Student Name:______
Supplemental Reading Rubric BIOL 119 Emerging Diseases
Assignment
Your assignment is to read the supplemental non-textbook reading of your choice and to write a critical review of the book. Your critical review is not the same thing as a book report. In a book report you simply write down information and facts from the reading. In your critical review assignment you will analyze and evaluate the book.
In general, you are not expected to write as an expert in the field for whichever of the books you choose to read. However, you are expected to show a basic understanding of the content of the book (appropriate for a person who is completing BIOL 119) and you are expected to write your own opinions for a general audience.
Students will read one of the four non-textbook readings and write a summary and critique of at least 750 words and no more than 1250 words. In addition to a summary of the main points of the book, students will address larger questions and issues. For example, they will be expected to explain how the content of the non-textbook reading fits in with other course materials such as articles, videos and textbook readings. They will be expected to explain how the material described in the non-textbook reading is likely to impact clinical and public health practices and methods. They will be expected to describe any impact on society in general and also to contribute their own original thoughts/ideas/comments/opinions and reflections.
1.Introduction: (10 points maximum)
This is a very brief statement describing the thesis or the theme of the book. One or two sentences is sufficient here.
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2.Body: (60 points maximum)
Present, discuss and summarize the author’s key points, themes and ideas. This section is about what you the reader see as the most important message of the book. This is essentially an overview.
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Critically review the key points, themes and ideasmentionedabove in detail using specific examples from the book to back up your statements. Your use of examples is a key point in determining your grade.
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Explain to your reader whether the author’s presentation was effective. In other words-did the author get the message across clearly and decisively? Explain why or why not using examples to back up your statements. This is where you get to state your own personal opinions of the book and why you have them.
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What were the specific anecdotes, narratives, stories, examples or writing techniques that you found to be the best or most effective and why?
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How does the material in the supplemental reading fit in with or connect with the other materials that we have covered in class this semester? You should be able to draw connections with textbook material, otherreadings, lecture materials, videos or class discussions. In other words you should be able to show that you can recognize a “big picture” using specific examples to back up your statements. Your use of examples is a key point in determining your grade.
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Was the writing clear or did you have a hard time following it? Did the author use technical terms and scientific jargon well? Was the book written at a level appropriate for its intended audience? This critical evaluation is meant to be thorough but also constructive and positive. Do not focus on negatives (as you might on a Tripadvisor restaurant review).
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3. Conclusion:(15 points maximum)
Take-home message.
Summarize how well the author got his or her message across to the intended audience.
Indicate whether you think the book would be useful to its intended audience or if not-what audience would find it to be useful.
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4. Format and Mechanics (15 points maximum)
Write your review for an audience of IUP students who are not Biology or science majors. In structure and organization your review must follow the outline given in Section 1 above. Use complete sentences organized into paragraphs in writing your review. Use standard English and spelling for the most part in your review but you can also use scientific jargon if appropriate. Reviews with a large number of spelling or other errors or otherwise not in compliance with format requirements will not be graded. The paper must meet word count requirements. The paper was turned in on time.
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Supplemental/Non-textbookReadings (Choose and complete writing assignment on one)
Kolata, Gina. 1999. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It.Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, New York, ISBN # 0-374-15706- 5.
Nagami, Pamela. 2002. The Woman with a Worm in Her Head: And Other True Stories of Infectious Disease. St. Martin’s Griffin, New York, ISBN #0-312-30601-6
Quammen, David. 2012. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. W. W. Norton, New York, ISBN #978-0-393-06680-7.
Sachs, Jessica S. 2007. Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World. Hill and Wang (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), New York, ISBN-13: 978-0-8090-5063-5.