B70 ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
Due by 11:59pmEST on MARCH 25
Late Penalty: -3% per calendar day (no submissions accepted 7 calendar days past the deadline)
Marking Guidelines:
• Does the essay meet all of the basic requirements described on the Quercus assignment page?
(Each requirement that is not fulfilled will result in a penalty.)
Thesis (10% of mark)
• Does the thesis follow the exact parameters outlined on the Quercus assignment page?
• Does the thesis put forward a debatable claim about the clip?
A debatable claim is something that is not self-evident or obvious, and it is something
that is not presented as personal opinion, personal belief, personal taste, etc.
• Is the thesis suitably focused (as opposed to too broad)?
• Is the thesis precise (as opposed to vague)?
• Is the thesis unified? (i.e., If there are distinct parts to the claim, do they cohere together?)
Analysis (Interpretation of the Clip) (70% of mark)
• Does the analysis demonstrate close and careful study of composition and movement in
the provided clip? (i.e. Does the analysis of these visual elements go beyond what can be
gleaned from casual viewing?)
• Does the analysis demonstrate a strong understanding of Nichols’s concept of “political
consciousness”? (See textbook chapter on Battleship Potemkin.)
• Does the analysis fully develop and explain each of its points about how the visual elements
of composition and movement connect to Nichols’s concept of “political consciousness”?
• Are all the points made by the analysis relevant to the thesis?
• Does the analysis build and develop an argument, as opposed to repeating the same point?
• Is the progression of the argument logical and linear?
Writing (20% of mark)
• Does the syntax of sentences allow for a clear articulation of ideas?
• Do paragraphs have a single and clearly defined topic?
• Are transitions from paragraph to paragraph clear and linear?
• Does the first paragraph function well as an introduction to the essay?
• Does the last paragraph function well as a conclusion to the essay?
• Are all references to the textbook chapter clearly attributed to the author (i.e., Nichols)?
YOU DO NOT NEED A FORMAL ACADEMIC CITATION SYSTEM. YOU NEED
ONLY MENTION NICHOLS BY NAME WHERE APPLICABLE AND SUPPLY THE
RELEVANT PAGE NUMBER.