Presidential Biography Project

Presidential Biography Report

**You have been given the proper way to cite sources. If you do not use outside sources and/or quotes in your paper, you grade will not be higher than 50%. Sources and quotes must be properly cited in the text and on a bibliography, points will be deducted if this is not done.** 

            You will create a report AND project on a President.

1) The report: This report is to be reflective of a president’s life and highly focused on his time in office. Therefore, your paper should include aspects of a biography with an emphasis on your subject’s life as the president. Mention life details: where they are from, details about their family, etc. When it comes to talking about your subject as president, consider the following questions: When did they become president? How long were they president? Were there any major issues that came up while they were in office? Did they do any significant to/for the country while in office? If so, what? If not, why? Are they considered to be a “good” president? Why/why not?

 

THINGS YOU NEED IN/WITH YOUR PAPER:

·         Quotes (with proper citations)

·         MORE than 5 paragraphs

·         Bibliography

·         Outline

 

2) The project: Look at the list of attached project ideas. Pick a project to complete about your subject from this list or come up with your own (must get approval though). This project will accompany your paper.

 

The paper portion of this assignment will be worth 100 points. The project portion of this assignment will be worth a separate 100 points. You will give a presentation about your chosen president and you project. Your presentation will include a brief overview of your president’s life, and a demonstration/explanation of your project. These presentations will begin _____________________________.

 

Consider the following when writing your paper. This is what I will be considering when I am reading your paper. 

 

Part I: Source

Use of sources to answer questions			Proper citation (MLA)
Excellent - A			Present
Very Good - B			Present, but incorrect (-5 points)
Average - C			Not present (-10 points)
Poor - D
Unacceptable - F			Bibliography
Nothing cited (automatic 50%)*			Present
			Present, but incorrect (- 5 points)
Total number of sources			Not present (-10 points)

 

* If you do not cite any of your sources, but you have completed every other element of the assignment, you will automatically receive a grade no higher than 50%.

** Although the library provides a link to its search engine, Wikipedia is not a valid resource for this assignment.

 

Part II: Writing and Content

Introduction/Thesis			Conclusion
Excellent - A			Excellent - A
Very Good - B			Very Good - B
Average - C			Average - C
Poor - D			Poor - D
Unacceptable - F			Unacceptable - F
Overall Grammar and Writing***			Questions Answered
Excellent - A			Excellent - A
Very Good - B			Very Good - B
Average - C			Average - C
Poor - D			Poor - D
Unacceptable - F			Unacceptable - F

*** Grammar and writing errors include, but are not limited to, the following: use of first or second person, major spelling mistakes (i.e., words you should already know how to spell), use of contractions, and use of abbreviations. 

 

General Grading Commentary

A = Overall, an excellent paper.  Student has developed a strong and dynamic introduction that included a well-written and clear thesis.  This paper thoroughly supported the thesis and answered each of the questions, which reflected a strong understanding of and use of the sources.  All sections of the paper were clearly and concisely written, and there were few (if any) grammatical mistakes.

B = Overall, a very good paper.  Student has developed a strong introduction that included a clear thesis.  The paper supported the thesis and answered each of the questions well.  The student has used and documented the sources appropriately.  The paper was clearly and properly written and contained few grammatical mistakes.

C = Overall, an average paper.  Student has developed an introduction and thesis, but there were issues with clarity and strength.  The paper was decently written.  It generally supported the thesis and provided a basic answer to the questions.  The student has used and documented the sources with few mistakes.  The paper had a few mechanical problems and contained some grammatical mistakes.

D = Overall, a poor paper.  The student has not developed an efficient or clear introduction. The thesis, if present, was weak.  The paper lacked clarity.  It did not support the thesis and did not appropriately answer the questions either.  The sources were poorly utilized, if used at all, and there were citation errors.  The paper had many mechanical problems and contained many grammatical mistakes.

F = Overall, an unacceptable assignment.  The student has not developed the introduction and there was no apparent thesis.  The paper lacked clarity and did not answer the questions. The sources were poorly utilized, if used at all, and there were many citation errors.  The writing reflected severe mechanical problems and contained many grammatical mistakes. OR The student did not follow the directions of the assignment.  OR The student plagiarized the paper.