Westmont High School

Sophomore Historical Analysis Research Paper

(SHARP)

Student Handbook

2005

This handbook belongs to:

____________________

English teacher: ________ History teacher: ________

All English II and World History students will complete the Sophomore Historical Analysis Research Paper (SHARP). The purpose of this cross-curricular project is to augment the curriculum already being covered within the world history and world literature classes, to introduce the students to the timeline and scope of completing a research paper, and to fulfill state standards for both disciplines.

What is the assignment? The big picture:

· Write a 4-5 paragraph persuasive essay in which you take a position about a world history topic representing a culture other than the one with which you identify. Your thesis must include two or three divisions of proof, which will be developed in the essay.

· You will work with both your world history and English teacher on this project. If you do not have both an English II and a World History teacher right now, see your teacher right away to discuss how you will work on this assignment.

· The project is worth 10-15% of the student’s semester grade in each history and English. The essays are graded using the attached rubric (found on page 16 of this handbook).

SHARP Table of Contents

3	Timeline
4	Ideas for Possible Topics
5	Topic Teacher and Parent Consent Form
7	Critique of a Web Site for Research Purposes
8	Thesis Statements
9	Research Report Format
10	Outline Format
11	How to Cite Sources in the Text (In-text citations) MLA Style
12	Using Quotes MLA Style
13-14	MLA Format for List of Works Cited
15	Writing Errors and Tips
16	SHARP Rubric (Scoring Guide)
17	Turnitin.com Instructions

FINAL

Sophomore Historical Analysis Research Paper (SHARP)

2004-2005 Student Timeline

A/B Days	Assignment	Due to which teacher
Throughout January	Topic discussion	History
January 24-31	Library class visit/tour and research time and final topic discussion	History
January 31	Students must have history teacher approve topic by this date	History
February 1 and 2	Topic/Parent Consent Form completed.	History
February 3 and 4	Thesis Statement Due	English
February 7 and 8	Research Checkpoint #1 Due (Thesis in progress, outline, works cited with three items including two print periodical or book resources and one website).	English
February 9-10	Research Checkpoint returned to students	English
February 11, 21	Introductory Paragraph Due (Thesis, Intro paragraph, works cited, all previous work)	History
February 12-20	Presidents Week vacation	All
February 22, 23	Introductory paragraph returned to students	History
February 24, 25	Essay Draft Due for peer editing Peer edit (Thesis, 3-5 page essay, works cited, all previous work)	English
February 28, March 1 (papers received late on March 2^nd or 3^rd will receive half credit. Papers received after these dates will receive no credit.)	Final essay due (Thesis, 3-5 page essay, works cited, all previous work)	English
March 14, 15	Final essays returned to students	English

Ideas for Possible SHARP Topics

Your topic must be approved by your history teacher January 31!

Events in World History

People in World History

People in Modern World History

Other Topics

Bolshevik Revolution

Cuban Missile Crisis

Industrial revolution

Mexican Revolution

Tet Offensive

Mai Lai Massacre

Rape of Nanking

Greater East India Company

Austrian penal colonies

Boer War

French Resistance in WWII

Spanish Guerrilla Warfare

Spanish Civil War

Bosnia

Serbia

Zapatistas

Columbian rebels

Chechnia

Russo-Afgan War

Russo-Japan War

Sino-Japan War

Soviet Union

Tibet

Taiwan

Kashmir

Tiennamen Square

Sepoys/Sepoy Revolution

Taipan Rebellion

Opium War

Meiji Restoration

Monroe Doctrine

Versailles Treaty

Guiseppe Verdi

Queen Victoria

Pancho Villa

Voltaire

Otto von Bismark

Wernher von Braun

William Butler Yeats

Baron de Montesquieu

Maxmillian Robespierre

Shaka Zulu

Mohammad Ali (Egypt)

Adaturk; Mustafa Kemal

John Locke

Thomas Hobbes

Karl Marx

Ram Mohun Roy

Napoleon III

Martin Luther

Jules Verne

Immanuel Kant

Queen Liliuokalani

Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana

Porfirio Diaz

W. E. B. Dubois

Simone de Beauvoir

Henry Bessimer

Simon Bolivar

George Byron

Catherine the Great

Marc Chagall

Marie and Pierre Curie

Czar Nicholas II

Charles Darwin

Alexander Fleming

Frederick the Great

Guisseppe Garibaldi

James Joyce

Benito Juarez

Carl Jung

Kaiser Wilhelm

Vasily Kandinsky

John Keats

Thomas Edward Lawrence of Arabia

David Livingstone

Thomas Malthus

Guglielmo Marconi

Marie Antoinette

Gregor Mendel

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Napoleon Bonaparte

Gamal Abdul Nasser

Florence Nightengale

Alfred Nobel

Louis Pasteur

Ivan Pavlov

Adm. Robert Edwin Peary

Commadore Matthew Perry

Jean Jaques Rousseu

Andrey Skharov

Mary Shelley

Adam Smith

Igor Stravinsky

Sun Yat-Sen

Peter Tchaichovsky

Yasir Arafat

Osama Bin Laden

Rachel Carson

Fidel Castro

Winston Churchill

Dali Lama XIV

Benjamin Disraeli

Albert Einstin

Quenn Elizabeth II

Enrico Fermi

Francisco Franco

Indira Gandhi

Mahondas Gandhi

Jane Goodall

Mikhail Gorbachev

Che Guevara

Emperor Hirohito

Ho chi Minh

Saddam Hussein

Irish Republican Army

Pope John Paul II

Ayatolla Rudollah Khomeini

Nikita Khruschev

Vladimir Lenin

Nelson Mandela

Mao Zedong

George C. Marshall

Benito Mussolini

Evita Peron

Juan Peron

Erwin Rommel

Anwar Sadat

Oskar Schindler

Joseph Stalin

Mother Theresa of Calcutta

Margaret Thatcher

Emiliano Zapata

Leon Trotsky

Mata Hari

Robert Oppenheimer

Chiang Kaisheck

Pablo Escobar

Manuel Noriega

Slobadon Milosavic

Josip Broz Tito

North Vietnamese Army

Viet Cong

League of Nations

United Nations

Interpol

Khmir Rouge

Hmong

Luddites

Apartheid in South Africa

Cold War

Industrial Revolution

Urbanization

Spheres of Influence (China)

French Foreign Legion

Japanese Feudal System

Marxism

Utopia

Reformation

Child Labor

Indian Caste System

Socialism

Communism

Utilitarianism

Natural Rights

Privateers

Declaration of Rights of Man

Napoleonic Code

NATO

Warsaw Pact

Topic Teacher and Parent or Guardian Consent Form

Student’s name: ______________________________________________

Teacher’s approval:____________________________________________

Period: ______________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian: please complete this form after conferencing with him or her about the Sophomore Historical Analysis Research Paper. My child’s topic will be:

My child has permission to complete this assignment.

Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: ______________________________________________

Student Signature: ______________________________________________

Date: ______________________________________________

(this page is blank so that the Topic/Parent Consent Form can be removed)

Critique of a Web Site for Research Purposes

Web address: http://______________________________________________________________________

I. Currency (up-to-dateness)

A. When was the web site originally written/constructed?_____________________________________

B. When was the site last updated?_______________________________________________________

C. Is currency important for this topic? YES NO (circle one)

II. Authority

A. Who is the person/agency/organization responsible for this site?_____________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

B. If the site was authored by a person, name one significant fact you learned about the author _________________________________________________________________________________
If the site was created by an organization, provide one significant fact about the organization _________________________________________________________________________________
If you find no information about the authoring person or organization on the web site itself, what does this omission suggest to you? ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

C. Is a bibliography or works cited page of sources provided on the site?
YES NO (circle one)

D. Does the information contradict any information you found somewhere else?
YES NO (circle one)

E. Are you positive the information is true? YES NO (circle one) Why?______________________
________________________________________________________________________________

F. What can you do to prove it is true? ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

III. Motive/Bias

A. Look at the last part of the URL (Uniform Resource Locator/address). This is the domain of the website. Is it educational (.edu)?, commercial (.com or .net)?, government (.gov)?, military (.mil)?, nonprofit (.org)? (Circle One)

B. What does this domain tell you about the probable content of the site and its probable bias/motive? _________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

IV. Ease-of-use

A. Is the site well-organized or is it confusing when you first see it?_____________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

B. If there are advertisements on the web site, are they difficult to distinguish from the factual content? _________________________________________________________________________________

C. Can you type in key words and search the site for a specific topic?
YES NO (circle one)

D. Are there links to other related sites?
YES NO (circle one)

V. Content — How much actual usable information is found at the web site?
LOTS SOME LITTLE (Circle one)

VI. Other — Identify any other aspects of the web site that either positively or negatively affect its value as a research tool.

A. Other positive aspects_______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

B. Other negative aspects_______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

C. Explain why this site is (or is not) valid for your purpose. __________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Thesis Statements

A formal thesis statement has the following characteristics:

1. Is a complete sentence (not a fragment, not a phrase, not several sentences).

2. Forms a complete statement (not a question)

3. Contains an argument (an opinion that can be debated).

4. Contains divisions of proof (that also use parallel structure).

Throughout SHARP, your thesis will be evaluated as Oh!!! (Wow! Interesting! Fascinating! Intriguing) or Duh! (Obviously! No kidding!) or Huh??? (Puzzling? Confusing? What?). Review the samples that follow of Senior Project thesis statements (please note, these are not historic topic examples):

Oh!!!

1. Although many believe cosmetics are only used for glamour, they have, in fact, been utilized throughout history for important cultural purposes, religious practices, and health reasons.

2. The lack of public awareness may imply that veterinary medicine is a stagnant field; however, it is actually growing and improving thanks to advances in medicine, breakthroughs in technology, and innovations in practice.

3. Not only is Jerry Rice the greatest wide receiver to ever play in the National Football League, but his remarkable durability, productivity, and accomplishments make him an obvious candidate as the greatest player the league has ever seen.

Duh!!!

1. Although some people believe that adoption is a cruel and irresponsible act, in fact, it has helped a remarkable number of children grow up in a healthy, stable environment, and has provided loving parents (who cannot conceive on their own) a chance to raise children.

2. While many think exercise is just for fun, it actually strengthens muscles, develops flexibility and releases stress.

3. Although many people want to design their own home, it is better to invest in the help of an interior designer because they have been trained in the field and know how to properly design an area.

Huh???

1. Why do sharks attack people? They have the power to make us wander, be amazed, and be in fear. Sharks also have a great importance in people’s lives and the ecosystem. When a shark attacks, scientists wander and people fear.

2. Making a difference in the world today takes the strength to rise up against the ignorance of racism and to realize racial purity is an illusion in today’s society, just like Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and so many activists did years ago.

3. With new advances in technology, work has become faster, simple communication is easier and reliable, and doing routine actions such as driving is now safer.

Grading scale for these different categories is:

Oh!!! = A 95-100%

Duh!!! = C 75%

Huh??? = D 60-65%

Research Paper Format

On separate pages of paper and stapled together: Thesis, Outline, Research Paper, Works Cited.

Shelley 1

Mary Shelley

Mr. Helpful

English II 7

January 8, 2004

Thesis

This is where the text of your thesis statement will go.

Shelley 2

Outline

I. Introduction

A. Quote from Ringo Starr (attention-getter)

B. Clarifying statement

C. Background

D. Thesis

II. Beautiful harmony

A. Voices

B. Motown influence

C. Guidance of George Martin

D. Trial and Error

III. Innovative Sound Choices

IV. Wonderful Lyrics

V. Conclusion.

Shelley 3

Title of Research Paper

This is where the text of your actual essay will go. Your actual essay will be multiple pages. When in the course of human events….

Shelley 6

Works Cited

Boynton, Sandra. Palama Time. Chicago: United Press, 1988.

Seuss, Dr. The Cat in the Hat. New York: Random House, Inc., 1957.

How to cite sources in the text of your essay

(In-text citations)

As you prepare your paper, seek to build on the work of previous writers and researchers.  Whenever you draw on another’s work, you must also document your sources by indicating what you borrowed—whether facts, opinions, ideas or quotations—and where you borrowed the material from.  Failure to document ideas or words one takes from another source is known as plagiarism and is a violation of Westmont’s academic code of conduct.

Using MLA (Modern Language Association) documentation style, acknowledge sources with a brief parenthetical citation that concludes the sentence.

Ancient writers attributed the invention of the monochord to Pythagoras, who lived in the sixth century BCE (Marcuse 197).

An in-text citation contains only enough information to enable readers to find the source in the works-cited list.  A typical in-text citation (book, magazine, newspaper) includes the author’s last name and the page number.  An alphabetical list of all works cited should appear as the last page of your research paper.

Other situations:

If the author’s name is mentioned in the text of your essay, only the page number appears in the citation (197).  If more than one work by the author is in the list, a shortened version of the title is given in addition to the author’s name (Marcuse, Survey 197).

If there is no author named at all, use just the first few words of the title.

Interview. Use the last name of the person interviewed.  Example: (Wiggins).

Website:  If the author is known, then the author is listed.  If the author is unknown, then cite the underlined title of the website.  Examples: Author: (Jenkins).  Website: (History Channel).

Quotes that come from more than one page:  You might have a quote that begins at the bottom of page 77 and finishes at the top of page 78.  Use author’s name and the pages separated by a hyphen.

Example: (Reilly 77-78).  (Churchill 125-126).

Quotes from a book that has more than one author:  Use the last name of the first author listed on the cover.  Note this is similar to the format for the works cited list.

Quotes by the same author who wrote two different books that you’re using as sources: If more than one work by the author is in the list, a shortened version of the title is given in addition to the author’s name (Marcuse, Survey 197).

Prior Knowledge…is not a research source you can cite in an essay!  If you know something from prior experience, you must be able to back it up with research.

When all else fails, in parentheses, place the first thing that you have on your Works Cited list and then the page number.

VERY IMPORTANT: Citation is placed after the sentence in which source material is quoted or paraphrased.  Remember, even if you paraphrase (i.e. use your own words) you STILL MUST CITE YOUR SOURCE!

VERY VERY IMPORTANT:  Remember, if you have any questions about citing a source that is more complex than the examples above, check the MLA handbook or ask your English teacher.

Using Quotes (Cited Passages) MLA Style

1.     Quotes that stand alone.  Period is after the page number.

“Westmont High Sophomores are the best” (Hege 12).

2.     Quotes that are used as part of a sentence. When appropriate, use commas.

Pip displays his love for Estella when he says, “Have I missed you” (Dickens 86).

 “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” wrote Charles Dickens in the 18^th century (Dickens 2).

3.     Exclamation points and question marks appear inside quotation marks.

Stephanie shows that she is puzzled when she asks, “Ms. Holden, what do you mean on question 12?” (Sredanovich 19).

4.     Dialogue within a cited passage.  Use double quotation marks around entire cited passage.  Single quotation marks around the dialogue.

In his autobiography, Mr. Samson says, “Then I looked at my students and announced, ‘All of you are going to ace this project’” (Samson 99).

5.     If a quotation runs longer than four lines (that is five or more), then set it off from the text by indenting the entire quote one inch from the left margin.  The punctuation that precedes it should be a colon.  Quotation marks are not needed.  In the quote, the period ends the sentence.  The page number follows in parentheses without a period.  The entire text is double-spaced.  These long quotes refer to more than four lines in your report…not the length in the book.  

Example: Barry Bonds, the home run king, reveals his respect for the San Diego Padres future hall of famer, Tony Gwynn, when he says:

I tell you what, one of the most unheralded players of all time was Tony.  That guy could hit.  He played for the Padres for 18 seasons and every year he hit over .300 with 200 hits.  I remember one time we had a double-header at the Stock.  He told me had the flu or something and that he might miss two of the games.   Nope.  Went 5 for 5 in the opener with two doubles then he went 4 for 5 in the night-cap. (Mitchell 566)

VERY IMPORTANT:  With all cited passages, if you use direct quotes, you must use the author’s exact words in quotation marks.  If you paraphrase, do not use quotation marks.

VERY VERY IMPORTANT:  Remember, if you have any questions about citing a source that is more complex than the examples above, check the MLA handbook or ask your English teacher.

MLA Format for List of Works Cited

What it is:  As the heading Works Cited indicates, this list contains all the works that you cite in your text.

The format: The list appears at the end of your paper, beginning the list on a new page, continuing from the page numbers of the essay.  For example, if the text of your research paper ends on page 10, the works cited list begins on page 11.  Center the title, Works Cited, an inch from the top of the page. Double-space between the title and first entry.  Begin each entry flush with the left margin; if an entry runs more than one line, indent the subsequent line or lines one-half inch from the left margin (called hanging indentation).  You can set up your word processing program to do this automatically. This format makes it easier to read the alphabetical list and find a source on it. Double-space the entire list, both between and within entries.

Alphabetize entries in the list by the author’s last name.  If no author is known, alphabetize by the title, ignoring any initial A, An or The.  For example, the title An Encyclopedia of SHARP Knowledge would be alphabetized under E.

All entries generally include the same information, although some require more specific detail.  A basic entry includes:

Author’s name.  Title of the publication. Publication information (where and when it was published).

Books:

1.     Author (last name, first; if more than one author list in the same order on title page and only the first author has his/her last name first).

2.     Title of book (underlined).

3.     Publication information includes City: Publisher, Year of Copyright.

Example of book by one author:

Kuralt, Charles.  Charles Kuralt’s America.  New York: Putnam, 1995.

Example of book with two or more authors:

Hirsch, E.D., Joseph F. Kett, and James Tefril.  The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Boston: Houghton and Mifflin, 1988.

Web Sources

1.     Author (last name, first; if more than one author list in the same order on title page and only the first author has his/her last name first).

2.     Title of article in quotes (if any).

3.     Information about print publication (if published in print in addition to internet).

4.     Title of web page (underlined).

5.     Date of electronic publication or latest update (in addition to date of print publication above)

6.     Name of institution or organization that sponsors the site (usually at bottom of home page).

7.     Date you accessed the site

8.     URL (complete and accurate)in angle brackets: <http://www.historymaster.com>

Example (not all entries will include all of the above, but you must include all info that is available):

Ross, Don. “Game Theory.”  11 Sept. 2001. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  Ed Edward N. Zalta.  Fall 2002 ed.  Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford U. 1 October 2002 <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/game-theory/>.

MLA Format for List of Works Cited (continued)

Encyclopedias

1.     Author of article (last name, first).

2.     “Title of article” (in quotation marks)

3.     Title of book (underlined).

4.     Publication information includes City: Publisher, Year of Copyright Edition.

Example:

Currie, Cecil. “Historicism.” Collier’s Encyclopedia. New York: Scholastic, 1998.

Magazine or Newspaper (periodicals)

1.     Author of article (last name, first).

2.     “Title of article” (in quotation marks)

3.     Periodical title (underlined).

4.     Date: month day, year or day month year.

5.     Page numbers.

Examples:

Andreas, Peter. “U.S.-Mexico: Open Markets, Closed Border.” Foreign Policy. June 1996: 51-69.

McGrath, Peter. “The Web: Infotopia or Marketplace?”  Newsweek. January 27, 1997: 82-84.

Other Various Sources

1.     Author (last name, first).

2.     “Title of article” (in quotation marks)

3.     Title of source (underlined).

4.     Publication medium

5.     Publication information

What if there are several copyright dates and several publishers?    Find the most recent copyright date.  That’s the one for the book you’re holding.  Then find the corresponding publisher.  Both are usually listed next to the copyright symbol ©.

Westmont High School

English Department Writing Errors and Tips

Errors:

*1. Title Problem: underline or italicize published works / use quotation marks when appropriate.

*2. Do not use slang.

*3. Tense agreement problem - write about literature in the present tense.

*4. Format problem: heading, spacing, margins, pagination, paper choice.

5. Word usage problem.

6. Do not use abbreviations.

7. Off topic - going off on a tangent.

8. Capitalization error.

9. Spelling error.

10. Punctuation error.

11. Agreement. (subject/verb, parallel structure, participle/ verb).

*12. Citation error.

13. Wrong pronoun reference (the child says that they will love English).

14. Unclear antecedent/pronoun (Hamlet tells Horatio that he is smart).

*15. Font size / style problem.

16. Sense / clarity problem.

17. Sentence ends with a preposition.

*18. Formal, third person (no I, we, you, us, me...unless in quotes).

19. Do not use unnecessary generalizations / judgments.

20. Run-on sentence.

21. Fragment. Incomplete sentence.

22. Repetitive, redundant.

23. Too much plot! - not enough analysis - need to analyze not summarize.

24. Missing divisions of proof (normally three elements that will support your claim in an essay).

25. Do not use quotes as claims - state your own idea.

26. Missing word(s).

27. Missing complete introduction to quote.

28. Missing clarification of quote.

*29. Using names. (use the full name first [John Lennon, Barry Bonds, Rosa Parks]

only use the last name thereafter [Lennon, Bonds, Parks]).

30. Sentence structure/syntax.

31. Do not make assumptions. The reader of your paper could be anyone.

* indicates MLA error = 10% grade reduction

Tips:

50. Support argument with examples, evidence, details, data, quotes. Be specific. Every paragraph needs quotes.

51. Proofread. Writer proofreads. Someone else proofreads.

52. Commentary must prove thesis. Link to the thesis.

53. Need a conclusion.

54. Need a transition.

55. Vague. Avoid this, that, it.

56. Increase vocabulary.

57. Add an attention-getter or “hook”.

58. Avoid using passive voice.

59. Avoid using forms of to be (is, are, was, am). Find stronger verbs.

60. Need a creative title.

61. Awkward wording or sentence structure.

62. Use a wider variety of sentence patterns.

63. Avoid contractions.

64. Avoid starting sentences with conjunctions.

65. Avoid split-infinitives.

66. Avoid using clichés and over-used expressions.

	Exceptional (4)	Capable (3)	Limited (2)	Minimal (1)
Content	Demonstrates exceptional understanding of historical concepts and terminology throughout the paper.	Demonstrates considerable understanding of historical concepts and terminology throughout the paper.	Demonstrates sufficient understanding of historical concepts and terminology throughout the paper.	Insufficient use of historical concepts and terminology throughout the paper.
Coherence and Organization	Meaningful thesis is clearly stated and developed; authoritatively and thoroughly defends thesis with precise and relevant evidence; thoroughly and clearly develops thesis and main ideas with appropriate, specific details and examples; convincingly addresses the reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations; shows control of tone and focus; conclusion is clear; flows together well; good transitions; succinct but not choppy; very well organized.	Thesis is responsive to writing task; generally supports thesis with precise and relevant evidence; supports thesis and main ideas with specific details and examples; addresses the reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations; most information is presented in logical sequence; demonstrates a consistent tone and focus; illustrates a control of organization; generally very well organized but better transitions from idea to idea and medium to medium are needed.	Provides a thesis or main idea that is related to the writing task; defends a position with little evidence; supports the thesis or main idea(s) with limited details and/or examples; may address the reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations ; demonstrates an inconsistent tone and focus; and illustrates little, if any, control of organization; Concept and ideas are loosely connected; lacks clear transitions; flow and organization is choppy.	May provide a vague or weak thesis or main idea that is related to the writing task; Fails to support the thesis or main idea(s) with details, examples, or evidence; fails to address the reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations; demonstrates a lack of tone and focus; and illustrates no control of organization; presentation is choppy and disjointed; does not flow; no apparent logical order of presentation.
Critical Thinking	Very original presentation of material; uses original thought and interpretation; uses the unexpected to full advantage; captures reader’s attention.	Some originality apparent; good variety and blending of materials/media.	Little or no variation; material presented with little originality or interpretation. Mostly factual.	Repetitive with little or no variety. No original thought. Predominantly fact-filled.
Tone/ Consideration of Audience	Demonstrates a clear sense of audience	Demonstrates a general sense of audience	Demonstrates a little, or no sense of audience.	May demonstrate no sense of audience
Diction and description	Provides a variety of sentence types and uses precise, descriptive language.	Provides a variety of sentence types and uses some descriptive language.	Provides few, if any, types of sentences and uses basic, predictable language.	May provide no sentence variety and uses limited vocabulary.
Conventions* of the English language (*=grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization and usage)	Contains few, if any, errors in the conventions* of the English language. (Errors are generally first-draft in nature.)	May contain some errors in the conventions* of the English language. (Errors do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the essay.)	May contain several errors in the conventions* of the English language. (Errors *may* interfere with the reader’s understanding of the essay.)	May contain serious errors in the conventions* of the English language. (Errors interfere with the reader’s understanding of the essay.)