SNHU Gun Ownership May Help Enhance Gun Control in The US Essay

Touchstone 4: Revise an Argumentative Research Essay

ASSIGNMENT: Review the in-text comments and summary feedback you received on your Touchstone 3.2 draft to enhance your writing. You will then submit a revision of your Touchstone 3.2 draft that reflects the evaluator’s feedback. Make sure to include a copy of your Touchstone 3.2 draft below the reflection questions for this unit.

As this assignment builds on Touchstone 3.2: Draft an Argumentative Research Essay, that Touchstone must be graded before you can submit your final research essay.

Sample Touchstone 4

A. Final Draft Guidelines

DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.

1. Editing and Revising

? Have you significantly revised the essay by adjusting areas like organization, focus, and clarity?? Have you made comprehensive edits to word choice, sentence variety, and style?? Have your edits and revisions addressed the feedback provided by your evaluator?

2. Cohesion and Source Integration

? Is the information presented in a logical order that is easy for the reader to follow?? Have you included smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs?? Have you introduced your sources clearly and in a way that demonstrates their validity to the reader?

3. Conventions and Proofreading

? Have you double-checked for correct formatting, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization?? Have you ensured that any quoted material is represented accurately?

4. Reflection

? Have you displayed a clear understanding of the revision process?? 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 composition?

B. Reflection Questions

DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.

1. How much time did you spend revising your draft? What revision strategies did you use and which worked best for you? (2-3 sentences)
2. List three concrete revisions that you made and explain how you made them. What problem did you fix with each of these revisions? Issues may be unity, cohesion, rhetorical appeals, content, or any other areas on which you received constructive feedback. (4-5 sentences)
3. What did you learn about your writing process or yourself as a writer? How has your understanding of the research process changed as a result of taking this course? (2-3 sentences)

C. Rubric

Advanced (100%)Proficient (85%)Acceptable (75%)Needs Improvement (50%)Non-Performance (0%)

Revising

Demonstrate comprehensive “re-visioning” of the composition.There is evidence of comprehensive re-visioning of the draft composition, including adjustments to organization, focus, clarity, and/or unity where needed or appropriate.There is evidence of significant re-visioning of the draft composition, including adjustments to organization, focus, clarity, and/or unity where needed or appropriate.There is evidence of some re-visioning of the draft composition, including adjustments to organization, focus, clarity, and/or unity where needed or appropriate; however, a few areas need some additional revision.There is little evidence of re-visioning of the draft composition, such that multiple areas in need of changes were unaltered.Revisions are absent or did not address the issues in the essay.

Editing

Demonstrate comprehensive sentence-level edits throughout the composition.

There is evidence of comprehensive edits to the draft composition, including adjustments to word choice, sentence completeness, sentence variety, and/or style where needed or appropriate.There is evidence of substantial edits to the draft composition, including adjustments to word choice, sentence completeness, sentence variety, and/or style where needed or appropriate.There is evidence of some edits to the draft composition, including adjustments to word choice, sentence completeness, sentence variety, and/or style where needed/appropriate; however, some issues were overlooked.There is little evidence of edits made to the draft composition, such that many errors remain.Edits are absent or did not address the issues in the essay.

Source Integration

Integrate source material appropriately and effectively.

Introduces sources smoothly and effectively through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary.Primarily introduces sources effectively through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary.Introduces some sources effectively through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary, but more variety could be used.Relies too heavily on one method of source integration (direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary); does not thoughtfully apply source integration techniques.Shows no attempt to integrate source material into the composition or relies on quoted source material for over half of the composition.

Cohesion

Establish and maintain a logical flow.

Sequences ideas and paragraphs logically and uses smooth transitions (within and between paragraphs) such that the reader can easily follow the progression of ideas.Sequences ideas and paragraphs logically and uses transitions (within and between paragraphs) such that the reader can easily follow the progression of ideas.Primarily sequences ideas and paragraphs logically and uses sufficient transitions (within and between paragraphs) such that the reader can generally follow the progression of ideas.The progression of ideas is often difficult to follow, due to poor sequencing, ineffective transitions, and/or insufficient transitions.The progression of ideas is consistently difficult to follow, due to poor sequencing and lack of transitions.

Conventions and Proofreading

Reflection

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.