All first-year Honors students are required to complete the summer reading assignment as their first assignment for their HONR 298o orientation course. The assigned book for fall 2019 is Educated by Tara Westover. See the essay prompts here. Find answers to your frequently asked questions about the summer assignment, followed by the summer reading assignment grading rubric for fall 2019. Learn how to use the APA citation format here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What citation style should I use?
When you refer to specific elements from the book or from outside sources, make sure
you that you properly cite where you found that information. As indicated in the
summer assignment grading rubric, the preferred citation format for your summer
assignment is APA (see how to use APA here). However, while APA is the ideal citation
format for this assignment, other formats (e.g. MLA, Chicago) will also be accepted
for this essay. Students will not be penalized for using an alternative citation
format, as long as they use it consistently and correctly.
How many sources should I cite in my paper?
There is no minimum number of sources that you must cite for this assignment. Students
may choose to utilize any number of outside sources but are not required to do
so. However, you should cite the book Educated: A Memoir throughout your references
to it in your paper.
Research papers in APA format require a title page and an abstract. Am I required to include a title page and an abstract for this assignment?
No, you are not required to include a title page or an abstract, due to the short
length of the assignment. Please include both APA style citations and a references
section if you use APA format for your citations. If you use a different format,
such as MLA, include a Works Cited page or Bibliography, depending on the requirements
of that citation format.
The prompts ask me about my personal experiences and how they relate to what I have read. Am I allowed to use first person when I write my paper?
Yes, you can absolutely use the first person in your paper.
Have additional questions?
Email Ashley Watts at ashley.watts@mail.wvu.edu or call 304-293-2100.
Grading Rubric (200 total possible points)
Content (60 possible points)
- Grade A: original ideas, complex concepts, compelling evidence with concrete details
- Grade B: complex concepts, significant assertions, strong evidence with concrete details
- Grade C: useful and informative some errors but generally factually accurate, logically consistent, relevant to topic
- Grade D: of doubtful or severely limited usefulness, some but not frequent inaccuracy, inconsistency, irrelevance or triviality
- Grade F: not useful or informative, factual inaccuracy, logical inconsistency and irrelevance to topic selected, trivial assertions
Organization (40 possible points)
- Grade A: extraordinarily clear and concise, excellent transitions
- Grade B: clear and concise, good transitions
- Grade C: clear with adequate transitions
- Grade D: unclear at times, uneven transitions
- Grade F: confusing, few to no transitions
Style (40 possible points)
- Grade A: sentence and paragraph constructions which are varied as to type and length; no comma splices, run-ons, or fused sentences; appropriate word choices; avoids ambiguous pronouns and overused words that no longer have meaning
- Grade B: sentence and paragraph constructions which are somewhat varied as to type or length; few comma splices, run-ons, or fused sentences; appropriate and exact word choices; contains very few ambiguous pronouns and overused words that no longer have meaning
- Grade C: clear coherent sentences and paragraphs; several comma splices, run-ons, or fused sentences; appropriate word choices; contains a few ambiguous pronouns and overused words that no longer have meaning
- Grade D: coherent but sometimes unclear sentences and paragraphs, generally competent; many comma splices, run-ons, or fused sentences; inappropriate word choices at times; contains many ambiguous pronouns and overused words
- Grade F: incoherent sentences and paragraphs; little evidence of correct sentence construction; unrecognizable or inappropriate word choices; contains so many ambiguous pronouns and overused words that meaning is unclear
Research Skills (40 possible points)
- Grade A: sources integrated exceptionally well, appropriate for topic, sufficient, credible, varied sources; no more than 3 APA format errors. (APA is the preferred citation format for this assignment.)
- Grade B: sources integrated well, appropriate for topic, credible, varied sources; no more than 4 APA format errors
- Grade C: sources usually integrated well, credible, and varied; no more than 5 APA format errors
- Grade D: sources integrated poorly, inappropriate, unvaried and not always credible; more than 5 APA format errors
- Grade F: sources inappropriately integrated, incomplete and unreliable, no variety; excessive APA format errors
Mechanics (20 possible points)
- Grade A: very few to no errors or typos
- Grade B: a few errors and typos
- Grade C: moderate errors, several typos
- Grade D: many errors, many typos
- Grade F: carelessly constructed with little to no attention to mechanical correctness