Derdiger

Advanced Writing

Research Unit Assessment

For your research unit assessment, you will be conducting an extensive research project, culminating in an upper-level
academic research paper. Your paper must:

 Be a minimum of 5 pages in length  Use evidence from a minimum of 5 credible

 Include headers that break your paper into
sections
 Include at least one graphic
sources
 Cite all evidence in proper MLA format
 Include a bibliography in MLA format
 Be written in a formal and academic tone and
style

For your topic, you should choose something that you are interested in. Research is a long process and you will be doing
a lot of reading about your topic.

Your topic of choice is due January 17

Your list of sources is due January 19
Your research and graphic are due February 13
Your first draft and headings are due February 17
Your second draft and bibliography are due February 23
Your final draft is due March 3

Assignment Due Date

Topic Choice January 17
List of sources January 19
Research and Graphic February 13
First draft and Headings February 17
Second draft and Bibliography February 23
Final draft March 3
Derdiger
Advanced Writing

Here’s how you will be graded:

Criteria 4 3 2 1
Evidence Student included Student included Student included one Student did not include
multiple pieces of multiple pieces of piece of relevant any evidence OR
evidence in each evidence in each evidence per paragraph evidence included did
paragraph and paragraph and and evidence was not support the claim
evidence was highly evidence was related to relevant and supported or was irrelevant.
relevant to the topic. the topic. Evidence did the claim.
Evidence added to the not add to the reader’s
reader’s understanding understanding of the
of the topic and well topic, but supported
supported the claim. the claim.
Sources A minimum of 5 5 sources were cited Fewer than 4 credible Student used 3 or
sources were used. and most were sources were cited. fewer credible sources
Each source was credible. OR all sources were not
credible. credible
MLA Format Citations and Citations OR Citations and Citations and
bibliography were bibliography were bibliography were bibliography were
included in proper MLA missing. What was included but were not missing.
format. included was in MLA in proper MLA format
format.
Graphic The graphic was easy to The graphic was pretty The graphic was The graphic was
understand and clearly easy to understand and difficult to understand, missing OR did not
related to the topic. It related to the topic. It but was related to the relate to the topic of
added to the reader’s did not add to the topic. the paper.
understanding of the reader’s understanding,
topic. but enforced it.
Organization Paper was very well Paper was easy to Paper was a bit Paper was very
organized and easy to follow and well disorganized. disorganized. There
follow. Transitions organized. Transitions Transitions needed to were no transitions or
were clear and headers could have been be much clearer and headings.
were appropriate to clearer, but headings headings were missing
topic. were appropriate. OR did not relate to the
paragraph.
Analysis Student extensively Student analyzed the Student included Student did not analyze
and thoroughly research fairly well and minimal analysis of the evidence or explain
analyzed the research, explained its relevance evidence OR did not how it related to the
explaining its relevance to the claim. explain how it related claim.
to the claim. to the claim.
Tone/Style Student’s style and Student’s style and Student’s style or tone Student’s tone was
tone were academic tone were mostly were a bit formal. very informal.
and formal. academic and formal.
Conventions Student had no errors Student had a few Student had many Student had many
in grammar and errors in grammar and errors in grammar and errors in grammar and
conventions. conventions, but they conventions that made conventions that
did not impede the text difficult to greatly impeded the
understanding. understand. reader’s
understanding.
Total: _________/32