Final Writing Assignment

A final essay (1500-2000 words) will be due in lieu of a final exam. The goal is to bring the class full circle. For this essay, students should revisit their faith biography from the start of the semester, engaging with and evaluating it in conversation with the entirety of what has been presented in the course. Identify areas of growth, change, nuance, clarification, questions, etc. between the start of the class and now. Successful essays will cite, engage, develop, and interact with a range of specific examples, topics, evidence, and material from the course, addressing how you have grown over the span of the course. At least three points/ideas/topics should be identified and developed thoroughly and thoughtfully, though more are fine. NOTE, you are not here simply expanding on or writing a new faith biography but rather assessing your own learning and growth. This is also not merely an extended reflection essay, though some reflection is expected. The focus, rather, should be on key, pivotal moments from the class that challenged you to think in new ways. In short, this final essay should address, broadly speaking and with concrete interaction with class material, the questions “what have you learned?” and “how does having taken this class impact your original faith biography?” This is your opportunity to assess and apply course material thoughtfully to your own intellectual journey through the Christian Tradition. Cite course material appropriately parenthetically throughout the essay, including page numbers from the books.

Submission status
Submission status No attempt
Grading status Not graded
Due date Wednesday, 29 April 2020, 11:55 PM
Time remaining 1 day
Grading criteria
Use of Course Material
 Answers the questions “what have you learned?”
 Identifies and develops thoughtfully at least three specific points/ideas/topics from the course
 Utilizes a variety of course resources (textbook, lecture notes, biblical text, Moodle resources, etc.)
Maximum score100
Growth and Learning Assessment
 Answers the question “how does having taken this class impact your original faith biography?”
 Identifies new avenues of thinking/learning as a result of the course
 Makes reference back to the original faith bio in comparing/contrasting personal growth and learning
Maximum score60
o Writing
 Overall mechanics – i.e., formatting, grammar, spelling – few if any errors in grammar, spelling, mechanics.
 Organization – essay flows logically, each paragraph treats and develops a single idea
 Overall presentation – essay shows evidence of care and precision in its construction and overall appearance.
Maximum score20
Source Citations
 Cites references in the body of the essay by using the author of the reference and the relevant page number in parentheses after the reference.
 Citation format is consistent throughout.
Maximum score10
Word Count and Length
 Meets required length/word count standards (1500-2000 words not including title page/header or reference page).
Maximum score10