a valid e-mail address in your “MyConcordia” account in
order to receive important messages.
The assignment sheets will also be posted below: the title of the assignment will become an active
hyperlink pointing to a PDF document.

The list of assignments, and their respective proportion of the overall grade,
are as follows:
FIRST PAPER: Identity,
Evolutionism, Extinctionism
-
maximum of 4 pages,
double-spaced, 12 pt font. (Times New Roman), 1-inch margins on
all sides (5 points deducted for incorrect format)
-
name on the paper,
pages numbered (5 points deducted otherwise
-
based entirely on
course readings and lectures
-
submitted in class
-
value: 25% of the
final course grade
-
marked out of 25
points
-
Assigned: January
20
-
Due: February 3
SECOND PAPER: “Real”
Indians, “New Settings”
-
maximum of 4 pages,
double-spaced, 12 pt font. (Times New Roman), 1-inch margins on
all sides (5 points deducted for incorrect format)
-
name on the paper,
pages numbered (5 points deducted otherwise
-
based entirely on
course readings and lectures
-
submitted in class
-
value: 25% of the
final course grade
-
marked out of 25
points
-
Assigned: February
17
-
Due: March 10
THIRD PAPER:
Anthropologists and Indigenous Peoples
-
maximum of 4 pages,
double-spaced, 12 pt font. (Times New Roman), 1-inch margins on
all sides (5 points deducted for incorrect format)
-
name on the paper,
pages numbered (5 points deducted otherwise
-
based entirely on
course readings and lectures
-
submitted in class
-
value: 25% of the
final course grade
-
marked out of 25
points
-
Assigned: March 17
-
Due: last day of
class, April 7, (will be returned if students drop off their final paper
in person, see next assignment below)
FOURTH PAPER:
Indigenous Resurgence Struggles
-
maximum of 4 pages,
double-spaced, 12 pt font. (Times New Roman), 1-inch margins on
all sides (5 points deducted for incorrect format)
-
name on the paper,
pages numbered (5 points deducted otherwise
-
based entirely on
course readings and lectures
-
submitted in the
instructor's office, H-1125-11, between 5:00pm and 6:00pm, or,
dropped off in the mailbox marked FORTE, Dept. of Sociology &
Anthropology, anytime before 5:00pm.
-
value: 25% of the
final course grade
-
marked out of 25
points
-
Assigned: April 7
-
Due: April 21
Please Note the
following Class Policies:
No late work is
accepted in this course. Any work that is late is automatically
assigned a grade of zero. Only in extreme cases will late work be
accepted, pending full and original documentation, and the final
decision rests with the instructor.
Arrangements for Late Completion should be negotiated and arranged
with the instructor before final grades are due. Only the most
compelling reasons, with convincing documentation, can be
considered. Please keep in mind that the instructor will most likely
not accept requests for late completion.
There will be no supplemental work.
Do not call the main office for course-related inquiries.
Please avoid coming to class late as other students have regularly
complained about the disruptions that this can cause, especially
when it is a regular occurrence and students enter the room at all
times.
Resources for
Writing Essays, Citing and Referencing Sources
[return to
top]
Please take the
time to review and use the following resources which will be of benefit
to your work:
-
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Almanacs
-
How to Write a Research Paper, see also
The Sundance Reader.
-
Concordia
Academic
Integrity Website--keep in mind that since
these policy documents are being made available, you will not be able to
plead ignorance of the regulations.
-
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM--please read this.
-
Penalties for plagiarism
-
For the purposes of our course, we will use
this citation guide. Please ensure
that you follow this document especially when writing your references
and preparing your bibliographies--please use the parenthetical
reference + reference list option as explained and demonstrated
in the
guide.
How Student Work is Evaluated in this Course
[return to
top]
For all work done in
this course you will receive a numerical grade which will be
converted to a letter grade when final grades are processed. To
translate numbers into letter grades, please consult the following
chart, which is copied from a faculty handbook in the Department of
Sociology & Anthropology. It is vital that you understand that the
characterizations below (i.e., “excellent”) are central in guiding
the instructor’s evaluation of the quality of a paper. In other
words, students who feel they deserve an “A” are burdened with
explaining why they think their work is “excellent.”
A paper that covers all of the basics, in a reasonably competent
fashion, without major flaws, is deemed “satisfactory.” One that has
few flaws, and shows an advanced understanding, writing and
analytical ability is deemed “very good.” A paper that leaves
virtually no room for improvement, demonstrating that the student
has taken considerable initiative, showing sophisticated
understanding and ability, is deemed “excellent.”

In general,
student work is assessed
in the following manner. Student assignments are evaluated in
comparison with each other, normally done by the instructor
assembling a random sample and highlighting the best elements of
each paper, which then forms the template by which papers are
judged. The paper(s) that come(s) closest to achieving the highest
standards for student work will receive the highest grades. Students
are evaluated on the extent and depth to which they have utilized
assigned readings (when applicable). Students are also evaluated on
their ability to successfully apply key course concepts to their own
writing. Analytical and conceptual clarity (the argument does not
contradict itself repeatedly, the writer stays focused, any concepts
used are defined, concepts are related to one another when
applicable, pros and cons are considered, assertions are supported
with evidence or logic), are vital elements of a paper deemed to be
“very good” or better. Structure, logical organization, and
effective writing are of substantial importance. In the case of
research papers, students that demonstrate having taken initiative
by covering a reasonably wide and diverse range of sources will be
appropriately rewarded.
Specifically,
this is the structure for assessing points for your papers (marked
out of 25 points):
ESSAY FORMAT: 3 points maximum
-
just having an
Intro., Conc., paragraphs = 1 point
-
point for a strong,
comprehensive introduction (none for an average introduction)
-
point for a good
concluding paragraph that does more than just summarize or
repeat, one that reserves some of the most important insights
based on the work presented
LOGICAL ARGUMENT: 4
points maximum
Qualities to look for:
-
clear argument,
that is consistent and without contradictions
-
follows the outline
of the question (does not not reduce the question, does not
reinterpret the question to mean something entirely different,
addresses all components of the question)
-
non sequiturs
should count for a deduction of at least 1 point
-
no generalizations
from a single case
-
does the structure
of the argument support the author's intentions?
CONCEPTS: 6 points
maximum
-
shows understanding
of the key concepts used in the course, relevant to that
particular paper
-
used the concepts
that were necessary to answer the question
-
more advanced work
may refine the concepts, challenge the integrity or utility of
the concepts, raise issues concerning the ways that concepts are
used in particular theories
SUBSTANTIATION: 12
points maximum
-
evidence, simply
put
-
fairly detailed,
good examples, relevant support from course materials
-
judicious selection
of materials needed to answer the question
-
shows evidence of
having grasped key course content
-
more advanced work
will raise questions, problems, insights concerning course
materials
Academic
Regulations
Section 16
(Academic Information: Definitions and Regulations) of the Undergraduate
Calendar will be strictly administered – particularly on deadlines, Failing
Grades, Administrative Notations, Late Completions=‘INCompletes’
(Grade/INC), ‘Failed No Supplementals’ (FNS), ‘Did Not Writes’ (Grade/DNW).
Make sure you get a copy of the undergraduate calendar, also available online at
http://registrar.concordia.ca/calendar/calendar.html, and read that
material.
|