Commonplace Book Postings and Comments Rubric for all “Commonplace Book Postings and Comments” Assignments
See “Assignment Sheet: Commonplace Book Postings and Comments” in the Syllabus, pg. 16
Always keep in mind that you are posting your reactions to a public forum where others will comment on your work and you will have the opportunity to comment on theirs. Clarity and politeness are extremely important. If I feel you are being abusive or otherwise “trolling,” I will simply delete your comment and give you a “zero” for the assignment.
Commonplace Book Postings and Comments
Posting. Direct Quotation from the Week’s Reading in correct MLA Style: 0-2
Posting. Summary of Quotation:
(One 3-to-5 Sentence Paragraph)
0-2
Posting. Your Reaction to the Quotation:
Why is the quotation important or memorable?
(At least one 7-to-10 Sentence Paragraph, but you are always free to write more!)
0-5
Posting. Correctly Formatted MLA Works Cited Entry: 0-2
Comment. Addresses the chosen Posting’s ideas in a thoughtful manner, i.e. the response shows that the commenter is responding to specific details mentioned in the chosen Posting. Comment avoids simple agreement or disagreement.
Commonplace Book Postings and Comments
0-5 Comment. Uses detail (s) from the previous posting and the text (s) discussed to back up their agreement or disagreement with the posting.
0-5 Posting and Comment: Overall clarity and precision of Language/sentence structure:
0-4
Subtotal: 25 points
Final Grade Total: 25 points
Assignment Sheet: Commonplace Book Postings and Comments
A “commonplace book” is a collection of quotations that often includes the reader’s reactions to them. A “locus communis” is a proverb or general statement of wisdom that could be used on any number of occasions. The practice of creating personal collections of such statements started in Medieval Europe when books were scarce or expensive. Several of the Early American writers whom we will study still kept a commonplace book as a catalog of their reading, a source of ideas for their own future writing, and a way to share ideas with friends and family.
Emerson and Thoreau copied entries from one another’s commonplace books into their own. Louisa May Alcott and her three sisters kept commonplace books that their father, Bronson Alcott, read (even on one occasion punishing Louisa for failing to keep up with it).
Commonplace Book Postings and Comments
For this class, you will submit a “Commonplace Book Posting” and a “Commonplace Book Comment” each week (unless there is a formal essay assignment scheduled). The initial “Posting” must be submitted to the week’s “Discussion” board by Thursday at 11:59pm. The “Comment” in response to one of your fellow student’s initial “Postings” must be submitted by Sunday at 11:59pm. You will find links to the “Discussion” in the“Assignments for this Week” folder for each unit.
A typical “Commonplace Book Posting” should be 500 words in length and include the following:
1) First, at the top of your entry, include a direct quotation from one of the works that we’ve read for the week. The quotation must be in quotation marks and cited with the author’s name and the page number at the end (i.e. you must cite it in MLA style). See the “Start Here!” tab for more information on MLA citation.
2) Summarize what you believe the author is trying to say in a short paragraph of 3-to-5 sentences.
3) Write at least one longer paragraph of 7-to-10 sentences (or a series of paragraphs) that addresses what you think is memorable or important about the passage. If you have trouble starting this portion of the assignment, please see the list of “Commonplace Postings: Questions for Getting Started” posted in the “Start Here!” tab on Blackboard.
Commonplace Book Postings and Comments
4) End your posting with an MLA Works Cited entry for the text that you’ve used. If you are unsure about how to do this, please see the various handouts on citation (or the Purdue Online Writing Lab site) posted in the “Start Here!” tab.
You are free to write more than this for each “posting,” but to receive full credit an entry must meet all of the criteria listed above. A more detailed grading rubric is available in the “Getting Started!” tab on Blackboard.
1) For your weekly “Commonplace Book Comment,” you will need to react to one of your classmates’
Commonplace Book Postings in 150 words or more. You are free to write about anything in their entry at all—you can respond to the quote they’ve chosen, their summary of it in their own words, or their overall reaction. Be sure to maintain a polite tone and to keep in mind that you are commenting on someone else’s work.
Etiquette for “Postings” and “Comments”
It is important when posting your ideas to remember that you are sharing them with the entire class—consequently, etiquette is very important. Anyone “trolling” or intentionally demeaning other students’ writing will have his or her comments deleted and you will receive no credit for your posting for the week.
Commonplace Book Postings and Comments
Hints on Effective Posting and Commenting
See the sheet on “Getting Started with AUM Online Courses” for further ways to follow good “Netiquette” and make your discussion board comments more effective. Composing in Word first before submission is also helpful— it allows you some distance from what you are writing and allows for more revision
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