MTA Topic Sheet

FA2106

MTA Topic Sheet

In an attempt to identify and remediate any student who may not pass the Writing Competency Essay at the end of the semester, we administer a Departmental Mid-Term Assessment.

Sometime near the middle of the course give your students an impromptu writing exercise.

Previously, encourage your students to have read France Borel’s essay, “The Decorated Body,” pp.210-212, in the Longman Writer. Feel free to use some of Nadell/Langan’s suggestions for class discussions. Students should be able to guess the topic for the test essay, but do not tell them the exact focus.

At the time of the actual test, you will hand out a Topic Sheet that will be distributed with the NCR paper. Run off as many copies as you need. Note: be sure to use the current NCR paper and Holistic Scoring Guide, scored out of a possible 25 points (with total scores of 5-0).

Allow your students to develop their own thesis statements.

The rhetorical mode must be Illustration.

There is no word count; however, the composition must be at least 4 paragraphs.

Max. time allotment: 1 hour

Mark the essays as you would an ordinary set of papers.

Grade them according to the Departmental Rubric. Include the grade somehow as part of the final grade for the course.

Please copy the scored/graded tests and rubrics; return the copies to the students and send the original tests to the Director of Writing (bld. 9, room 924G).

The attached file is a letter which you can copy for any student who does not do well on the MTA explaining the remediation options. Please attach one of these letters to any failing essay.

Please note:

You may administer the MTA to students who were absent - or list their names and Student Identification numbers with the submitted test copies. Any students absent for the MTA may visit the Writing Center in Building 9, Room 903, for a make-up.