Select one of the articles provided below and engage in a 2-3 page summary and response dialogue with the source. This will involve providing a detailed summary of the source’s argument a
Select one of the articles provided below and engage in a 2-3 page summary and response dialogue with the source. This will involve providing a detailed summary of the source's argument and responding to that argument with your position based on the information provided in the source.
Touchstone 1.1: Engage with a Work of Research
ASSIGNMENT: For this essay, you will select one of the articles provided below and engage in a 2-3 page summary and response dialogue with the source. This will involve providing a detailed summary of the source's argument and responding to that argument with your position based on the information provided in the source. Article Option 1: "The Recess Debate: A Disjuncture between Educational Policy and Scientific Research" Article Option 2: "Sugar in School Breakfasts: A School District's Perspective" Sample Touchstone In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
❒ Have you communicated the source's purpose?
❒ Have you included all of the source's main points?
❒ Have you restated the source's argument in your own words?
❒ Have you provided your perspective on the source's argument?
❒ Have you used specific examples from the source to illustrate why you either agree or disagree with the argument?
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
1. What ideas originally came to mind when you first read through the article? Did your initial response to the article change after reading it for a second time? (3-4 sentences)
2. How does paying attention to the way you respond to a source help you formulate your stance on a topic? (2-3 sentences)
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Advanced (100%) |
Proficient (85%) |
Acceptable (75%) |
Needs Improvement (50%) |
Non-Performance (0%) |
Source Summary (15 points) Summarize the main argument of a research source. |
Provides a complete and accurate summary of the article’s main purpose and argument in the writer’s own words. |
Provides an accurate summary of the article’s main purpose and argument in the writer’s own words. |
Provides an accurate summary, but relies too heavily on source quotations. |
Provides an incomplete summary of the article’s main purpose and argument and/or relies too heavily on source quotations. |
Does not provide a complete and accurate summary of the article’s main purpose and argument in the writer’s own words. |
Source Response (15 points) Articulate a response to the argument presented in a research source. |
Constructs a thoughtful and academically appropriate response to the source, including samples from the source that relate to the response. |
Constructs an academically appropriate response to the source, including samples from the source that relate to the response. |
Constructs an academically appropriate response to the source, but could include more samples from the source that relate to the response. |
Constructs a response to the source, but does not include samples that relate to the response. |
Does not construct an academically appropriate response to the source and/or does not include samples from the source that relate to the response. |
Organization (5 points) Exhibit competent organizational writing techniques. |
Includes all of the required components of a summary and response essay, including an introduction with an engaging summary of the source's argument, body paragraphs containing a detailed and thoughtful response to the argument, and a conclusion with a concluding statement. |
Includes all of the required components of a summary and response essay, including an introduction with a summary of the source's argument, body paragraphs containing a response to the argument, and a conclusion with a concluding statement. |
Includes nearly all of the required components of summary and response essay; however, one component is missing. |
Includes most of the required components of a summary and response essay, but is lacking two components; sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are sometimes unclear and the reader may have difficulty following the progression of the essay. |
Lacks several or all of the components of a summary and response essay; sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are often unclear and the reader has difficulty following the progression of the essay. |
Style (5 points) Establish a consistent, informative tone and make thoughtful stylistic choices. |
Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices, avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a wide variety of sentence structures. |
Demonstrates effective word choices, primarily avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a variety of sentence structures. |
Demonstrates generally effective style choices, but may include occasional redundancies, imprecise language, poor word choice, and/or repetitive sentence structures. |
Frequently includes poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. |
Consistently demonstrates poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. |
Conventions (5 points) Follow conventions for standard written English. |
There are only a few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. |
There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. |
There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. |
There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. |
There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. |
Reflection (5 points) Answer reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. |
Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses, following or exceeding response length guidelines. |
Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple insights, observations, and/or examples, following response length guidelines. |
Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight; primarily follows response length guidelines. |
Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight, with some questions left unanswered or falling short of response length guidelines. |
No reflection responses are present. |
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
· Composition must be 2-3 pages (approximately 500-750 words).
· Double-space the composition and use one-inch margins.
· Use a readable 12-point font.
· All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
· Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
· Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
· Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
· Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
· Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.
The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:
1. Purdue Online Writing Lab's APA Formatting and Style Guide
a. This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types.
2. Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style
b. This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The "References," "Punctuation," and "Grammar and Writing Style" sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.
3. APA Style: Quick Answers—References
c. This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.
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Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
Nyeri Robison
Sophia Pathways
Comp II
December 4, 2019
Who’s Hooked on Stanley Fish?: An Interpretation of Reader-Response Theory
In 1980, literary scholar Stanley Fish published his famous book Is There a Text in this Class?
Most widely-read from this text is the self-titled thirteenth chapter, which is seen as one of the primary
texts that sparked what is known as ‘reader-response theory.’ This theory, some might know, is the
belief that all readers can and do make their own meanings of texts, whether those be novels, stories,
poems, plays, films, or even text-messages shared between friends. Such reader-made meanings or
‘responses’ are often separated and completely different from the intent of the text’s author; instead,
they are mostly shaped by our communities – schools and classrooms, churches and religious groups,
businesses and neighborhoods, families and friends, to list just a few examples– which offer and teach
us different strategies to interpret texts and construct meanings. In other words, there are no fixed,
objective, pre-determined textual meanings; rather we invent meanings as we encounter texts wearing
the lenses of our own histories, personal experiences, sets of knowledge, and worldviews. This rather
postmodern philosophy, however, is one that I want to challenge in part, since I believe it can work
ironically to reinforce dominant power-structures and the status quo in our society.
To understand the possible critiques of Stanley Fish’s theories, however, one must first
understand what he argues. In “Is There a Text in This Class?” Fish works to calm the fears of other
Comment [SL1]: Hi Nyeri! I’m looking forward to reading your essay today!
Comment [SL2]: It’d be a good idea to introduce who Stanley Fish is and why this article was written in the first place.
Comment [SL3]: This is a good summary of the theory presented. It would be good to lead off with what the article touched on first, then go into more detail about the theory that is presented.
Comment [SL4]: Great thesis statement!
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
literary scholars who think we need objective meanings in texts, standardized methods of interpreting
these meanings, and prescribed ways of teaching students those methods. They believe that these
strategies are required to prevent a fragmentation and eventual breakdown of meaning into an infinite,
disorienting cloud of unique and isolated subjective interpretations. For example, in the case of Hamlet,
what would happen if we strayed so far from Shakespeare’s intent for the play and interpreted it as
being about space aliens taking the forms of royalty in the Danish court? What if the reader (the
Subject) got too far from the text (the Object)? It is this fears that Fish tries to dismiss by proving the
whole problem is a matter of false perception. In his view, the Object and the Subject are not a binary
but rather intertwined.
Fish accomplishes this mostly by arguing that all meaning is situational and contextual and is,
in fact, created by individuals situated in specific times, places, and institutions with highly evolve,
implied systems of meaning-making. For instance, people in the United States see a car on the road and
assume that it should drive on the right side; in the United Kingdom, however, they assume the
opposite. Hence Fish tries to prove that “the opposition between objectivity and subjectivity is a false
one because neither exists in the pure form that would give the opposition its point… Rather, we have
readers whose consciousnesses are constituted by a set of conventional notions which when put into
operation constitute in turn a conventional, and conventionally seen, object” (332). Fish provides other
lengthy anecdotes of situations that have arisen within his interpretive communities, and he uses these
situations as evidence to contend that all meanings within text hinge upon and are created by context;
in other words, meaning does not exist in a vacuum. He notes that “to be in [a situation] is to 'see' with
the eyes of its interests, its goals, its understood practices, values, and norms, and so to be conferring
significance by seeing, not after it” (334) and that “to be in a situation is to see [words] as already
meaningful” (313). Therefore, the threat of the subjective fragmentation of meaning is not eliminated
Comment [SL5]: Yes! Good summary. I almost like your organization better than my initial comment!
Comment [SL6]: Great summation of the paragraph. I like how you make it into a more digestible example.
Comment [SL7]: I like how you further explain it this in more easily digestible terms.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
by arguing the merits of subjective, individual readings but by blasting apart the false Subject/Object
binary.
Every interpretive community, then, must necessarily makes meaning of its own accord through
the situations and systems in which they find themselves. The implications of Fish's work transfer
outside purely literary circles, however. One can see his argument – that meaning cannot be defined
within a vacuum – as pointing criticism toward the contemporary trend in educational standardized
testing which necessitates students to make the “correct” or “objective” inference in question-scenarios
that are mainly detached from a predefined context, situation, or culture. It also has ideological
implications in calling for the deconstruction of other binaries – perhaps of gender, race, sexual
orientation, etc. – and leading all individuals to live more examined lives within our political and social
communities.
Of course, I believe in the beauty of open interpretations. After all, how else would we ever
break free from meanings that are handed down through generations and find new possible ways of
being, believing, and behaving? Nevertheless, this is where I want to raise some critiques of Fish’s
theories. Ironically enough, I think this subjective freedom can also shoots itself in the foot. First of all,
to form one’s own individual interpretation can be liberating; it can also be dangerous, solipsistic, and
nihilist. This is where Fish points us toward communities of interpretation, noting that meaning-making
is always at least a partially-collective act. Communities and cultures are comprised of many, and it is
the many that one encounters other perspectives, not just one’s own. Second, some interpretive
communities have more authority, prestige, or power than others, and we must also examine how social
institutions in areas of education, medicine, religion, and government might use their interpretations to
sustain the status quo. Resistant and oppositional readings of the messages we receive from on high
should also be heard. After all, aren’t these part of the values embedded in the mission of true
Comment [SL8]: Great use of the article to back up your explanation!
Comment [SL9]: Good! You’re explaining your take on it and why!
Comment [SL10]: Shoot*
Comment [SL11]: Good point. I can see why you think this way.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
democracies? Therefore, I believe that we should let Fish off the hook when it comes to giving the
people—and readers– the power, but we must be mindful that he comes from a position of privilege
when he so blatantly ignores how certain people will still always try to control what and how we read.
Reference
Fish, Stanley. 1980. “Is There a Text in the Class?” from Is There a Text in this Class? Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
Comment [SL12]: I love your concluding sentence. You’ve explained yourself in a way that is both entertaining and thoughtful.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
Reflection Questions:
1. What ideas originally came to mind when you first read through the article? Did your
initial response to the article change after reading it for a second time?
At first, I just read for content. I wanted to get a feel for the article and what the author was
trying to say. Then, I read it a second time to really think about how I interpret the
information, and what my thoughts on that information were. It’s easy to read a scholarly
article like this and just settle with the idea that what the author is saying is true. It is better
to do some critical thinking while doing so, instead of turning on auto-pilot.
2. How does paying attention to the way you respond to a source help you formulate
your stance on a topic?
It really helped me understand the way that I think. I also got a chance to ask myself why I
think the way I do about the topic I’m reading about. It helps me grow as a writer, and it
helps me create a comprehensive list of reasons why I’ve taken that particular stance on the
topic.
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING
Source Response Essay Rubric and Feedback
Rubric Category
Feedback Score (acceptable, needs improvement etc.)
Source Summary
You do a really nice job summarizing the article and giving examples to help the reader understand what it’s about. You could maybe spend a little less energy on the summary, but it was very thorough work.
13/15
Source Response
There are some great ideas here! You have added your stance to the article and what the author is trying to get through to the learner. You also explain why you think and react to the article the way you do, citing examples from the text. I would have liked to see more in terms of your response, and less in terms of the summary.
12/15
Organization While I initially thought your organization could use a bit more work in terms of the summary and the response, the way you have framed your argument works within your essay.
5/5
Style Your word choices are consistently effective. You do a good job of avoiding redundancy and imprecise language.
5/5
Conventions You adhere well to all of the APA formatting requirements and your use of English conventions is consistent throughout the touchstone. There are minimal word errors. Well done.
4/5
Reflection You answer all of the questions thoroughly, providing insights, observations, and examples in your responses. You consistently exceed the length guidelines for your responses.
5/5
Overall Score and Feedback: 44/50
Very nice job! Your summary of this article is very thorough. Although there could have been more to your response to the article, you’ve done a good job phrasing your response in a way that is easily digestible.
,
© 2008 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
The Recess Debate A Disjuncture between Educational Policy
and Scientific Research •
Anthony D. Pellegrini
Some devalue recess because they assume it to be a waste of time. There is no theory or empirical evidence to support this point of view. There is, however, abundant and clear evidence that recess has beneficial effects on children’s social competence and academic performance. The author tells how his interest in standardized tests led him to years of recess study, compares recess survey findings in the United States to those in the United Kingdom, and summarizes the benefits of recess for school performance.
Recess has been part of the school day for as long as we can remem- ber. Typically, most people have considered what children do during recess as merely “playful.” Adults usually regard it as a break from the serious work of the day—reading, writing, and arithmetic—while kids often say, perhaps only half-jokingly, that it is thei
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