Report+Rubric

Your report will be marked on the **usual 30-point scale**. See the MARKING page for the details. Here are some particular hints for this project.

You must have a clear THESIS for your report, and your TOPICS and EVIDENCE must support that thesis. Don't try to argue both sides of the issue--pick one and stick with it. On the other hand, the best works //mention// some of the points against their thesis, in order to show why those points are wrong. For example, "Some people might argue that cats make the best pets, but they are obviously mistaken. True, one does not have to get up in the early morning to walk one's cat, but walking the dog is an important form of exercise, especially for children, or adults who work in desk jobs." See how that works? You admit that the opposite side has a point, but then you show how it's not important, and your point is MUCH more relevant. Try that, if you can! Be smooth!
 * Ideas**

The goal of this psychological report has to be kept in mind. In order to score a 4, 5 or 6, you must discuss several of the Leadership Qualities that we have been talking about all through the novel, and explain how Ender has (or doesn't have!) these qualities with EVIDENCE from your text. Evidence can be quotes or references to events in the novel. Remember that for the purposes of this report, you did NOT read a book--you watched videos, "listened in" on Ender's monitor, etc. Do NOT refer to Card or to page numbers!

Don't forget that you can't just dump quotes into a paragraph. You must also EXPLAIN how your examples support the topic of each paragraph--and how each paragraph supports the THESIS of your report.

Also, you were told that you needed to discuss at least FIVE of the qualities in your report. In detail.

Using varied vocabulary is important. Use the precise word that gives the meaning you want. Vague words like "nice", "really" and "good" don't add much to your writing! Remember our grammar lesson on CONNOTATION and DENOTATION. Some words carry an emotional feeling, either positive or negative. Use them to give the reader the feeling you want them to have. One thing to avoid is using vocabulary you aren't comfortable with. Some students feel that using "big words" makes them sound professional, but this is only true if you are using them correctly. You also need to consider the kinds of sentences you use. Lots of short sentences can sound angry or hurried. A lot of long sentences can put people to sleep. Varying the kinds of sentences you use (or using specific kinds of sentences for specific reasons) shows that you are paying attention to how your writing "sounds" in your reader's head.
 * Style**

You are not writing a book report here; you have to take on the point of view of a military psychologist. Remember that we are pretending that what you read was NOT in a book--they were videos and other information that you got by observing Ender himself, and the people around him. If your report sounds like a book report, you are doing it wrong. Your audience is a group of officers from the I. F. You wouldn't write to a group of fifty-year-old military professionals the same way you would write to your teacher, or your friends, or your six-year-old cousin. Remember that you want to engage this type of audience--make your report interesting to them.
 * Voice**

Again, this is a PSYCHOLOGIST'S REPORT, not a book report or a literary essay! Your report should clearly state whether or not you think Ender would be a good leader for Earth's forces, and then, in several paragraphs, explain WHY in some detail. Paragraphs should all support your main idea (thesis) with a strong topic sentence; ideas and evidence in the paragraphs should support the topic sentences. There should be TRANSITIONS between paragraphs--we should know how your ideas relate to the THESIS, to the EVIDENCE and to EACH OTHER. It is generally good practice to be careful what order you put your points in. People remember best what they hear first, and what they hear last. It's usually best to put your second-strongest point first, followed by some of your weak points, and save your strongest, most convincing point for last (B, D, E, C, A). However, if you are a skilled writer, you can build your case by starting with your weakest point, then the next strongest, then the next strongest until you end up with an overwhelmingly well-supported point at the end (E, D, C, B, A). Note: this only works if you are skilled enough as a writer not to put your readers to sleep in the first paragraphs! Wrap up your report with a strong conclusion that recaps your main points.
 * Structure**

This is spelling, proofreading, punctuation, and grammar. Any report with run-on sentences or sentence fragments, any report with mistakes in using the words "their, there, they're" or "two, too, to", or making other basic errors is not going to impress your military officers! Be sure that you are //carefully// checking your work. Ask someone to help you if you are not sure whether you have mistakes. This is one reason that we have Writers' Workshop. Remember that spellcheck does not usually catch these types of errors, since "were" and "we're" are both legitimate words! YOU MUST USE YOUR HUMAN JUDGEMENT TO SPELL CORRECTLY! You also have all your grammar notes--check over them to be sure you are not making errors in paragraphing, in verb tenses, or in antecedent-pronoun agreement.
 * Conventions**