Class participation will count for 10 percent of your final grade. Extra credit of one-half of a letter grade is available for individual projects. Details are in the attached sheet, and will be discussed in class. The essays and group projects will be evaluated on the basis of completeness, clarity, validity and soundness. Completeness simply means whether or not the paper includes all of the elements of the assignment, as described above.
Clarity means having clearly identifiable premises and conclusions.
Clarity is enhanced by using simple sentences, short paragraphs with topic sentences and precise vocabulary. Validity implies a logical structure, with conclusions that flow convincingly from the premises. Soundness means having premises that are factually correct and based on an accurate interpretation of the source material. A paper that is illogical, unclear and replete with errors will not receive a passing grade. These grading criteria are necessarily somewhat subjective.