Summer Reading Assignment Rubric

All incoming Honors first-year students complete the Summer Reading Assignment as their first assignment for their HONR 102: Introduction to Honors class. You can find this year's Summer Reading Assignment here and the format and rubric for that assignment below.

Prompt 3: Digital Narrative or Video Assignment

Requirements

The video or digital narrative must include:

• A thesis statement.
• At least 7 photographs with 3-5 sentences of narrative for each photo that support the thesis. Students are welcome to use pictures of themselves, their lives, their books, their family, or whatever photographs they feel relates to their experience with generational trauma. You are welcome to integrate pictures from Maus as well. (Digital Narrative)
• At least 45 seconds of information that supports your thesis in a cohesive narrative. (Video)
• An explanation of what the generational trauma has to do with Maus.
• An explanation of how the trauma of your ancestors has affected you and other descendants of other people who lived through the same traumatic historical event.
• Music, pictures, narrative and videos that creatively illustrate your main thesis.

Video and Digital Narrative Grading Criteria

The assignment will be graded out of a total of up to 100 points.

Content (20 possible points)

Answering the questions: How does this song make you feel about home? How do you identify with the song? How does Wu’s description of the person singing the song in the novel influence your feelings towards the song and your home?

• Grade of A: original ideas, complex concepts, compelling evidence with concrete details.
• Digital Narrative must also include: Seven photographs with three to five sentences of narrative for each photo.
• Video must also include: at least 45 seconds of information the supports the thesis in a cohesive narrative.
  
• Grade of B: complex concepts, significant assertions, strong evidence with concrete details.
• Digital Narrative must also include: Five to six photographs with three to four sentences of narrative for each photo.
• Video must also include: at least 30 seconds of information the supports the thesis in a cohesive narrative.
  
• Grade of C: useful and informative, some errors but generally factually accurate, logically consistent, relevant to topic.
• Digital Narrative must also include: Three to four photographs with two sentences of narrative for each photo.
• Video must also include: at least 20 seconds of information the supports the thesis in a cohesive narrative.
  
• Grade of D: of doubtful or severely limited usefulness, some but not frequent inaccuracy, inconsistency, irrelevance or triviality.
  
• Digital Narrative must also include: One to two photographs with one sentence of narrative for each photo.
• Video must also include: at least 10 seconds of information the supports the thesis in a cohesive narrative.
  
• Grade of F: not useful or informative, factual inaccuracy, logical inconsistency and irrelevance to topic selected, trivial assertions.
• Digital Narrative has zero photographs with zero sentences of narrative.
• Video must also include: at least 5< seconds of information the supports the thesis in a cohesive narrative.
  

Organization (20 possible points)

• Grade of A: Extraordinarily narrative, visual matter and speaking. Includes a thesis statement.
• Grade of B: Clear and concise narrative, visual matter and speaking. Includes a thesis statement.
• Grade of C: Clear with adequate narrative, visual matter and speaking. Includes a thesis statement.
• Grade of D: Unclear at times narrative, visual matter and speaking. Did not include a thesis statement.
• Grade of F: Confusing narrative, visual matter and speaking. Did not include a thesis statement.

Style (20 possible points)

• Grade of A: Video and photographs should be of high quality. Any spoken word should be of high quality and lack background noise.
• Grade of B: Video and photographs should be of sound quality. Any spoken word should be of sound quality and background noise should be limited.
• Grade of C: Video and photographs contain a few irregularities. Any spoken word may be less clear.
• Grade of D: Background noise is apparent. Videos and photographs are not clear.
• Grade of F: Background noise is apparent. Cannot hear student. Videos and photographs are not in focus.

Mechanics (20 possible points)

• Grade of A: Very few to no errors or typos.
• Grade of B: A few errors and typos.
• Grade of C: Moderate errors and several typos.
• Grade of D: Many errors and typos.
  
• Grade of F: Carelessly constructed with little to no attention to mechanical correctness.

Ability to Tie Ideas to Themes in the Book (20 possible points)

• Grade of A: Exceptionally ties ideas and concepts back to themes in the book; clear student read book.
• Grade of B: Thoughtfully ties ideas and concepts back to themes in the book; strong evidence supports that student read book.
• Grade of C: Generally ties ideas and concepts back to themes in the book; some evidence demonstrates student read book.
• Grade of D: Carelessly attempted to tie ideas and concepts to themes in book; little evidence suggests student read book.
• Grade of F: Did not tie any ideas or concepts to themes in book; no evidence to demonstrate student read book.